DOMINICAN  REPUBLIC




IMMIGRANTS

       

        New York City is the largest home to Dominicans outside of the Dominican Republic. Many of them live in Washington Heights-Inwood section of Manhattan.











CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS



Dominican Americans celebrate Dominican Day in August. They hold a big parade in Manhattan in New York City. Men and women wear Spanish clothes as they dance on the street to Merengue music. Colorful floats move on the street as music plays with the participants wearing their costumes. People along the street yell, sing, dance, and wave the Dominican flag.









FOOD

        The flavor of Dominican food starts with garlic, onions, coriander, and oregano. My favorite is rice with red beans and I usually eat it with Sancocho, a yellow orange stew made with chicken, beef, goat, or pork and African yams and other root vegetables .                                       
My family loves to eat all kinds of Dominican foods such as the following:
    1)  Tostones    (fried plantains served with mojito sauce made from
                            garlic, lime, and olive oil)
    2)  Chicharon de pollo    (chopped chicken with peppery Dominican                                                seasonings)
    3)  Moro (white rice with black beans and tomato sauce)
    4)  Habichuelas (white beans in thick pumpkin sauce)
    5)  Flan de queso (a dessert with custard and cheese)
    6)  Sopa de camarones (a shrimp broth with coriander)
    7)  Chivo quisado (goat stewed with tomatoes, green peppers, and                                         spices).
        Our snacks include chicharrone (pieces of fried pork) and empanadillas (tangy meat tarts). Aside from the flan con queso we also eat puddings (sweet rice, corn, and banana) for dessert.
        There is also a Dominican restaurant in our community that serves other Spanish and American foods with Dominican dishes.
 



CLOTHING



        Dominicans in America wear the same clothing like  the people in Dominican Republic wear. They wear the same summer clothes like sandals, T-shirts, shirts (or blouse), skirts, light jacket, and sweaters. On special occasions, women wear long dresses with bright colors like yellow, orange, and red. Most of their clothing show Spanish influence. They wear matching bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.
                                                           











MUSIC AND DANCE
 
        The  type of music we listen to is called  the Merengue. It is also the national dance of  the Dominican immigrants. It is played in many communities where Dominican immigrants live.
We dance  to the music whenever we hear it. It is also very popular among other ethnic groups  like  the Puerto Ricans and Colombians. It is played everywhere- the parks, baseball fields, restaurants, parties, and other Dominican celebrations. Dominican Americans also listen to other types of music like hip hop and rap. We dance the Bachata and the Salsa.







LIVING WITH PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY


         In our Block Association we gather to discuss things that we can do to help our community. For example, together with our parents we clean up garbage, and plant trees and flowers.
        Some organizations help our community by donating toys to our park. The people also help clean up the park. There are three Christian churches of different denominations in our community. We also have  a YMCA building that offers a sports and fitness program. There are merchants that develop business and create jobs.
INTRODUCTION