Violeta
Pantaleón
Professor
Delorenzo
CW 215-12
Research Paper:
Dominicans in New York City
“Nueva
Yol”
Above North Central Park, right above Harlem neighborhood, lies
the new Spanish Harlem, Washington Heights.
Washington Heights stretches from 137th Street to the Northern tip of
Manhattan. It encompasses the wide
avenues that include St. Nicholas Boulevard and Fort Washington (Nguyen and
Sanchez 2002). Its residents are
Dominicans, New York City highest immigrant group. Spanish dominates the
streets, Dominican flags waver above lampposts and windows, merengue can be heard blaring from radio
systems, and several other signs indicate how the Dominican culture has defied
assimilation and flourished. Like many
previous immigrant groups, Dominicans have decided to settle where their
language and culture is familiar, making their transition to a new land easier
to sail.
What is it about
New York City that attracts immigrants from all over the world? Many immigrants
believed that New York was paved in gold and that there were job opportunities
for everyone. Once they arrived, most
immigrants found themselves face-to-face with the harsh realities of New York
City; discrimination, unskilled labor jobs, language barriers, and
prejudice. However, each past
immigration group managed to contribute to the economic system of New York City
and added depth to the diversity pool.
In the past
decades New York City has been transformed culturally, socially, politically
and economically. Once again the
streets of New York City are being
transformed; Dominicans are the new wave of immigrants that have replaced the
Irish and Jewish population that settled in Upper Manhattan in the early
1970’s. This new group has transformed
the cultural mode and the working class in Upper Manhattan.
Dominicans first
arrived to New York City in the early1980’s from a small Spanish-speaking
island in the Caribbean called, La Hispañola (“little Spain” or “little Spanish
island”). Dominicans are no exceptions
to the hardships that their precedent immigrants faced. At the same time Dominicans are contributing
to the diverse facet of New York City both economically and culturally. However, their contributions to the city
have gone ignored for two main reasons: many Dominicans have are employed in
the drug trade system and they make up the population of New York City’s
poorest neighborhood. This paper will
place focus on the contributions that Dominicans are making to New York City
and re-examine their status as an immigrant group caught in transition.
According to the census 2000 data,
the Dominican population rose 168% (Martin 1995). Their influx was mainly due for economic and political strife.
The economy of Dominican Republic was fairly stable and based on mainly sugar
export and partly on tourism and produce trade. However, after 1899 the country went
bankrupt following the death of their dictator Ulises Heureaux.. Writer Andre Washington explained that
economic and political reasons were two major factors that encouraged many
Dominicans to leave their native island:
These terrible economic and political
persecutions conditions only worsened and caused a gigantic influx of
immigrants from the Dominican Republic to the United States in the early 80's
and even more in the 90's. (Washington 1999)
Thus, In search of a more stable
economy and in order to escape political turmoil after several dictators and
unstable presidents, many Dominicans decided to emigrate as a solution for a
better quality life. Like all the other
immigrant groups before them, Dominicans evaluated New York City’s booming
economy and job labor market as a paradise with streets paved with gold.
When they arrived
the Dominicans encountered hardships in the unskilled labor industry. Most new
arrivals were from the lower middle class.
Unfortunely Spanish became a barrier in obtaining decent jobs. Many found jobs as furniture movers,
seamstress, dshwashers, janitors, and housemaids. Many were disappointed with their new low paying job and figured
out to a plan that dramatically changed Manhattan. The following is an excerpt written by Jose Delio Martin from an
article published in the Washington Post Newspaper;
Like Korean immigrants, groups of
Dominicans relatives and friends pooled resources to provide capital for
hundreds and storefront businesses.
They took over so many enterprises that scholars cited Washington
Heights as a prime example of a successful enclave economy. By some estimate, Dominicans now own more
than 20,000 small businesses in New York, including 70% of the city’s bodegas,
the small grocery that cater mostly to Latinos. (Martin 1995)
The incoming waves of immigrants
decided to settled in Washington Heights, now also referred to as Spanish
Harlem, where many heard, that they could start they own bodega and invest in future selling profits.
Many analysts have considered the
effects of New York City on Dominicans, but forgot to consider the effects of
Dominicans on New York City. Many
settlers in Washington Heights decided to invest in small business as long as
they were the owners. Hence, with loans
or monetary collection, many Dominicans created Spanish-speaking businesses
such as: clothing stores at lowered prices, supermarkets, grocery stores, and
even cab drivers companies. With limited
English Dominicans managed to buy a small-businesses and cater their businesses
to the Spanish-speaking community in Upper Manhattan. With the expansion of primary Spanish-speaking business the
incoming waves of immigrants didn’t bother to learn English because operations
in Upper Manhattan spoke their own language.
As more Dominicans settled in Washington Heights they expanded cultural
awareness by setting up restaurants, selling exotic Caribbean fruits and
produce, distributing imported newspapers, and opening clubs that exposed
clients to Latin only music. Non-Dominican New Yorkers have developed a palette
for Dominican cuisine and Merengue
that restaurants are in high demand.
After a few years many New Yorkers of other ethnic groups noticed the
new Spanish-speaking community, their typical food, their music, and
predominantly their Spanish.
By exposing their
culture and language, Dominicans changed the primary concerns of health care
providers, religious services, government offices, and business in New York
City. Service providers noticed the
growth of the Spanish-speaking community and saw the demand for services that
either operate in English or provide translation services. in their essay Ethnic Communities in New York City:
Dominicans in Washington Heights, Sociologists Pauline Nguyen and Josephine
Sanchez made the following observation:
“The walls of Columbia Presbyterian
Hospital tower above St. Nicholas Boulevard in the heart of the Dominican
neighborhood of Washington Heights, but it will bend to assist the needs of its
home community. All of the signs are posted in both English and Spanish, and a
number of doctors and nurses are prepared to translate options and procedures
to Spanish-speaking patients and their families. (Translators are available in
other languages as well, but not in bulk). (Nguyen and Sanchez 2001)
Dominicans have transformed the need
for translators into a demand for Spanish translators. Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan is
more of a community that speaks to people in one tongue. In addition to bringing recognition to
addressing the Hispanic community in Spanish, Dominicans have made it possible
for other Spanish-speaking immigrants from other groups to receive services in
their native tongue.
The fact that they were being heard
and understood in Spanish was great achievement and appreciation for
Dominicans. The toughest part was voicing their opinions and concerns in
English. Despite the fact that some
Dominicans immigrated to New York City to escape political upheavel, they
remained active in political functions and elections, but this time in the
United States. Most Hispanics in New
York City lean towards the Democratic Party.
Census 2000 data showed a Hispanic and non-Hispanics trend, which
reflected the increase of Hispanics in the United States and New York State.
Washington Heights itself is an overwhelmingly Hispanic population, which
constitutes 70% of the population. To
address this contrasting trend in Upper Manhattan New York City has decided to
elect two city councilman. One elected councilman is meant to address
the needs of the small neighborhoods that lie on the edge of Washington
Heights; Harlem and Morningside. The
second elected councilman works for the sole purposes of adddressing the needs
of the community within Washington Heights.
In 2000, Guillermo Linares was the first Dominican-American to be
elected city council man. The 2000
White House Education Press Releases and Statements published the following
statement regarding Linares's achievement:
“Mr. Guillermo Linares, of New York, New York,
has served as a member of the Commission since January, 1995. He has been Vice
Chair since 1998. Mr. Linares became the first Dominican-American to be elected
to public office in the United States when he was elected to the New York City
Council in 1991. He was re-elected in November, 1993 and again in November,
1997.” (united States: White House Press Release 2000)
Councilman Linares created projects that advocate
for education and address concerns from the Dominican community. Dominicans have gone one step ahead in
politics by creating community associations that focus on the improvement of
their quality of life. Such association
is the reputable Alianza Dominicana in New York State. Vice consulate Luis Polanco asserted the Alianza as a unique human service agency
for the entire Latino Hispanic community in New York CIty. Polanco wrote:
The alianza
(meaning association) “is the only human service agency in New York
holistically addressing the needs of the immigrant Latino population. While
stabilization in the patterns of immigration is expected to continue over the
next several years, an ever increasing birth rate is likely to bring about an
expanded population with growing needs. (Polanco 2001)
The Alianza Dominicana doesn’t only assist the
Dominican community, but the entire Hispanic population in New York City; by
providing programs for parenting skills, job skills, English classes and
general human services. The Alianza
Dominicana (also refereed to as La Alianza) was founded in 1982 and is
currentlty the largest and most comprehensive social service agency in
Washington Heights/Inwood, as well as the largest Dominican service agency in
the country. La Alianza, and other
similar organizations which are state and city funded, are involved in
informing and setting up ballots for the Hispanic community in regards to about
all political candidates and offices in New York State and national
candidates.
New York State and City office holders
and hopeful candidates began to take notice of the political significance that
the Dominican population has upon their popularity and consequently may affect
their votes. However, it wasn’t until
the last mayoral election and the crash of an American Airlines flight heading
to the Dominican Republic that political candidates turned their eyes towards
the poorest ethnic minority in New York City, Dominicans. The new Mayor Bloomberg recently visited the
president of the Dominican Republic, Mario Cuomo and Governor Pataki have also
made past visits to the Dominican Republic.
All are hoping to gain support from the massive Dominican community in
New York State. The Gotham Gazette, an
online local news provider published the following article translated from
Spanish by Armando Reyes in regards to the
influence of the Dominican community on political candidates:
The massive participation of Latinos,
including Dominicans, in the most recent city elections, which contributed to
Bloomberg's victory…this has prompted U.S. politicians to turn their eyes
toward the Dominican Republic in order to garner support among
Dominican-Americans…According to the last census, 652,347 Dominicans live in
New York legally. The current governor, Republican George Pataki, as well as
Democrat Andrew Cuomo, who may run against Pataki in the general election this
November, "invaded" the country recently in a public attempt to show
their solidarity with the families of the victims of American Airlines Flight
587. The November 12 crash claimed 265 victims, 175 of whom were Dominican.” (Reyes 2002)
The Dominican-Americans are transforming the political agendas in New York City. Candidates, hopeful candidates and endorses are trying to gain the support from the Dominican community by acknowledging their concerns. Even better candidates have noticed the hefty 652, 347 figure and are finally taking to acknowledged a community that is active in politics. This is the first time that the once believed city government indifference is caring.
The indifference was largely due to
the fact the many Dominicans and Dominican-Americans are involved in
drug-trafficking and smuggling. The
fear of all Dominican parents is that their children become involved in this
lucrative business. Many adolescents
decide to sell drugs as an alternative to provide quick comfort and monetary
sources in order to make ends meet.
Investigative reporters Clifford Krauss and Larry Rohter from the New York Times , published their following
findings regarding drug trade in New York City:
The Colombian drug cartel leaders
recognized…that low-level Dominican drug dealers based in New York City were
pushing their way up to the next echelon of the drug business…of the wholesale
distribution of cocaine and heroin in the New England and Mid-Atlantic
states…the alliance between the Colombian cartels and their Dominican partners
has changed the geography of the drug trade…profits [are moving] though the
Islands in the Caribbean, with the Dominican Republic, serving as the main
gateway. (Krauss and Rohter 1998)
Drug trade has increased violence in
the Upper Manhattan. Because drug trade
Washington Heights has the highest drug-related killings in Manhattan. The drug trade began as an immediate
solution to address the lack of money in Dominican households. Youngsters don’t necessarily consume the
drugs, but earn profits that they use to provide
to their families.
While striving to become a productive and
contributing people here in America. New York City’s fastest growing immigrant
group are Dominicans..It seems as though when the Dominican population in
America increases, their income as a whole decreases. Nearly half of the
Dominicans in NYC live below the poverty level. In an essay focused on Dominican Iimmigrants in New York, Andre
Washington revealed the following statistical data: I
In 1990 29% of Dominicans where on welfare. Of
foreign people immigrating to the U.S., only people from the former Soviet
Union had a higher percentage of people living on public assistance. From 1989
to 1996 their per capita income declined 23% to $6,094 a year, in inflation
adjusted dollars, while their poverty rate rose from 37% to 46%, that is almost
double for the city as a whole. Unemployment also rose from 17.2% in 1990 to
18.8% in 1996. (Washington 1999)
The Dominicans continuously arrive to
the United States, and 60% choose to go to New York City. To my understanding New York City is not
prepared to handle the influx of immigrants. The city did not take any previous
actions to aid the newly come immigrants. Now, New York City has a problem on
it’s hand, a large poor community that can no longer go ignored. (Ojito
1994)
In the previous years urban city developers have ignored planning actions in Washington Heights mainly because they community was of lower middle class and they preferred a more stable neighborhood to invest in. Stereotypes such as, “all Dominican-Americans are drug dealers”, has discouraged many individuals in seeing the positive contributions that Dominicans and Dominican-Americans have had and continue to do so on New York City.
Dominicans are strongly attached to their roots and every
year many save every penny to return to their homelands. Airlines such as American Airlines, has
expanded daily non-stop flights to the Dominican Republic. Dominicans in New
York City still remain to be a caught in transition; they refuse to give up
Spanish and insist on returning to their homelands. Despite the hardships they face, Dominicans have created a
vibrant, loyalty-oriented community in Upper Manhattan that manifests itself in
every day life activities and has transformed the facet of New York City; by
contributing to it’s cultural diversity, political stage, and small business
capita.
WORKS CITED
Kennedy, Dana. “Hispaniola to New York Streets” Immigrant Dreams
Gone Awry Narcotics: Would-be-drug dealers take a deadly path between Dominican
Republic and and Washington Heights.” The Los Angeles Times. 9 Jan.
1994. 2 Feb. 2002 <http//o-proquest.umi.com.usflib.usfca.edu/pdqweb?Did=00000005.htm>
Martin, Jose Delio. “They
Came to Improve But Just Try to Survive: Poverty Threatens the Community
Dominicans Built in New York.” The
Washington Post. 17 Jun 1995. 15 Feb. 2002
<http//o-proquest.umi.com.usflib.usfca.edu/pdqweb?Did=00000001.htm>
Nguyen,
Pauline and Josephine Sanchez. “Ethnic
Communities in New York City: Dominicans in Washington Heights” New York, 2001.
Ethnic Communities in New York City. New York University. 8 May. 2002 <http://www.nyu.edu/classes/blake.map2001/dominican2.html>
Ojito, Mirta. “As Poverty
Rises, More Women Head the Households.” New York Times. 24 Oct. 1994. 2
Feb. 2002.
< http//o-proquest.umi.com.usflib.usfca.edu/pdqweb?Did=00000002.htm>
Polanco, Luis. Personal Interview 3 Mar. 2002
Reyes, Amando. “Dominican Republic Becomes Stage
For New York Political Campaign” Gotham Gazette: The Citizen Page 21 Feb. 2002. 8
May. 2002 <http://www.gothamgazette.com/citizen/march02/spanish-trip-hoy.shtml>
Rhode, David. “New Seekers of the American Dream.” Christian
Science Monitor. 24 Oct. 1994. 2
Feb. 2002 < http//o-proquest.umi.com.usflib.usfca.edu/pdqweb?Did=00000000.htm>
Rohter, Larry and Clifford Krauss. “Dominicans Allow Drug Easy Sailing.” New York Times. 10 May. 1998. 2 Feb. 2002
<
http//o-proquest.umi.com.usflib.usfca.edu/pdqweb?Did=00000002.htm>
The Christian Science Monitor Cover Story: “New Seekers of the
American Dream Dominican Immigrants are flocking to New York. All hope for a better life, but a few have
turned to a drug trade that made their neighborhood the city’s homicide
capital. (series). The Christian Science Monitor. 24 Oct. 1994. 2 Feb.
2002 <
http//o-proquest.umi.com.usflib.usfca.edu/pdqweb?Did=00000006.htm>
United States. Office of the Press Secretary. “President Clinton Names Guillermo Linares As Chair Of The President's Advisory Commission On Educational Excellence For Hispanic Americans” 3 Mar. 2000. 8 May. 2002 <http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/03-2000/wh-0303a.html>
Washington,
Andre, Dominicans In America . 13 Dec. 1999. 8 May. 2002 <http://www.collegetermpapers.com/TermPapers/Sociology/Dominicans_In_America.shtml>