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Dominican NYC

Dominican NYC is one of New York City’s largest Latin communities. New York City has been Dominican since the first immigrant, Juan Rodriguez, stayed in Manhattan in 1613.

There are Dominican neighborhoods in Washington Heights/Inwood in Manhattan; around Highbridge in The Bronx; and Corona/Jackson Heights in Queens. Dyckman St in Inwood, Manhattan is a fun street of Dominican restaurants and bars, especially in summer.

“Quisqueya” is the Indigenous Taíno name for the island of Hispaniola. It was the Taíno heartland with wings in Eastern Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

We are strong in health care, government, and retail. Hard-working New York Dominicans have created economic booms in both Washington Heights and the Dominican Republic.

Dominican Restaurants

  • 809
  • Bocaditos Bistro
  • El Castillo de Jagua
  • Malecon
  • Mamajuana Cafe
  • Republica
  • Santiago’s Beer Garden

Dominican New York City

  • Club Cache
  • Club Deportivo
  • Dominican Consulate
  • Juan Pablo Duarte
  • Oscar de la Renta

Dominican Festivals

  • Dominican Heritage Month
  • Dominican Independence Day
  • Juan Pablo Duarte Birthday
  • National Dominican Day Parade
  • Restoration Day

Dominican Culture

  • Bachata
  • Baseball
  • Bizcocho Dominicano
  • Carnival
  • Mamajuana
  • Mangú
  • Merengue
  • Our Lady of Highest Grace
  • Our Lady of the Mercedes

Dominican NYC News

Dominican NYC Archive

November 2022

Celebrate Dominican Constitution Day on November 6. 🇩🇴

The Dominican Film Festival New York is November 8-13, 2022. 🇩🇴

The Dominican Film Festival New Jersey is November 17-21, 2022. 🇩🇴

Dominican composer and writer Rita Indiana presents “Tu nombre verdadero” (Your real name), a bilingual acoustic songbook about living in between Dominican and American cultures at Americas Society in the Upper East Side, on Friday, November 18, 2022 at 7pm. Free with RSVP. as-coa.org 🇩🇴

September 2022

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration of the Americas, through October 15. 🇦🇷🇧🇴🇧🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴🇨🇷🇨🇺🇩🇴🇪🇨🇸🇻🇬🇶🇬🇹🇭🇳🇲🇽🇳🇮🇵🇦🇵🇾🇵🇪🇵🇷🇪🇸🇺🇾🇻🇪

Celebrate Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes on September 24. 🇩🇴

The Queens Hispanic Parade 2022 marches on 37th Avenue from 69th St to 86th St in Jackson Heights, Queens on Sunday, September 25, 2022 starting at 11am. 🇦🇷🇧🇴🇨🇱🇨🇴🇨🇷🇨🇺🇩🇴🇪🇨🇸🇻🇬🇶🇬🇹🇭🇳🇲🇽🇳🇮🇵🇦🇵🇾🇵🇪🇵🇷🇪🇸🇺🇾🇻🇪

August 2022

The National Dominican Day Parade is the 2nd Sunday in August. 🇩🇴

Celebrate Dominican Restoration Day on August 16. 🇩🇴

July 2022

Dominican Father’s Day is the last Sunday in July. 🇩🇴

May 2022

Dominican Mother’s Day is the last Sunday in May. 🇩🇴

February 2022

Celebrate Dominican Independence Day, February 27, 1844. 🇩🇴

January 2022

New York Dominican Heritage Month is January 21 – February 27. 🇩🇴

Celebrate Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, patron saint of the Dominican Republic on January 21. 🇩🇴

Remember Juan Pablo Duarte. The Dominican founding father was born on January 26. 🇩🇴

New York Dominicans

Manahatta’s first immigrant was Juan Rodriguez, an African Portuguese who came on a Dutch ship from what is now the Dominican Republic.

Ydanis Rodriguez was a New York City Council member. Adriano Espaillat is the first member of the U.S. Congress with a Dominican heritage.

Romeo Santos and Aventura popularized urban bachata out of The Bronx. Cardi B is a real character, but she is rocking the world with her WAP. Some people are upset (because they can’t get any 😂).

Albania Rosario is an immigrant who didn’t speak English when she came to New York, but she has built Fashion Designers of Latin American (formerly Uptown Fashion Week) into a real part of Fashion Week.

The Dominican World

Anacaona was a Taíno leader of her people when the Spaniards came. Enriquillo was a Taíno who fought the Spanish. Maria Olofa and Gonzalo Mandinga led the first African rebellion in the Americas on December 25, 1522.

Juan Pablo Duarte is the founding father of the Dominican Republic. Duarte with Francisco del Rosario Sanchez and Matías Ramón Mella are La Trinitaria (The Trinity) who led the independence of the Dominican Republic.

Dominican Culture

Dominican culture is Caribbean which means its relaxed and fun. The UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity recognizes these Dominican cultural traditions:

  • The Cultural Space of the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit of the Congos of Villa Mella is an African drumming tradition syncretized with the Christian Pentecost.
  • The Cocolo Dance Drama Tradition is a syncretization of African and British cultural themes.
  • Merengue is a folk music and dance tradition from the northern Dominican Republic. It’s often played with accordions. This simple African 2/2 beat is very easy to dance. You just step back and forth and dance as close as you both dare. It is now considered the national dance of the Dominican Republic and one of the Latin dances.
  • Bachata is a popular romantic guitar music and dance. It’s a 4/4 beat danced very close with an upward hip thrust on 4. The modern version of the music was popularized by Aventura and Romeo Santos out of The Bronx. It is one of the Latin dances.

The Dominican Republic celebrates Carnival on weekends during the entire month of February. The season starts in La Vega and ends with the big Carnival in Santo Domingo Carnival.

Most towns in former colonies of the Americas also celebrate patron saint festivals. Every little town has its own traditions. There are local patron saint festivals all year long. They are not tourism lite, but are wonderful expressions of humanity.

Visit the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is the eastern side of the Caribbean island Hispaniola. It is famous for beautiful beaches, merengue and bachata culture, and happy people. It’s the only place we’ve been where locals will just start singing in front of you. They’re not performing. They’re just happy. It’s natural. It’s Dominican Spirit!

Hispaniola was the Indigenous Taíno heartland. The Taíno called it “Quisqueya” or “mother of all lands.” The Taíno had a highly organized community structure and are remembered for their women leaders. These are both characteristics of New York City’s Dominican community.

The capital city of Santo Domingo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in 1498, it was the home of the first cathedral, hospital, customs house and university in the Americas. The town was arranged on a grid pattern which became the model for cities up and down the Americas. Even New York City’s famed street grid is a copy of Santo Domingo’s.

Merengue is a folk dance from the Northern DR. November 26 is National Merengue Day.

Caribbean NYC

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