Facts about dominicans in USA..

Dominicans were part of one of the largest migratory booms of the late 20th century. This migratory boom is made evident not just by the presence of Dominicans as an ethnic group, but from the Hispanic/Latino community in general.

An estimated 1.5 million Hispanics of Dominican origin resided in the United States in 2010, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Dominicans in this statistical profile are people who self-identified as Hispanics of Dominican origin; this means either they themselves are Dominican immigrants or they trace their family ancestry to the Dominican Republic.

Let me tell you some facts:

•  Immigration status. Nearly six-in-ten Dominicans (57%) in the United States are foreign born compared with 37% of Hispanics and 13% of the U.S. population overall. Most immigrants from the Dominican Republic (63%) arrived in the U.S. in 1990 or later.
•  

•  Educational attainment. Dominicans have higher levels of education than the Hispanic population overall. Some 15% of Dominicans ages 25 and older—compared with 13% of all U.S. Hispanics—have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree.

•  Language. A majority (55%) of Dominicans speak English proficiently.³ The other 45% of Dominicans ages 5 and older report speaking English less than very well, compared with 35% of all Hispanics.

•  Regional dispersion. Eight-in-ten Dominicans (79%) live in the Northeast, and nearly half (48%) live in New York.

 In considering those who are of Dominican ancestry this figure would almost certainly be much higher. And of all registered ethnic groups from Latin America, Dominicans make up the third largest group, after Mexicans and Cubans.


What characterizes Dominicans as an ethnic group in the United States is that they, unlike other groups that have come to the US, haven’t assimilated in the same way. Remittances from Dominicans in the US amount to an estimated 2 billion dollars a year, second only to Salvadoran remittances, which indicates a strong connection to the land of origin. Dominicans in the US also carve out particular enclaves within American cities, and tend to segregate themselves from other Hispanic and non-Hispanic groups. This is made evident by communities such as New York’s Washington Heights, which has the largest per capita concentration of Dominicans in the US

Spanish is the language of choice for most Dominicans, and another aspect that is characteristic of Dominicans is that they, unlike many other ethnic groups, refer to themselves as Dominicans, and not Dominican-Americans. Cubans, whether born in the US or not, call themselves Cuban-Americans, Puerto Ricans are referred to as Puerto Rican-Americans (or Nuyoricans in some cases), and Mexicans born in the United States are referred to as Chican@, all reflecting a joint level of pride for both heritages, but Dominicans have yet to embrace this as part of their identity.

They are ultimately very nationalistic, and the resounding idea among many Dominicans is that they are only in the US for limited periods of time in order to make money. Dominicans are inherently tied to their roots, and hold an overwhelming level of pride towards their culture and customs, which they aren’t willing to give up easily.

The situation for Dominicans in the United States is changing. With the growth of a more educated and skilled second generation, and an emphasis from within the Dominican community to integrate, it is only a matter of time before Dominicans become a more prominent part of American society, leaving behind the tainted image they have; though this won’t be easy. In the process, the Dominican community must come to terms with the creation of a bi-cultural generation of youth that is unable to find its own voice, while at the same time providing disenfranchised young people with the assurance that they are accepted members of both the Dominican and American communities.

Alongside the cultural struggles that face the future progress of the Dominican community is the advancement towards economic prosperity that can only further consolidate stability for this ethnic group