Dominican Music and Film Essay

Both these stories show the power Trujillo had on his people. Trujillo wanted to make his presence felt everywhere in the Dominican Republic. This is shown when Diaz states

My cultural ancestry comes from a Cuban and Mexican decent. I have chosen to write about my Cuban side because I can relate to them more than I could with my Mexican side. I was raised around my Cuban family and would occasionally see my Mexican side due to them living so far away. I have spent a lot more time associating with Cubans and have adapted to more of their habits.

The United States established diplomatic relations with the Dominican in 1884 following its independence from Spain. They are not run by a dictatorship, but through a democracy. They have a Representative Democracy government, which means that all eligible citizens vote on representatives to pass laws for them. The government has about 61% control over the economy down there. Their form of government is a lot like the United States. They have three branches (executive, legislative and judicial) of government and the court is in charge of actions against the President, designated members of his cabinet, and members of Congress.

In the Time of the Butterflies during the 1940s, in the Dominican Republic, the ruler or dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo punished people if they didn’t do as he told them and plenty of other cruel things. He ruled for about 30 years, so the people were tortured for quite a long time. He became the dictator by eliminating everyone who had power above him. He even married his wives just to use them to get the the top and control everyone. It was just an unfair way to handle things and an unfair country overall. In her book, “In the Time of the Butterflies,” Julia Alvarez incorporates the history of the famous Mirabal sisters by telling the history of their life and how it was back then for their Dominican Republic country. Julia Alvarez

Like the bald eagle, baseball has become an icon for the term “American”. It was the nation’s first major sport and quickly was coined America’s pastime. It was created from a combination of other games during the 1840’s and became increasingly popular during the years of the Civil War (Brinkley 392). In their

remembered today. They realized the man Trujillo was not who he said he was or who he wanted

Likewise, another factor that assists in Trujillo’s persistent control of the Dominican Republic is his abuse of power. Rules are restrictions and too many rules lead to the entrapment of citizens. Julia Alvarez specifically utilizes the word “weakness” to portray the character trait that the majority of the citizens possess. In the word “weakness,” one thinks about not-strong and lack of courage. In essence, no one has the courage to stand up to Trujillo. For example, we see the common trait through the quote, “People who opened their big mouths didn’t live very long.”

“No te quede en el sol por mucho tiempo te va poner negro” Don't stay in the sun for too long you’ll get black.Those are words that I have heard while growing up. Growing up in a Dominican household the culture and beliefs are really strong. A culture that has been passed down through generations. A culture that has been accepted, however just because it's my culture doesn't mean that I have to accept it. In my family, lighter is better, more beautiful. It's not only my family, in Dominican culture being light skin tone is usually related to beauty and success. However, I don't agree with that, the color of your skin doesn't decide if you will be successful. It is who you are that decides that. It is hard to try to talk to the family about

The Dominican Republic or also known as La Republica Dominicana is a small island that is 18,816 square miles, located off the coast of Florida. The Dominicans of this land share their island with the Haitians. The island has a subtropical climate, mountains, rolling hills, and fertile river valleys. The economy is mainly dominated by sugar, which still earns much of the country's foreign exchange despite establishment of varied light industries and the development of nickel, mining and tourism. Coffee, cocoa, tobacco, and bananas are also a major export crop. But, despite their seemingly stable economy, and lush landscaping, a vast majority of the estimated 8,603,200 people that live there wish to migrate to the

Rafael Trujillo was the Dominican Republic’s dictator for over 30 years. His rule over the country for 3 decades is a long story to be told. Trujillo is one to think of when remembering the country’s history. He was a man to be feared, keeping control of the country during his two terms of presidency and then as a military land owner exercising authoritarian control. Trujillo was known for his strong anti-black beliefs. He proclaimed the Dominican Republic a white country, only accepting our Indian heritage. For this

Dictator, a word that has haunted people throughout history, it means a leader who rules a country with absolute power, usually by force. Trujillo was a dictator of that kind, he was a role model in front of his people, but a murderer in the shadows. There were those who went against him in order to gain their freedom, among those brave souls were the Mirabel sister who fought for their freedom. These radicalists were known as The Butterflies, which consisted of the Mirabel sisters. The Butterflies went through a metamorphosis just like butterflies; they transformed themselves into symbols of peace through stages in their life.

The sport is such an integral part of our culture today that we Americans sometimes take for granted its significance in our everyday lives. Contemporary baseball is so closely related with American ideals and identity that it often has served as an expression of patriotism. In times of national hardships, baseball has been used to encourage and rally the nation. In speaking of the emergence of America's nationalism in the historic and contemporary playing field, there are several key issues that surface. Of these issues I will specifically address the long residuals of how baseball has helped to establish our (Americans) national spirit and identity. That is the links between our heritage and national institutions and the game of baseball as a cultural and political representative abroad and unifying tradition at home. I will also address ideals and injustices. That is how baseball's acceptability has changed over time, and how this acts as a microcosm for America's changing attitudes about equality and opportunity.

up for what was right even if it was against the dictator, Trujillo. Patria, Minerva, and

Planning each aspect of the Revolution, he compiled shipments of arms without the knowledge of neither the United States nor Cuban governments. He placed his heart and soul into the organization and preparations of the Revolution without complaint. As the Revolution dawned, he fought with dignity and purpose, serving his followers well into the revolution even after death.

The photo displayed above provides some of the people who introduced baseball in America. These are individuals in the American history that have a substantial significance to lives of Americans today; they introduced baseball that some American depend on as a career to earn money to cater for their daily necessities (Panacy, 2017). Development of baseball by G. Wright, Alison, C, Leonard L.F, among others promoted entertainment in every part of the continent. Baseball development identified America has a continent with innovative change through various aspects of social life such as entertainment. In this manner, America shows advancement in some areas of life than other countries. America is identified by its nurturing value represented by the invention of the baseball, which has gone through