Dominican Republic

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Providence

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Early History of the Dominican Republic

• Dominican Republic forms part of the island of Hispaniola.
• Before the Europeans arrived a people called the Arawaks lived there.
• However on December 6, 1492 Christopher Columbus landed in the northwest part of the island and called it “Espanola”.
• He later changed the name to Hispaniola.
• Spanish settlers founded San Domingo in 1596.
• A hundred years after Columbus arrived diseases and war had almost exterminated the Arawaks.

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Early History of the Dominican Republic

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• The Spanish claimed ownership of the whole island but they settled mainly in the east, in what is now Dominican Republic.
• During the 16th century vast numbers of African slaves were imported into the island and they were forced on sugar plantations
• The western part of the island was left mainly empty and in the 17th century the French settled there.
• In 1697 the Spanish and French signed the Treaty of Ryswick
• France was given the western third of the island - the rest was still in Spanish hands

Early History of the Dominican Republic

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• Haiti became independent in 1804 but in 1821 the Haitians occupied what is now the Dominican Republic.
• The Dominican Republic became independent in 1844.
• Its first president was Pedro Santana but he made himself effectively a dictator.
• Dominican Republic also suffered a number of invasions from Haiti.
• In 1861 Santana made Dominican Republic a province of Spain.

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Pedro Santana

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The 1st, 4th, and 8th President of the Dominican Republic

Early History of the Dominican Republic

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• The Spanish deposed him in 1862 and in 1863 the people rose in revolt.
• A guerilla war began called the War of Restoration and the Spanish withdrew in 1867.
• Unfortunately there then followed a period of political instability and internal disorder in the Dominican Republic.

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The Modern Dominican Republic

• In 1916 the USA afraid that Germany might intervene in the Dominican Republic occupied the country.
• The American occupation lasted until 1924.
• Elections were then held and Horacio Vasquez became the president of the Dominican Republic.
• However, in 1930 Rafael Trujillo staged a coup and became a dictator.
• Trujillo ruled Dominican Republic for 31 years till he was assassinated in 1961.

Horacio Vasquez

Rafael

Trujillo

The Modern Dominican Republic

• In the 1962 elections were held and Juan Bosch led a new government.
• However, in 1963 the army staged a coup.
• In 1965 the people rebelled but the USA intervened.
• President Johnson sent US Marines to the Dominican Republic.
• A provisional government ruled for one year until 1966 when Joaquin Balaguer was elected president.
• Balaguer was president until 1978 and under him some economic development took place.

Juan Bosch

Jaoquin Balaguer

The Modern Dominican Republic

• He was replaced by Antonio Guzman.
• He committed suicide in 1982.
• Jorge Blanco was president of Dominican Republic until 1986 when Balaguer replaced him.
• He was re-elected in 1990.
• In 1994 Balaguer was elected again but the election was rigged.
• However to avoid violence an agreement was made with the opposition.
• Balaguer agreed to step down after 2 years.
• In 1996 Leonel Fernandez became president of the DR
• Fernandez lost power in 2000, but was re-elected in 2004.

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Antonio Guzman to Jorge Blanco back to Jaoquin Balaguer to Leonel Fernandez

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The Modern Dominican Republic

• Today the Dominican Republic still exports sugar and coffee but tourism is a rapidly growing industry.
• Although Dominican Republic is still poor the economy is growing strongly.
• The population today is around 10 million people.

My Dominican Republic Experience

Dominicans in Rhode Island

• The story of Dominicans in Providence is one about migration, not immigration.
• Between 1980 and 1990, the Hispanic population of Rhode Island grew by 132%, and during the next decade by 98.5%
• Beginning in the 1970s, and through the 1990s, Providence experienced a steady increase in its Hispanic population, mainly people looking for a way to get out of New York City.
• The migration of Dominicans and other Hispanics toward the New England states happened for a variety of reasons.

Migration - movement from one part of the country to another part of the country

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Immigration - the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country.

Dominicans in Rhode Island

• Like most immigrants, the Dominicans came to the US looking for a better life.
• Their trip northward stemmed from the same reasoning.
• Since New York City is the first stop for many Dominicans, the overcrowding of the City and the heavy concentration of Latinos there were cited as one of the main factors for leaving.
• Described by many Dominicans as beautiful due to its small-town-infrastructure, some of them moved to Providence to escape the City atmosphere and the tight ethnic enclaves.

Dominicans in Rhode Island

• Dominicans currently living in Providence say Rhode Island especially offered a safe environment for Dominicans with children.
• Employment was another motivation for the migration from NYC to Providence.
• New factories started opening up in New England, and jobs became available to the Dominicans, mainly in jewelry and textile mills.
• During that time, it was said that jobs were so abundant that factory owners took to the streets to look for workers.
• And Dominicans who found these jobs, sent home word of the employment opportunities with money tucked in their letters.

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Dominicans in Rhode Island

• To many Dominicans, Providence was and still is the city of choice because this is where many of the first Hispanics settled, and continue to reside today.
• During the late 1950s and 1960s, there were not many Hispanics in Providence, and certainly fewer in other parts of Rhode Island, to help them acclimate to their new home.
• Without family, many Hispanics relied on the help of a woman named Josefina Rosario, and her family.
• Fondly known as “Doña Fefa” many people visited Providence before moving here, staying with Doña Fefa.

Dominicans in Rhode Island

• To many, she was the only friend and ally.
• For years, Fefa and her husband, Tony, cordoned off sections of their apartment located on Broad Street in the Southside of Providence, and housed the newcomers.
• They helped their guest find jobs in restaurants, jewelry factories, textile mills.
• They went as far as to go with them to help them get driver’s licenses and social security cards, and even provided assistance with enrolling their children into the public schools.

Dominicans in Rhode Island

• The Rosarios were not only the first Latino couple to arrive in Rhode Island from New York City in 1952.
• They were also the first to open the first Hispanic food market and restaurant in the state called Fefa’s Market.
• Today the Dominican Community is clearly the leader in the hispanic-owned businesses on Broad Street, Elwood Avenue, and Cranston Street in Providence.
• Providence is now a community waiting to be shaped by Hispanics, their experiences and their customs.

Dominicans in Rhode Island

• A walk along Broad Street and other parts of the Southside of Providence today boasts the entrepreneurial endeavors of Dominicans in the form of bodegas, restaurants, and beauty salons, among the many cultural symbols of success.
• Today’s Dominicans also boast the highest political activity among Latinos in Rhode Island.
• This community has helped elect two Dominicans to the Providence City Council, tow Latina legislators to a House seat, and the first Senator to serve in the Rhode Island State House.