The Desirable Authentic Culture of the Dominicans

Name

Institution

Introduction

In the year 2018, activists, community leaders and elected officials established the Little Dominican Republic at the Washington Heights to honor the Dominican communities that have resided in the region despite its harsh conditions (Hobbs, 2018). The Little Dominican Republic is a cultural and commercial designation in the neighborhood of Inwood and Washington. The selected location features terrific historical and cultural landmarks that entail the George Washington Bride, The City College of New York, The Met Cloisters and the Morris-Jumel Mansion. Varied Dominican immigrants have significantly influenced the culture of the designated area. Besides, the residents of the Little Dominican Republic have developed the area into a beautiful and clean place with great apartments. Hence, the area is chosen to be protected and celebrated as a precious entity for Washington and the US community. People from various parts of the world and the US would visit the Little Dominican Republic to experience and appreciate its rich culture.

Thesis

The little Dominican Republic prides itself of a vibrant culture that is shaped by particular aspects that promote wellbeing of its residents and visitors.

Culture of The Little Dominican Republic

Rich cuisine and Food Items

The Little Dominican Republic boasts of its rich culture that attracts numerous tourists from across the globe. The first aspect that makes the region unique is its special food and cuisine. Authentic cuisine is crucial in reinforcing the quality of food items (Mohammad & Chan, 2011). Dominicans sell different types of locally generated food items in varied points. For instance, vendors sell fresh fruits while hawkers use food carts to transport and present their authentic cuisine. The Dominicans strive to offer quality dishes and other food items to meet expectations of their customers. The quality local dishes include cow’s feet dish cocido de pata de vaca and pork dish locrio de longaniza. Consequently, the residents enjoy their traditional recipes that could not be found in other Americanized eateries. Subsequently, many individuals who are interested in the Spanish dishes would visit the Little Dominican Republic to enjoy them. Moreover, some fruits that entail empanada and passion fruits grow naturally on the island. The rich cuisine and numerous food items that are readily available in the area makes it more comfortable.

Socialization

Socialization is a critical practice that promotes social cohesiveness and encourages developments in communities (Bisin & Verdier, 2011). Luckily, the Dominicans embrace the desirable characteristic since they are accommodative and social people who enjoy creating congregations. Accordingly, the Little Dominican Republic is renowned for its capability to hold and encourage groupings. During favourable weather conditions, residents gather in various points including the sidewalks, parks and other outdoor places. During such gatherings, the locals engage in different activities including playing the game of dominoes and chatting with their colleagues. Consequently, the local community values socialization and interactions that create a sense of togetherness and feeling of wellbeing. Moreover, the residents are creative in developing places for congregations following the relatively inadequate places of congregation.

Youths Are Actively Engaged in their Communities

Teenagers are essential persons in the society who could contribute immensely to the development of their communities when well-empowered since they are energetic individuals (Serido, Borden & Perkins, 2011). Youths in the Little Dominican Republic are active individuals who strive to remain relevant and play key roles in societies. Many youths have joined effective groups that include the People’s Theatre Project that serves to express the concerns and issues facing the youths. Youths would gather to express and discuss various issues. Eventually, selected leaders would present their conclusions and concerns to relevant authorities. Consequently, many youths lead better and informed lives.

Use of Theatres to Address Key Issues

Nations and societies would develop by encouraging and acting on feedback and opinions of their citizens. Various participants use the strategically positioned theatre on the Broadway between 214th and 213th streets to address critical issues affecting the locals that comprise the Latino and Dominican communities. Since immigrants constitute most of the region’s residents, certain aspects about bullying ins schools, racism, immigration and housing act as the most common sources of issues and concerns that would be tackled in the theatre. Moreover, the theatrical events attract numerous parties including neighbouring schools.

Talented and Hard-working People

Residents of the Little Dominican Republic which comprise the Latinos and Dominicans are hard-working individuals who explore their talents to make the area beautiful and comfortable. The varied practices that include the use of authentic cuisines, locally available fruits, theatre and congregations demonstrate such desirable characteristics of the residents. The designated area could not attain its current vibrant state if not for the great work and contributions of its citizens (Mendick, Allen & Harvey, 2015).

Excellent Understandings Among the Residents

Locals tend to enjoy peaceful coexistence that is rooted mainly in their capacity to interact extensively in various social places such as barbershops (Zhou, 2011). Besides, the locals seem to understand the diversity in human thoughts and expectations since they encourage constructive debates and chats. Moreover, the use recreational activities that include gaming contribute significantly to strengthening the social togetherness and a sense of belongings. The residents are like brothers and sisters or other close relatives who are closely related. Consequently, every resident of the area endeavours to make life of their colleagues better and enjoyable. As a result, the accommodative culture attracts more individuals who would like to come and experience while learning from the locals. Since the locals treat everyone with lots of respect and understanding, residents and visitors enjoy staying in the area.

Use of Spanish Language

Spanish serves as the most common language spoken by the residents since most of the locals are from the Spanish origin. Accordingly, majority of the residents enjoy a sense of being home away from home following the favourable environment where individuals communicate using their most preferred language, both spoken and non-verbal (Ochs, & Schieffelin, 2017). The locals lead better and more satisfying lives following the seamless communication that enables each person to express their concerns while relaying their contributions to the betterment of the area. However, the use of Spanish could adversely impact on the other locals including the Latinos and other visitors. It would be relatively challenging for the Dominicans to effectively communicate with the other communities, a practice that could attract isolation. Fortunately, many locals understand the English language that could facilitate effective communication with other non-Spanish individuals.

Conclusion

The Little Dominican Republic is a beautiful place that was designated to protect the tremendous Dominican culture. The locals exhibit desirable characteristics that include socialization, use of authentic cuisines, robust understanding among each other and hard-work. However, the region could face unwanted effects following the use of the Spanish language in most of the social places. Even so, it is crucial that the Little Dominican Republic is established and protected to conserve and protect the popular culture.

References

Bisin, A., & Verdier, T. (2011). The economics of cultural transmission and socialization. In Handbook of social economics (Vol. 1, pp. 339-416). North-Holland.

Hobbs, A. (2018, September 23). Why Manhattan’s ‘Little Dominican Republic’ is a home away from home for recent immigrants. Retrieved November 17, 2019, from https://www.amny.com/news/little-dominican-republic-new-york-1-21191574/.

Mendick, H., Allen, K., & Harvey, L. (2015). ‘We can get everything we want if we try hard’: young people, celebrity, hard work. British Journal of Educational Studies, 63(2), 161-178.

Mohammad, T., & Chan, J. K. L. (2011, July). Authenticity representation of Malay Kelantan ethnic cuisine. In The 2nd International Research Symposium in Service Management, Yogyakarta, INDONESIA.

Ochs, E., & Schieffelin, B. (2017). Language socialization: An historical overview. Language socialization, 1-14.

Serido, J., Borden, L. M., & Perkins, D. F. (2011). Moving beyond youth voice. Youth & society, 43(1), 44-63.

Zhou, T. (2011). Understanding online community user participation: a social influence perspective. Internet research, 21(1), 67-81.