Dominicans

What sparked the huge Dominican migration to the U.S. that began in the mid-1960s?

The failed 1965 revolution to restore democratically elected president Juan Bosch; U.S. invaded with 26,000 troops to stop a possible “second Cuba”

Who invaded the Dominican Republic in April 1965 and why?

President Lyndon Johnson sent U.S. marines because he feared the revolt would become another communist revolution like Cuba

After crushing the 1965 revolt, who did the U.S. help put in power in 1966?

Joaquín Balaguer (former aide to dictator Trujillo)

How many Dominicans were killed by political repression between 1966 and 1974?

More than 3,000

Why were early Dominican migrants (1960s–70s) mostly political refugees from the left?

They were supporters of Juan Bosch fleeing Balaguer’s death squads and torture

Unlike Cubans fleeing Castro, why did Dominican refugees get NO government help in the U.S.?

The U.S. refused to call them political refugees (even though we caused the crisis)

When did Dominican migration become more economic than political?

In the 1980s, after the worst of the Balaguer terror ended

Compared to Mexican and Puerto Rican migrants, early Dominicans were generally…

Better educated, more urban, and more politically active

What neighborhood became the main Dominican center in New York City?

Washington Heights in Manhattan (their “El Barrio” and “Little Havana”)

By 2019, what surprising change happened in New York City?

Dominicans became the largest Latino group, surpassing Puerto Ricans

What big riot in 1992 put Dominicans in the national spotlight?

Washington Heights riot after police killed José García (rumors said he was shot in the back)

Name two huge successes of Dominican immigrants in NYC

Thousands of bodegas/supermarkets and very high enrollment at CUNY (City University of New York)

Why did tensions grow between Dominicans and Puerto Ricans in the 1990s–2000s?

Dominicans took over many bodegas, livery cabs, and nightclubs that used to be Puerto Rican; plus resentment over undocumented Dominicans moving to Puerto Rico

Why do so many Dominicans still leave today even though the country has grown economically?

Extreme poverty and huge wage gap (a doctor in the DR earns less than a dishwasher in NYC)

What is the chapter’s main idea about Dominican migration?

It started as a direct result of U.S. military intervention and political repression, then turned into an economic exodus that continues because of the inequality the U.S. helped create