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Dominican Immigrant Population

Decent Essays

Home to 8,537,673 people (U.S. Census Bureau), New York City, also known as the Big Apple, garners much attention for its eclectic culture and diverse population. International migration to New York City has become a phenomenon in the United States. After all, New York City is “an immigrant city” (Foner, 2001, p. 1). The Chinese, Dominicans, Jamaicans, Koreans, Mexicans, Soviet Jews, and West Africans are amongst the diverse list of immigrants in New York City (Foner, 2001, p. 2). Making up 12.4% of the total foreign-born population, also the largest foreign-born population in New York City, there are 380,160 Dominicans living New York City as of 2011 (Huffington Post, 2017). My essay will specifically focus on the Dominican immigrant population …show more content…

In the mid-1960’s, a large influx of Dominicans came into the United States, specifically New York City, after the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo’s assassination (Foner, 2001, p. 252). Because of the sudden influx of immigrants in NYC, the Dominican immigrant population encountered many socio-economic problems. These socio-economic problems stem from the disadvantages Dominican women experience in New York City from few job opportunities and low wages. Because many Dominican women are the head of their households, their disadvantaged lifestyle transcends into their home life. Politically, Dominicans are seen as “invisible immigrants” - overlooked in policies created because of their unlikeliness to become citizens (Foner, 2001, p. 257). In the late 1980’s, progressive changes for the Dominican community began to come into fruition (Foner, 2001). Dominicans were able to garner representation in the political sphere advocating for Dominican citizens and immigrants. Dominican immigrants have also found ways to connect their country of origin to the United States through political relationships. This is an example of transnationalism: “the processes by which immigrants “forge and sustain multi-stranded social relations that …show more content…

Specifically, Dominican women tend to have higher levels of education than Dominican men (Gilbertson, 1995, p. 665) but still struggle with earning a living and supporting their family as single parents. The extent of single Dominican mothers is substantial: “40 percent of all Dominican households with children under the age of 18 in New York City are female-headed, and more than half (52 percent) of these are living below the poverty line” (Foner, 2001, p. 255). Also, Dominican women work largely in “ethnic-owned firms, such as nondurable manufacturing, retail trade, and restaurants” (Gilbertson, 1995, p. 658). Many of these ethnic enclaves actually marginalize the Dominican woman more than they help her mobility in

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