New York Dominicans are one of the Latin communities defining New York today.
New York City has been Dominican since the first immigrant, Juan Rodríguez, arrived in 1613. He set up New York’s first bodega (colmado or store), in the Financial District where the National Museum of the American Indian is now.
We have been New York’s largest Latin community since 2019.
New York’s “Little Dominican Republic” is in Washington Heights. Lately there’s been a migration to the west side of The Bronx. The Dominican work ethic has created economic booms in both Washington Heights and the Dominican Republic. Dominicans hustle like true New Yorkers.
“Quisqueya” is the Taíno name for the island of Hispaniola, the Taíno heartland. It means “mother of all lands.”
New York Dominican News
African Diaspora International Film Festival 2024 Caribbean Film Series Screens at Teachers College, Columbia University
TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, Morningside Heights, Manhattan 🇧🇸 🇧🇧 🇨🇺 🇩🇴 🇭🇹 🇯🇲 🇲🇶 🇵🇷 🇸🇷 🇹🇹
Dominican NYC
New York Dominican Art
The Juan Pablo Duarte statue is in Duarte Square in Hudson Square, Manhattan.
Scherezade Garcia is a New York Dominican painter who captures the vibrance of Dominican life. scherezade.net
New York Dominican Books
Juan Pablo Duarte (1813-1876)
Julia Alvarez (How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, In the Time of the Butterflies, In the Name of Salomé)
Junot Díaz is a Pulitzer Prize winner and MacArthur Fellow (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, This is How You Lose Her).
New York Dominican Comedy
Gastor Almonte is known for “Immigrant Made.”
Ian Lara is on HBO.
New York Dominican Cultural Centers
Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center is in Washington Heights. Facebook
Club Deportivo is in Washington Heights.
NY Dominican Dance
Merengue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic. It’s danced in 2/4 time which is very easy to dance to.
Bachata developed later. It’s danced in 4/4 time, so it blends well with rock. What looks like Electric Slide in the Caribbean, is actually bachata. Sensual bachata has become popular around the world.
- Club Cache is in Greenwich Village.
- Club Deportivo is in Washington Heights.
- Latin Mondays at Taj is in the Flatiron District.
NY Dominican Fashion
- Albania Rosario didn’t speak English when she came to New York, but built Fashion Designers of Latin America (formerly Uptown Fashion Week) into part of Fashion Week. She’s now global.
- FDLA Fashion Designers of Latin America.
- Hernan Lander
- Oscar de la Renta (1932-2014)
NY Dominican Festivals
SPRING
- Dominican Mother’s Day is the last Sunday in May. 🇩🇴
SUMMER
- Dominican Father’s Day is the last Sunday in July. 🇩🇴
- The National Dominican Day Parade is the second Sunday in August. 🗽
- Dominican Restoration Day is August 16.
FALL
- The Feast of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes is September 24. 🇩🇴
- Dominican Constitution Day on November 6.
- National Merengue Day is November 26. 🇩🇴
WINTER
- New York Dominican Heritage Month is January 21 to February 27. 🗽
- The Feast of Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia is January 21.
- Juan Pablo Duarte’s birthday is January 26.
- Dominican Carnival is every weekend in February.
- Dominican Independence Day is February 27.
NY Dominican Food
Most Dominican restaurants are casual, just like in the Caribbean.
- 809 in Washington Heights is popular with the Dominican community.
- Bocaditos Bistro is an upscale restaurant in Washington Heights.
- El Castillo de Jagua (Lower East Side) @castillodjaguanyc
- Malecon is in Washington Heights and the Upper West Side.
- Mamajuana Cafe is an anchor of Washington Heights.
- Republica in Washington Heights has a nice rooftop.
- Santiago’s Beer Garden
NY Dominican Government
- Adriano Espaillat is U.S. Representative for New York’s 13th Congressional District (2022). He is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. Congress. espaillat.house.gov
- The Dominican Consulate is in Times Square.
- Ydanis Rodriguez is Commissioner of the NYC Department of Transportation (2022). nyc.gov
NY Dominican Music
“Baile el jaleo, compadre Pedro Juan.” Merengue is the national music of the Dominican Republic.
Bachata developed later. Urban bachata developed in New York City. We have great jazz, reggaeton, salsa and Latin trap musicians too.
- Antony Santos
- Aventura bachata
- Cardi B rap
- Johnny Pacheco FANIA All-Stars salsa
- Juan Luis Guerra merengue jazz
- Josean Jacobo jazz
- Michel Camilo jazz pianist
- Milly Quezada merengue
- Monchy & Alexandra
- Natti Natasha reggaeton
- Romeo Santos bachata
NY Dominican Parades
NY Dominican Theatre
- Sandie Luna, Executive Director of ID Studio Theater, is Dominican.
- Repertorio Español presents some Dominican theatre.
About Dominican NYC
New York City has been Dominican since the first immigrant, Juan Rodríguez, set up our first bodega in 1613.
Little Dominican Republic is in Washington Heights. There are Dominican neighborhoods in Washington Heights/Inwood, Manhattan; around Highbridge in The Bronx; and Corona/Jackson Heights in Queens.
Dyckman St in Inwood is a fun street of Dominican restaurants and bars, especially in summer.
We are strong in government, health care, and retail. Hard-working New York Dominicans have created economic booms in both Washington Heights and the Dominican Republic.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is on Hispaniola, a Greater Antilles island between Cuba and Puerto Rico. The western side is Haiti. North is the Atlantic. South is the Caribbean. East is Puerto Rico. Tourist season is December to April.
- El Limón is a picturesque waterfall (northeast).
- La Romana has exclusive resorts (south).
- Macao Beach is a wild beach popular with surfers (east).
- Puerto Plata has calmer beach resorts (north).
- Punta Cana has popular beach resorts. The airport flies everywhere. Coco Bongo is a giant Ibiza-style nightclub (east).
- Santo Domingo, the capital, has a colonial center with lots of culture (south).
- Samaná Bay has winter whale-watching (northeast).
Let’s go!
Latin art, bachata, baseball, carnival, comedy, dance, fashion, festivals, film, food, jazz, merengue, music, parades, rap, salsa, sports, theatre