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The president of the DR has been in New York since Saturday and will return to Santo Domingo this coming Thursday. Among the events he (and the first lady plus several ministers from the Dominican government) attended was:
- Dominican citizenship event for over 2,500 children of Dominicans. This was the first time in history that a Dominican president attend this. It was celebrated on Saturday afternoon in Armory Track in Manhattan (NYC). He and the first lady were suppose to be there for a few minutes, but instead decided on the last moment while he was addressing the crowd that he would stay until the end of the ceremony.
- Reunion with Dominican (and Dominican-American) leaders in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT).
- Attending the Mets vs Phillies baseball game at CitiFields in Queens. He also took part as giving an honorary pitch prior to the game starting. In the process, he also met with Dominican professional baseball players in both teams, the Mets and the Phillies.
His pitch of honor two days ago at CitiFields in Queens, NY before the game Mets vs Phillies.
- Recognition of 35 Dominicans and Dominican-Americans living mostly along the easter seaboard of the USA for their acheivements. This recognition included a plaque that esch was awarded by the president himself. Among the recognized were the Dominican-American Elvis Nolasco whose work in various TV shows and movies are present in HBO, Netflix, etc (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Nolasco) (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0634393/) . Also, the Bonao, DR native Quemuel Arroyo who, despite confined to a wheel chair, he has a bachelor's degree in Urban Design and Architecture Studies, and a master degree in Public Administration; both from New York University. He has risen to several positions in the MTA (New York City's transportation institution) and is now the All-Agency Chief Accessibility Officer (https://new.mta.info/press-release/m...bility-officer). By the way, his name is written is as shown here, but sometimes it appears as Kemuel.
Some of those showing their plaques of recognition (in Spanish).
- Public reunion with prominent Dominicans and Dominican-Americans in the NYC area and at the same time via Skype or Facetime with high ranking ministers and the vice president of the DR in Santo Domingo, where he made the following announcements:
1) The establishment of Banreservas, the largest bank in the DR, in NYC and other cities with a strong Dominican community in the USA.
The presentation act of Banreservas in NYC starts at 16:32 (in Spanish).
2) The inclusion of the Dominican diaspora into the Familia Feliz program. It targets low income Dominicans with a subsidy towards a house or apartment they are planning to buy in the DR.
3) Establishment of INFOTEP in NYC. In the DR it offers technical courses that end with certificates that can be used to certify them in various fields in the job market. These courses are offered by INFOTEP completely free of charge to any Dominican citizen and now it will also have this offer to Dominican citizens in the USA.
4) It's still in the works establishing a branch of the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) in NYC. Not only is this the largest university in the DR, it's also the oldest university of the Western Hemisphere founded in the 1500's by the Spanish. Cost for Dominican citizens at this university is extremely cheap because it's subsidized by the Dominican government. Since the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Haitians citizens are the only non-Dominicans who are charged the same subsidized rates as Dominicans. Everybody else is subject to a full tuition (still less than university tuitions in the US, but not rock bottom cheap as it is for Dominicans and Haitians). It's not clear to me yet if the same preferential treatment to Haitian citizens will be given at the NYC branch, though it makes sense that it would.
5) The expansion of the Dominican government insurance SENASA to the USA. The DR now has universal healthcare since anyone with no policies in private healthcare companies were included into SENASA. This expansion to Dominican citizens in the US claims it will be the cheapest health insurance available in the US market. Some of the things it will cover are high cost cardiac operations, odontological services, repatriation costs of cadavers to the DR (eliminates the high cost many Dominicans face when one of their loved ones dies while in the US and wants to bury the body in the DR), pediatric services, etc. (https://www.memesita.com/senasa-pres...st-procedures/)
These and other services offered by the Dominican government to Dominican citizens living in the USA will be up and running from within a few days up to three months from now.
Explains everything the Dominican government will offer to Dominicans in the USA starts at 11:55 (in Spanish).
- The president also attended an event at the City University of New York (CUNY) meant to celebrate the end if the Trujillo dictatorship in the DR. It was titled something like "30 May 1961: The Day of Freedom."
- Today, Sept 22, 2021; the president is scheduled to give a speech at the General Assembly of the United Nations. Among the various topics he will cover is a plea (again, happens every year) asking the international community to get more involved in helping Haiti before it becomes a regional issue.
I forgot to add that given that Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States, the services offered by the Dominican government will also extend to Dominicans , Dominican-Americans/Dominican-Puerto Ricans on that island as well.
As expected, his speech in the 76th UN General Assembly included various topics, but started mentioning the unfair way anti-Covid vaccines were distributed and devoting from 23:44 to the end his plea for more international help for Haiti. The last message basically can be resumed in the following points:
The large influx of Haitians that the USA experienced in Texas is something the DR experiences everyday. The sheer size produces shock in one country, yet it's normal in another.
Haiti will not be able on its own to take control away from the gangs spreading throughout the country. It needs the help of various countries. Not doing so will simply make Haiti's problem a bigger, regional problem affecting many countries, as it's becoming evident.
The DR has been left alone by the international community in dealing with the externalities of Haitian problems.
There is no DR solution to that problem (basically, the country can't assume it on its own without distabalizing and falling into anarchy itself, otherwise it would had done so a long time ago.)
It starts round 14:03 with one of the mediators of sorts at the UN General Assembly (claimed he too is Dominican, an unexpected surprise though he does have a pin with the Dominican flag on his suit.) The president begins his speech at 14:55 and touches on Haiti at 23:44. It is in Spanish.
Ex-baseball player for the Boston Red Sox and Dominican hero Pedro Martinez is choosen to be the ambassador of the Country's Trademsrk during this fiscal year 2021 - 2022.
Event took place this night after the General Assembly of the UN in New York City. It also includes a trophie. Video is also in Spanish.
The woman in a black dress is his wife.
Also other Dominican baseball players and personalities are presented as ambassadors of the Country's Trademark.
Rather than creating a new thread for this, I'll include it here since it has to do with the Dominican diaspora. Last night a beauty contest took place in Santo Domingo to elect who will represent the Dominican Republic in Miss Universe 2021 that will be celebrated this December in Israel.
For the first time ever, representing the Dominican Community in the USA (a part of the Dominican diaspora), AndreÃna Martinez was elected as the new Miss Universe Dominican Republic. One more sign of how the Dominican diaspora is included as much as possible by the Dominican Republic. Now the Dominican diaspora is representing the country.
- The president also attended an event at the City University of New York (CUNY) meant to celebrate the end if the Trujillo dictatorship in the DR. It was titled something like "30 May 1961: The Day of Freedom."
Thanks for the updates, as part of my education; I studied Dominican history; which is quite colorful and fascinating. As I'm sure you know, during WW2 many refugees immigrated to the DR. Europeans fled to the Sosua area, and even Japanese settled in Jarabacoa.
I truly do miss the DR, particularly habichuelas guisadas.
I tried cooking it, only here in the U.S.; the pumpkin isn't the same as auyama.
As I'm sure you know, during WW2 many refugees immigrated to the DR. Europeans fled to the Sosua area, and even Japanese settled in Jarabacoa.
Yes, though most of those people left by the 1970's, mostly to the USA. In part because the USA offered more opportunities and many of the settlers were professionals from cities in Europe and not farmers. In part because the Dominican government pushed them away.
A Spaniard of a group that settled in Constanza (died a few years ago) mentioned some of the things they went through, particularly during Juan Bosch's presidency. At first they thought highly of Bosch because his father was a Spaniard. He once went to Constanza and gave a speech to a crowd consisting of some Spaniards and mostly Dominicans. Its not word-for-word, but he said something akin to "the valley of Constanza is like a flower in a garden and it doesn't belong to the Dominicans." The way he explained it, the world came crashing down for the Spaniards, who were the largest group of foreigners who own land in the valley, in essence they were farmers. Most sold their land to the government for a paltry of what it was worth and left the country in anger, many returning to Spain basically penniless.
The US also sent agents to ask the Spaniards and the other immigrants to leave for the USA. Many of them were excellent farmers and made productive areas that Dominicans, who had centuries there, never did. In his case, he mentions of a time a US agent went to his house in an attempt to entice him for leaving the DR and establishing as a farmer in California. He was offered everything, including the land and all the equipment for making the land productive, everything paid by the US government. He refused, because he loved Constanza too much. Other people took the offers, which often required them to simply move to the USA and the US government would give them everything without charging them a dime. Many did and their families are now millionaires and own large farms in the Midwest and West of the USA.
At a time he himself was going to leave due to the constant arrival of Dominican government officials offering to buy his land. He was not going back to Spain though. He traveled to Uruguay, Argentina, he bought some land in Brazil to start a new farm and move. Nowhere was like the Constanza Valley, which he considered paradise on earth. Everytime he returned, the plans to move fell off. The land he bought in Brazil he didn't do anything with it. He often claimed that the DR is a paradise, that he who has traveled around the world can attest to this and has told Dominicans on various occasions, but Dominicans don't know it and refused to believe it! On that respect he was right and that is still the case! People think that sceneries seen in the DR are typical of tropical regions. Not even most Caribbean islands are like that. They have no clue.
Anyway, about 6,000 people from Europe immigrated to the DR between 1930 - 1961. The country already had around 2 million, perhaps close to 3 million by the time that era ended. A drop in the bucket, if you ask me. Most and their descendants were gone by the 1970's. Most to the USA, but among the Japanese the most popular places was back to Japan or to Southern Brazil, especially São Paulo. I never thought what could attract them to that city, but a year or so ago I learn it still has the largest Japanese community outside of Japan. Now it makes sense!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunbiz1
I tried cooking it, only here in the U.S.; the pumpkin isn't the same as auyama.
Yes, most Dominican foods taste better in the DR than in the USA. The reason for that is anyone's guess, but I don't think the freshness is a small detail to miss. Ingredients in the USA required in Dominican plates often are froozen or full of preservatives. Although that prolong the shelf life of many of these products and the lifestyle centered on work/study doesn't help, I think they seriously tamper with the taste. In the DR most of that is quite fresh, if frozen not for long. To put it simply, even the big cities are supplied much more frequently with the produce from the farm, in part because the countryside is never too faraway.
Eat a mango in the USA say from Banà (that's where the best tasting mangos are grown, I'm clueless why Banà produces such good tasting mangos while elsewhere in the country they are good but not as good as those from BanÃ) and it needs to go a long way before it reaches your mouth. It has been picked, then taken to the plant where it's cleaned and packaged. Then taken to the airport. Then froozen and it has traveled up in the sky for hours. Then going through a US airport for imported produce. Then trucked to the distribution center, then trucked from there to the store, then you buy it and take it home. Maybe a few days later you take a bite. In contrast, the other mango from Banà is picked from the orchard early morning and is already on sale somewhere in Santo Domingo by noon or earlier than that. At most is already for sale on the next day. Freshness, I think that's the key regarding the better taste on many things.
People think that sceneries seen in the DR are typical of tropical regions. Not even most Caribbean islands are like that. They have no clue.
Eat a mango in the USA say from Banà (that's where the best tasting mangos are grown, I'm clueless why Banà produces such good tasting mangos while elsewhere in the country they are good but not as good as those from BanÃ) and it needs to go a long way before it reaches your mouth. It has been picked, then taken to the plant where it's cleaned and packaged. Then taken to the airport. Then froozen and it has traveled up in the sky for hours. Then going through a US airport for imported produce. Then trucked to the distribution center, then trucked from there to the store, then you buy it and take it home. Maybe a few days later you take a bite. In contrast, the other mango from Banà is picked from the orchard early morning and is already on sale somewhere in Santo Domingo by noon or earlier than that. At most is already for sale on the next day. Freshness, I think that's the key regarding the better taste on many things.
I've traveled most of the western hemisphere, and it is the most amazing place I have ever seen.
It was a privilege to have been educated there for 2 years.
In most countries, one must drive for days to see what the DR can offer in hours.
I have eaten mangoes near Bani, on my way to Barahona; and had a mango tree in Jarabacoa. The strings/fiber getting caught in my teeth didn't bother me, so sweet; and the chinola!.
We also maintained a garden outside of Jarabacoa. But I used to drive to Constanza for strawberries, just to drive there; so beautiful up in the clouds.
I have a theory as to why some areas in the DR are the most fertile on the planet.
The volcanic soil is inherently nutrient laden, and numerous groundwater springs forming streams and rivers provide mineral rich water. Our vegetables were twice the normal size of the U.S. grown.
The DR is also the most self-sufficient country I have ever been to, where 40% produce food for the other 60%. Not depending on imports is a huge plus.
Honestly, it's the perfect, and safest place I know to retire; even hurricanes avoid it due to mountains.
And the government has made it easier now for dual citizenship, called "fast-track".
If it sounds as though I am considering it, I am.
Thanks for sharing. For the first event in the OP, does this mean that 2,500 Dominican American children were receiving dual-citizenship with the DR?
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