It is Sunday 8 a.m, and the streets are quiet and empty as Steven Ramos fills his van with boxes of oranges to deliver to his father’s fruit and vegetable business in New Jersey. “Who said being in college was all fun and games,” he says in a mocking tone.
Ramos, 22, a senior at City College majoring in Economics, moved to New York from the Dominican Republic 3 years ago, along with his father and brother. Steven intended to graduate and return to his native country when he first arrived, but now he’s not sure what he wants to do once he graduates. He’s light skin, well built about 5-8 in height and has a thick Dominican accent.
As a freshman in the Dominican Republic, Ramos decided to emigrate and study as a transfer student while working for his father, Cirilo Ramos, and gaining experience.
“It was a difficult decision to leave everything behind, it is a completely different way of living, but I felt it was in my best interest,” Ramos said. After debating for some time what he wanted to do with his major, he decided to not rush the decision.
“My decision was influenced by a couple of factors, at the time in the Dominican Republic, the buzz around was that going to the United States for college was one of the best decisions for a high school graduate,” Steven said. “More than that though, the possibility to be part of my father’s successful company while studying was probably the determining factor.”
Ramos’ father Cirilo, imports fruits and vegetables from the Dominican Republic (the consumers have come to know the business as “el frutero de Ramos”) and sells them in Washington Heights, certain areas of the Bronx and parts of New Jersey — which is what Dominican Republic’s economy is all about. According to the CIA World Factbook, the Dominican Republic depends on the U.S. for more than half of its exports, which include sugar coffee and tobacco.
Steven spends the majority of the time that he is not taking classes, in the business, particularly in the Dyckman area of Washington Heights, and in Seacaucus New Jersey. When speaking Jorge Uceda, one of the workers, he believes that, “ Steven will someday have his own business, he works incredibly hard. I’ve seen him here Sunday at 6 a.m, other times Tuesday at 11 p.m, he puts a lot of work in.”
Ramos, however, is not sure if sticking wit his father’s business is the best idea for him.
“I often wonder if I would hit that moment, where I don’t know what I wanted to do with myself as I near graduation,” he said. Steven has applied for jobs down by the financial district. He believes that, “I have two choices, either I find a job here in New York that’s a direct correlation to my major, or I open up a business with the help of my father back in the Dominican Republic.”
There are however, economic implications in Ramos’ decision. Victor Santana, a lawyer who studies emigration impact on the Dominican Republic’s economy, says that, “for a couple of years now, and for the foreseeable future, it is more likely that the average Dominican who graduates in the U.S stays out there, because the economy here is so bad,” he said, “a great job here in the Dominican Republic for a recent graduate pays you about $1,200, and that barely gets you by.”
Steven recognizes the difficulties but isn’t convinced his prospects in the DR would necessarily be quite bleak. He believes that his mastery of Spanish and English will help shape his decision. “While it is true that the economy back home is bad, there are a lot of jobs out there that will pay me more just because of my degree from the States and because I speak English” he says.
He also said, “you have to remember that there are more and more foreign companies out there in the Dominican Republic who employ people who can speak English.” The number of foreign companies employing in the Dominican Republic has been growing now for over 20 years, because of the Foreign Investment Act of 1995, which gave foreign investors the same hiring rights as locals.
While Steven still does not know what he’ll ultimately end up doing, he does not worry too much. “I know I have a couple of options, and if you think about it, there are so many college graduates who are in serious debt and jobless,” he said smiling.“ My biggest worry is deciding which route to take– if not I can always go back to carrying boxes of oranges with the old man.”