Dominicans in America
Dominicans started moving to America in the early 1960s. Over time, their population has increased so much that according to (Guadalipe, 2018) America hosts a population of approximately 2 million Dominican immigrants. At least 750, 000 of this population resides in New York. The increasing population of Dominicans in America has seen their popularity increase and in 2016, the Dominicans saw the election of the first Dominican Congress Representative Mr. Adriano Espaillat. The Dominican culture is not so different from other Spanish speaking groups in America, except the cuisine. Like most Hispanics, a majority of Dominicans are Roman Catholics and they do not have a particular cuisine they identify with but most of them are believed to have a strong penchant for chicken and rice. Writing about Dominicans in America is because of their increasing population and what this means for the racially stratified society that America is owing to the fact that it is not easy to navigate the black-white color line when it comes to Dominicans.
Racial Discrimination and Family Ties
The Dominicans have phenotypic characteristics associated with both white, Hispanic and a deep black ancestry. The fact that they speak Spanish even makes if further difficult to classify them in a particular race. This factor has been a source of racial discrimination among this population. Just like the African Americans and other Latinos, reports indicate that a majority of Dominicans have also been on the receiving end of racial discrimination, especially by the criminal justice system and law enforcement. The Dominicans are well known for their love for family and will always keep extended family ties tight. Previously, research indicates that Dominicans in America preferred a nuclear system compared to those in the Dominican Republic. However, as their population increases, they have reverted to extended families to keep the Dominican population in America close. This has seen the development of unions such as Dominicanos USA and Center for Development and Protection of Dominicans.
The Segmented Labor Market Theory
The segmented labor market theory best explains the experiences of the Dominicans in the United States. According to this traditional assimilation theory, immigrants from countries that are not European have a difficult time getting formal employment. This immigrant population is mostly preferred for blue collar jobs, which have fewer or no benefits hence casting them into a life-long cycle of poverty. Informal jobs do not guarantee one health insurance, a good salary or job security (Guadalupe, 2018). This curtails their efforts of achieving upward socio-economic mobility. According to this theory, the lack of equal opportunities is the reason why America is slow on the incorporation of these immigrants into the system, yet it boasts of being the biggest multicultural society in the world.
Pluralism and Assimilation
It is difficult to clearly tell what type of pluralism is most applicable to the Dominicans because of the highly stratified yet multicultural society that America is. The melting pot is generally used to describe the United States as a nation in general. This is because the United States is known to be the hub of all cultures. It is thus prudent to say that the melting pot is most applicable to Dominicans because they are easily assimilated into the American culture, which has been made richer by other cultures. However, when one takes a closer look at Dominicans, it is clear that their direct interaction with other cultures is limited because most Dominicans prefer living in neighborhoods dominated by other Dominicans. This is especially seen in various cities in New York and South Caroline, where Dominicans prefer to live in closely knit communities.
Relationship with Other Races
The relationship between Dominicans and other dominant races and fellow Hispanics is not really strong. This is because of the unique phenotypic features that leave them between black, white and Hispanic. While most of them identify as Latinos because they are a Spanish-speaking community, other races do not necessarily know how to classify them. This has seen other races assume they subscribe to the Mexican culture which is the largest and most dominant Hispanic ethnic group in America. Before the development of White-Hispanic neighborhoods, the Dominicans largely related with other minority groups especially the African-Americans and other Hispanics, who had been cast in low-income neighborhoods by low paying jobs. Socio-economic factors are the only uniting element between the Dominicans and other races (Nwosu "Batalova, 2014).
Socio-Economic Inequality and Cultural Identity
Like other minority groups, the Dominicans are victims of socio-economic inequality. This has lead to this ethnic group being identified by the stereotype that immigrants in America take the inequality narrative too serious hence spend so much time trying to succeed at all odds, even if it takes dubious means. Socio-economic mobility is a priority to every American and the fact that there are not equal opportunities makes it difficult for some part of the American population to achieve it. Government policies towards immigrants and the features of the already existing ethnic communities play a major role in determining the number of barriers immigrants from a certain country will face during their stay in America. However, research shows that the level of education is a significant determinant of the rate at which an immigrant, regardless of their country of origin, will be assimilated into the American middle-class.
Adoption of American Culture
Finally, Dominicans have been pointed out as one of the immigrant populations that easily abandon their original cultures to adopt the American way of life. This is seen in the way unlike other Hispanic minority groups, Dominicans do not have a particular cultural identity. Most of them live a dynamic life which is more American than native Dominican (Lopez, 2015). In fact, a large number of Dominican children are fluent in English compared to other Hispanics. This minority group is known to quickly adopt an American way of life, and it is depicted in their grocery stores, where most items are predominantly American.
Conclusion
Dominicanos USA is currently one of the most popular organizations that champion for the overall well being of Dominicans in the United States. Its effort to increase the registration of Dominican voters has borne fruits and this means that the future will experience a possible increase in the representation of Dominicans in the government. This organization’s motto is “Empowering Dominican – Americans through civic, social and Economic Integration. This is important because most Dominicans in the US work menial jobs which pay below the minimum wage. One thing that greatly ails the Dominican population is the fact that this minority population's health needs have not been incorporated into the US health system. It is thus important for policymakers to ensure that sufficient research is done on the health needs of this minority group to ensure better health care for Dominicans.
References
Guadalupe, P. (2018). As their Numbers Grow, Dominican – Americans Solidify their Presence and Clout. Accessed from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/their-numbers-grow-dominican-americans-solidify-their-presence-clout-n851386
Lopez, G. (2015). Hispanics of Dominican Origin in the United States 2013. Accessed from http://www.pewhispanic.org/2015/09/15/hispanics-of-dominican-origin-in-the-united-states-2013
Nwosu, C. " Batalova, J. (2014) Immigrants from the Dominican Republic in the United States. Accessed from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/immigrants-dominican-republic-united-states
