The history of Dominican migration to New York State is fascinating and constantly developing. The Dominicans have greatly influenced the Big Apple.
At some point, Dominicans left their fear behind and turned their need to emigrate into an example of perseverance, dedication, and they put forth the drive to fully enter the new culture that welcomed them. Thus, Dominicans are present in all aspects of New York life. Dominicans dominate the bodega and supermarket business, they have a huge presence in taxi services and in the new “delivery” phenomenon following the pandemic. According to data provided by the Dominican Consul in this city, 249 principals of schools, some 4,300 police officers and at least 24 judges in the five boroughs of New York City are Dominican.
Politics is also being influenced by the large number of Dominicans in the state, some theories speak of up to two million if we count the descendants of the 900,000 officially registered. There are at least 6 councilors (regidores), 4 assembly members, a senator and a congressman. Even with these numbers there is a great deficiency in participation and representation. In the state, at least 20 elective positions are voted for, ranging from governor to councilman, positions in the judicial system and even in the parties, with positions such as Party Leader or Judicial Convention Delegate. These elections have different periods and sometimes special elections have to be called, which has the effect that it is a city / State that is always in politics.
Dominicans have been able to demonstrate progress in accessing these elective positions, but they have also suffered setbacks, an example is in the recent race for the Senate, two candidates in places highly populated by Dominicans were outnumbered in a huge way. The Senate is precisely the most complicated place, since it concentrates the greatest share of power, influence and decision-making. There have already been 4 Dominicans who have obtained a position in that legislative body. Politics is a dynamic, fluid process and in which multiple factors intervene. Politics is as elastic as society, and social factors directly influence its size, shape, and outcome. Politics, as Dominicans know it, uses several elements to get noticed and spread its message, one of these elements is communication.
Political communication in New York by Dominicans is practically non-existent
The creation of content from New York or directed to New York by Dominicans does not meet what the diaspora demands and there are no proposals with the quality that Dominicans are used to in the country, which have moved permanently with the same impetus to New York. Similarly, there is no talent creation at the same rate as in the Dominican Republic, there is no investment in infrastructure and production of ideas, much less education in communication at the same level that this occurs in the country. (DR)
While it is true that great communicators, technicians, and professionals have stood out in international media in New York, none of them has a Dominican platform specifically aimed at this audience, neither here nor there. The cultural interventions of great Dominican artists have traditionally been in very determined and configured work operations, what many of us know as “tour”. The orchestras, soloists and others, go to New York, meet a mandatory attendance quota that generates great benefits for them, feed the square for a few days and then leave. Dominican art in New York on the scale that exists in the Dominican Republic has not been able to find a permanent space. Except for a few exceptions of course.
In terms of business, in every productive industry in New York there is a Dominican. Flights, merchandise, conferences, in short, all kinds of economic activity is carried out between the two locations, but ultimately progress has not yet been made for the best interests of our economies. Ships with Dominican agricultural products continue to take longer than others in the ports of New York because they are not pre-checked in the Dominican Republic, which causes a large amount of the product to spoil.
Tickets are expensive, despite the fact that the Dominican Republic has all the conditions to expand the offer of flights to New York and the government itself has assured North American companies that wish to operate more flights in the country that they would have the best conditions to do so.
Social situations that prevent participation in politics
Many social problems afflict Dominicans: housing, employment, paying taxes and the biggest of all, ignorance and slow insertion into the processes of the American “system” due to lack of orientation or fear. I am referring to the Dominican fear of “don’t go there”, “be careful that this can affect your papers, better don’t say anything or you can get in trouble”. This often causes the Dominican not to demand his rights or report situations that afflict him.
Treasonous Dominican politicians are shaken in New York and the beginning of a new era
If there is a Dominican who has played an important role in politics in the Big Apple, it is Congressman Adriano Espaillat. He is the one who controls the rhetoric of politics in New York, he is the “boss.” He is seen that way and this develops a whole center of attention around him. If we ask the ordinary Dominican what the name of his senator or assemblyman is, it is very likely that he does not know it, but he will surely know who Espaillat is.
As a former “cacique” Adriano does not like the shadow, everything must go through him and politics is his favorite game. This, combined with an impressive political knowledge, has made him dominate the scene and politics on the Latino side of New York State. In other words, not only the Dominican community that is his natural center, but he is also seen, respected and acclaimed by Latino and minority power circles, he is one of the few Latinos who influences Anglo-Saxon power, Adriano is a “boss” among the “whites” too. This is extremely difficult to achieve and he has done it masterfully.
One of the things that Adriano knows is that the Dominican does not read the New York newspapers, he only tunes in to a few newscasts and in the new era of social networks, the Dominican follows Tokisha, Los Reyes del Humor and Dominican politics. He understood that, to be seen in New York, he also had to be seen in the Dominican Republic. He understood that the Dominican from New York often learns regarding the “gossip” faster than the one who lives in the Dominican Republic.
What are the names of the assemblymen, the councilmen, the Dominican judges in New York? Apparently they are all called Adriano. Politics in New York is not like in the Dominican Republic, let’s not expect to see a heated discussion in a Dominican house in the Bronx over the vote on one councilor or another, or over the candidate for assembly that each one prefers, that discussion will continue to be between the reds, whites and purples of the Dominican parties. This is because in New York politicians do not arouse passions, they are not angry or dramatic, they do not throw barbs, nor do they have names like Penco or León. Adriano understands that, and gives his voters the “taste” they like in politics. The Dominican candidates have not been able to offer the voters here, especially those of the same name, the encouragement to go out and vote, to discuss and question what we Caribbean people carry in our blood; They do New York politics for Dominican voters, that equation doesn’t work.
The Dominican candidates have no connection with the Dominican media, they do not create content, they do not offer platforms that are attractive to those media, because the Dominican media in the backyard also like “drama”, the passion and the feeling that makes them the ratings move. There are counties where 49% of the voters are Dominicans, few know that the new political lines drawn this year have created “super counties of Dominicans”, with a greater concentration and greater economic power.
Candidates who want to be elected in many districts of New York will have to count on the Dominican community on a mandatory basis. But if these candidates have no ideological, cultural or language connection, how will they be able to access this public or how will this public be able to access these candidates?
Anglo-Saxon candidates, or from the Afro-American community will have to address the Dominicans in the way that the Dominicans impose, that is, if the Dominicans want the candidates to go on television in the Dominican Republic because those are the channels they watch, the candidates will have to do it, they may be asked to play dominoes and from time to time throw a “foot seeker” at their opponent to ignite the flame of Quisqueyan passion.
This year, the trips of candidates and elected officials to the Dominican Republic from New York have been several, the most important being the first official delegation from the New York Senate to the Dominican Republic Senate. This particular event has made many politicians, not only Latinos, not only Dominicans, look at the dynamic that occurs between the Dominican here and there. In an unprecedented event, the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, grants the Senator of the State of New York, Luis Sepúlveda, Dominican citizenship. For the first time, a sitting US Senator is sworn in as a Dominican by a President.
The Dominican media have had unparalleled access to the circles of power, the Mayor of the most important city in the United States makes his first trip, following declaring himself the winner in the elections, to Santo Domingo. Communicators in the Dominican Republic double their trips to the Big Apple and important media travel for entire weeks to address the issues of both locations.
A change is coming, the old policy is seen in the distance as a shiny artifact from the past and a new rule is imposed, it will be necessary to see who understands it and who has a plan.
