The CUNY Dominican Studies Institute (CUNY DSI) has been awarded a Latino Americans: 500 Years of History grant.

The CUNY Dominican Studies Institute (CUNY DSI) has been awarded a Latino Americans: 500 Years of History grant.
New York, October 1 2015

Latino Americans: 500 Years of History supports the American public’s exploration of the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos, who have helped shape the United States over the last five centuries and who have become, with more than 50 million people, the country’s largest minority group. The cornerstone of the project is the six-part documentary film Latino Americans, created for PBS in 2013 by the WETA public television station and supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The award-winning series chronicles Latinos in the United States from the 16th century to present day.

In collaboration with the national initiative, Latino Americans: 500 Years of History, CUNY DSI has organized a series of events to tell the story of Dominican veterans of World War II (WWII). This collaboration will expose, for the first time, a two-year research project undertaken by CUNY DSI that uncovered over 300 Dominican men and women WWII veterans who served in various U.S. military branches. Many Dominicans received medals and other recognitions for their courageous actions in combat. After returning from war, many risked their lives, once again, to bring democracy to their homeland. The CUNY DSI’s series will honor and recognize Dominican WWII veterans through an exhibit, a scholarly panel, and the screening of two episodes of the documentary Latino Americans. These events will highlight both Dominican and Latino veterans while serving in the military, as well as their contribution to society after they returned from the war.

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