Introduction
One of the most significant ethnic minorities is the Dominican-Americans, who appeared after the occupation of the Dominican Republic by the Americans. Approximately 2.1 million Dominican Americans live in the United States, which makes them fifth in the ranking of the most substantial minorities (Noe-Bustamante et al., 2019). They are a minority because they were once forced to become part of America, and because of the large number of different racial unions, there was a mixing of other races. This ethnic group was chosen because its history, culture, and national characteristics are vivid and exciting. Even though this group is an ethnic minority, they still have features that distinguish them from other groups.
The Dominican Americans Ethnic Minority Group in the United States
The merging of different ethnic groups has led to the mixing of races, and now most Dominicans can identify themselves as part of the white and part of the black race. The primary language is Dominican Spanish, but recently, English language proficiency has been spreading more and more (Noe-Bustamante et al., 2019). An essential part of culture is music and dancing, which are common among the entire population. One of the most popular types of music is bachata, which refers to guitar art and is a romantic style. In addition, mixing with African minorities brought the Dominican Americans’ love of drums, bass guitars, and other musical instruments unique to this minority.
The Dominican American cuisine is also unique, as each dish has something traditional. The main course, which is traditionally served at noon, includes root vegetables such as potatoes or yams, as well as seafood such as fish or shellfish (Noe-Bustamante et al., 2019). Seasonal fruits are actively used, which can be found following a particular time of the year, and bananas are always available and are also used in cooking. Meat is also eaten but is often served in small portions without spicy seasonings and sauces.
In addition to being a minority due to the mixing of races, Dominican Americans are also a minority in religious terms. They profess Roman Catholicism, which is less common in America. They are also a minority because they live on the territory of another country and are only partially belonging to the majority of the country. As for clothing, in this case, modern Dominican Americans dress in ordinary clothes and do not wear national attire.
Various organized groups in the United States are aimed at protecting the rights and privileges of Dominicans. The Dominican American National Roundtable is responsible for the economic and political rights of Dominican Americans, and they also control the right to study (Noe-Bustamante et al., 2019). The Dominican Women’s Development Center is responsible for gender justice and actively fights for women’s rights. There are many organizations working on the rights of the Dominican Americans, besides them, there are also groups that are aimed at protecting the rights of art, for example, the Dominican Writers Association or Dominican Artists Collective.
The traditional theory of assimilation that is most applicable to Dominican Americans is the theory of Robert Park. It lies in the fact that although there are many ethnic and racial minorities living in the United States, thanks to the urbanization and modernization of the country, the blurring of the boundaries between the racial minority and the majority will be erased (Healey & Stepnick, 2019). People will adopt each other’s culture, lifestyles, language, and even religion will increasingly become one for the majority of the population. There will be less and less discrimination and violation of rights, as an increase in the level of education will actively contribute to this.
In this case, the Dominican Americans can instead be attributed to a group of cultural pluralism since this group has its predominant language and religion, which is chosen by most of this ethnic group. Nevertheless, through the constant development of countries, pluralism is becoming less and less because the minority and the majority are striving to unite to erase borders that only harm the normal co-existence of races and ethnic groups. The Dominican Americans have their national characteristics, but in the modern world, they are not as clearly visible as they might have been before, and they will continue to manifest themselves less and less.
Dominican Americans and Americans relate to each other for many reasons; for example, in familiar territory, in general, there is an active development of the English language in which everyone can speak. In addition, there are fewer and fewer external differences and cultural characteristics that could differ between the two groups. To reduce the amount of inequality, it is necessary to create more joint projects for both races so that they can spend more time together and share their culture so that children from the earliest age understand that all people are equal and there is no one worthy of fair treatment. In addition, it is imperative to conduct active activities aimed at making people understand that discrimination has no place in the modern world.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Dominican Americans are one of the largest ethnic minority groups in the United States. They have their own peculiarities, but still, modern times are characterized by the erasure of borders and the unification of the minority and the majority. This group is one of the most striking and memorable among others, as their ethnic characteristics and history are fascinating. Nevertheless, it is imperative that there is no form of discrimination and that people can live in peace.
References
Healey, J.F., & Stepnick, A. (2019). Diversity and society: Race, ethnicity, and gender. Sage.
Noe-Bustamante, L., Flores, A., & Sha, S. (2019). Facts on Hispanics of Dominican origin in the United States. Pew Research Center.