{"id":1091,"date":"2007-02-02T17:28:08","date_gmt":"2007-02-02T13:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dominicana-online.org\/?p=1091"},"modified":"2018-05-17T19:30:53","modified_gmt":"2018-05-17T19:30:53","slug":"diaspora","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.dominicanaonline.org\/en\/republica-dominicana\/poblacion\/diaspora\/","title":{"rendered":"Diaspora"},"content":{"rendered":"

By definition,\u00a0diaspora is a dispersion of human groups that leave their place of origin.\u00a0In the case of Dominicans, through emigration, they have disseminated to every corner of the planet, leaving a social and cultural impact wherever they are found.<\/p>\n

According to a study carried out by the\u00a0Observatorio\u00a0de\u00a0Migrantes\u00a0del Caribe (Observatory of Caribbean Migrants;\u00a0OBMICA),\u00a0it is estimated that there are more than 1.6 million Dominicans residing abroad, of which\u00a085.5%\u00a0are in the United States, followed by 7.56% that reside in Europe.\u00a0The remaining\u00a06.93%\u00a0are in Central America and the Caribbean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Dominican residents abroad<\/b>:\u00a0<\/b>Dominican population registered and or estimated in main countries of residence\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Countries of destination<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nEstimated number of migrants\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
United States\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n1,414,703\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Spain\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n77,696\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Puerto Rico\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n67,415\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Italy\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n28,623\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Venezuela\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n12,078\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Canada\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n7,742\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Panama\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n6,944\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Virgin Islands\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n5,958\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Germany\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n5,939\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Switzerland\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n5,828\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Curacao\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n5,599\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
France\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n4,912\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Haiti\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n4,799\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aruba\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n4,317\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
San Martin\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n3,510\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mexico\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n1,893\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Antigua and\u00a0Barbuda\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n1,740\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Austria\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n1,635\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Costa Rica\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n1,105\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Netherlands\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n1,053\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n1,663,489<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Source<\/b>: Observatory of Caribbean Migrants (OBMICA) \u2013 State of the Art of Migrations that deal with the Dominican Republic 2014 with data from Eurostat (2014), UNDESA (2013b), World Bank (2010) and US Census (2010)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

History of the Dominican Diaspora in the United States<\/b><\/h2>\n

Massive emigration to the United States from the Dominican Republic began in 1966. A large contingent of Dominicans left their native land as a consequence of political instability.\u00a0Many\u00a0of those that left prior to\u00a0that year belonged to an elite class of Dominican society.\u00a0However, in 1966 the Dominican migration changed:\u00a0it transformed into an enormous exodus of people searching for work.\u00a0In 1960, less than 10,000\u00a0Dominicans\u00a0resided in the United States. By 1980, the number of Dominicans in the United States had risen to 170,817, and in\u00a0\u00a02010\u00a0it reached more than 1.4 million,\u00a0according to the US Census.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The majority of Dominicans arrived between the years 1990 and 2000.\u00a0During that decade, nearly\u00a0300,000\u00a0obtained permanent residency and 90% of those obtained it through the Family Reunification Law of 1965. The majority of Dominican emigrants settled in New York. In 1980 more than 73 percent of Dominicans resided in New York state, and New York City housed close to 95 percent of that population\u00a0\u00a0In 1990,\u00a0Dominicans were the most numerous group of immigrants in New York City, with a population of 332,713 people.\u00a0Its notable population growth was the result of\u00a0the migratory influx combined with high rates of fertility among Dominican women.<\/p>\n

The massive arrival of Dominicans coincided with an economic\u00a0 restructuring of the labor market; the creation of more jobs in the service sector than any other sector, and the fast disappearance of stable, unionized, blue collar jobs in the manufacturing sector. In 1990, Dominican population growth in New York City halted. But, the Dominican population grow rapidly in other states, particularly in the Northeast, in California and Alaska.<\/p>\n

This growth created Dominican communities with dynamic businesses, a cultural presence and active political life. Dominican communities of today display anguish and progress at the same time. In Florida, the\u00a0anual\u00a0income of Dominican homes in 2010 was half of that of White non-hispanics; in New York, a fourth of Dominican families lived below the poverty line and more Dominicans were deported back to their country than all of those from other Caribbean countries combined.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Noted Dominicans<\/b><\/h2>\n

Hollywood actress Zoe Saldana\u00a0has become a household name;\u00a0Julissa Reynoso\u00a0served as the youngest female Ambassador from the United States; Thomas Perez\u00a0served as the Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the US Justice Department during the Obama Administration.\u00a0Furthermore,\u00a0Dominicans vote for fellow Dominicans in many\u00a0cities\u00a0where they currently live. In 2016,\u00a0Adriano\u00a0Espaillat\u00a0became the first Dominican to be elected as a Senator to the US Congress.<\/p>\n

Members of the Dominican\u00a0diaspora\u00a0in the United States have been successful in different sectors, apart from writers, government officials and elected\u00a0officials, in\u00a0areas\u00a0such as sports, among them\u00a0Pedro Mart\u00ednez, David Ortiz, Manny Ram\u00edrez, Sammy Sosa,\u00a0Alex Rodr\u00edguez, Albert\u00a0Pujols\u00a0and\u00a0Al Horford\u00a0among others,\u00a0such as actors and actresses\u00a0Manny P\u00e9rez, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodr\u00edguez,\u00a0Dascha\u00a0Polanco and Dania Ram\u00edrez and musicians and or singers\u00a0Michel Camilo, Prince Royce y Romeo Santos,\u00a0among many others.<\/p>\n

References<\/i><\/b>:
\n<\/i><\/b>Hern\u00e1ndez, Ramona.\u00a0Dominican\u00a0Americans. Oxford\u00a0Bibliographies.<\/span>
\nhttp:\/\/www.oxfordbibliographies.com\/view\/document\/obo-9780199913701\/obo-9780199913701-0015.xml#obo-9780199913701-0015-div1-0001<\/a>\u00a0(Last modification: 19\/March\/2013)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Public and E<\/b>lected O<\/b>fficials from the Dominican Republic in the United States<\/b><\/h2>\n

Federal Government<\/b><\/h3>\n

Thomas E. P\u00e9rez
\n<\/b>Secretary\u00a0of Labor,\u00a0Department of Labor
\nhttps:\/\/www.dol.gov\/agencies\/osec
\n<\/a>*\u00a0First Latino elected to the Montgomery County Council.<\/p>\n

N<\/b>ew York<\/b><\/p>\n

Adriano Espaillat
\n<\/b>Member of the New York State Senate from the 31st<\/span>\u00a0district.
\nhttps:\/\/www.nysenate.gov\/senators\/adriano-espaillat
\n<\/a>*\u00a0First Dominican to be elected to the US Congress in 2016<\/p>\n

Fernando Cabrera
\n<\/b>Member of the New York City Council from the 14th<\/span>\u00a0district
\nhttp:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/d14\/html\/members\/home.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n

Rafael Espinal
\n<\/b>Member of the New York City Council from the 37th<\/span>\u00a0district
\nhttp:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/d37\/html\/members\/home.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n

Julissa\u00a0<\/b>Ferreras
\n<\/b>Member of the New York City Council from the 21st district
\nhttp:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/d21\/html\/members\/home.shtml
\n<\/a>*\u00a0<\/b>(First Latina elected to political office in Queens).<\/p>\n

Guillermo Linares
\n<\/b>Member of the New York State Assembly from the 72nd district
\n* First Dominican-born elected to public office in the United States in 1991.<\/p>\n

Ydanis<\/b>\u00a0Rodr\u00edguez
\n<\/b>Member of the New York City Council from the 10th district
\nhttp:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/d10\/html\/members\/home.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Peralta
\n<\/b>Member of the New York State Senate from the 13th district
\nhttps:\/\/www.nysenate.gov\/senators\/jose-peralta<\/a><\/p>\n

Antonio Reynoso
\n<\/b>Member of the New York City Council from the 34th district
\nhttp:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/d34\/html\/members\/home.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n

Rita Mella
\n<\/b>Judge, New York County Surrogate\u2019s Court
\nhttp:\/\/www.nycourts.gov\/courts\/1jd\/surrogates\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Diana Reyna
\n<\/b>Deputy Borough President, Brooklyn President\u2019s Office
\nhttp:\/\/www.brooklyn-usa.org\/diana-reyna-bio\/
\n<\/a>* First woman of Dominican descent elected to office in New York State.<\/p>\n

Massachusetts<\/b><\/p>\n

Marcos Devers
\n<\/b>Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 16th Essex\u00a0district
\nhttps:\/\/malegislature.gov\/People\/Profile\/MAD1<\/a><\/p>\n

Kendrys<\/b>\u00a0Vasquez
\n<\/b>President of Lawrence City Council
\nhttp:\/\/www.cityoflawrence.com\/city-council.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

Bryan de Pe\u00f1a
\n<\/b>Councilor at Large, Lawrence City Council
\nhttp:\/\/www.cityoflawrence.com\/city-council.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

Nilka\u00a0Alvarez-Rodr\u00edguez
\n<\/b>Councilor at Large, Lawrence City Council
\nhttp:\/\/www.cityoflawrence.com\/city-council.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

Modesto Maldonado
\n<\/b>Councilor at Large, Lawrence City Council
\nhttp:\/\/www.cityoflawrence.com\/city-council.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

Rhode Island<\/b><\/p>\n

Grace Diaz
\n<\/b>Member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
\nhttp:\/\/www.rilin.state.ri.us\/representatives\/Diaz\/default.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

Juan Pichardo
\n<\/b>Member of the Rhode Island State Senate\u00a0(Deputy Majority Leader)
\nhttp:\/\/www.rilin.state.ri.us\/senators\/Pichardo\/default.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

Maryland<\/b><\/p>\n

Joseline\u00a0Pena-Melnyk
\n<\/b>Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 21st. district
\nhttp:\/\/msa.maryland.gov\/msa\/mdmanual\/06hse\/html\/msa14629.html<\/a><\/p>\n

New Jersey<\/b><\/p>\n

Alex Blanco
\n<\/b>Mayor of Passaic, New Jersey
\nhttp:\/\/www.cityofpassaic.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Tilo Rivas
\n<\/b>Commissioner of Public Works in Union City, New Jersey and\u00a0Hudson County Freeholder
\nhttp:\/\/www.ucnj.com\/Officials\/Official.aspx?id=2<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Additional\u00a0Works\u00a0by\u00a0Dominican\u00a0Writers\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Diaspora<\/h2>\n

JUNOT DIAZ<\/b><\/p>\n