Dominicans in NYC Challenge Racial/Ethnic Borders

When progressives use such phrases as “communities of color” or “people of color,” the assumption is that there is a great degree of unity among those who fit these categories. But at Jesse Hoffnung-Garskof describes in A Tale of Two Cities, Dominicans do not readily identify with others of a similar skin color, and do not easily fit into “color-based” categories. In fact, amidst the cauldron of New York City’s racial politics, Dominicans in the early 1970’s were first identified as “Spanish” or “Hispanic,” and then as “black,” despite their reluctance to identify with the city’s African-American community. But Dominicans came to New York City with their own sense of national identity, and did not want to be lumped with Puerto Ricans, Haitans or other groups often linked as “communities of color.” Dominican immigrants were faced with the question “What are you” in a city whose politics and social services broke down on racial and ethnic lines. This created challenges for Dominican immigrants that continue to this day. The ethnic/racial aspect of Dominican lives is just one of the many thought-provoking features of what is likely the most comprehensive book available on the lives of Dominicans in New York City and Santa Domingo.”*

*From: www.beyondchron.org
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

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