[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 157 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 157
Recognizing the Dominican community's presence and contributions to
Washington Heights and Inwood.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 24, 2023
Mr. Espaillat submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in addition to the
Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the Dominican community's presence and contributions to
Washington Heights and Inwood.
Whereas, in 1613, Juan Rodriguez, a free Black man from La Espanola, was the
first immigrant, the first Latino, and the first Dominican to have
resided in what became New York City, intertwining the history of the
Dominican people with the city forever;
Whereas Juan Rodriguez's biological brothers and sisters settled everywhere in
New York City, and they established the largest concentration in
Washington Heights and Inwood for decades;
Whereas, from 1892 to 1924, hundreds of thousands of Dominicans entered New York
through the famous port of Ellis Island, with many settling in or
passing through Washington Heights, including the Brea and Lample
families;
Whereas Roumula A. Brea arrived in the United States on April 23, 1915;
Whereas 9 years later, on December 23, 1924, Mr. Brea became a naturalized
United States citizen;
Whereas, at the time, Mr. Brea lived with his wife, Julia Brea, on 838 Riverside
Drive, located between 159th and 160th Streets;
Whereas Mr. Brea participated in both World War I and World War II;
Whereas Federico Lample, a successful merchant, arrived in New York City in 1917
to join his wife Elizabeth Lample at 565 W. 162nd Street;
Whereas the Lample's son, Federico Lample, Jr., later joined them in 1921 to
further his studies, but ended up staying permanently;
Whereas, by 1947, Federico Lample, Jr., had already become a bona fide United
States citizen, an act which at the time meant giving up his Dominican
citizenship;
Whereas, since the 1960s, Washington Heights has been the cultural heartland and
the fountain of memory of Dominicans in New York City and more broadly,
the United States;
Whereas, for the past 40 years, people of Dominican descent have consistently
made up the majority of Washington Heights residents as compared to any
other single national group;
Whereas in Washington Heights and Inwood, Dominicans found a neighborhood that
was vibrant and diverse and wholeheartedly embraced it, placing their
own indelible marks on a neighborhood they have transformed and made
their own with their contributions and legacy;
Whereas Dominicans have been an integral part of Washington Heights and Inwood,
actively involved in the life of the neighborhood, including advocacy,
art, culture, literature, sports, business, and government;
Whereas Dominicans have contributed to make Washington Heights and Inwood into
an entrepreneurial community that boasts vibrant cultural centers,
strong nonprofit organizations, and a growing and diverse business
sector;
Whereas, in the 1950s, Casa Dominicana, located at 3825 Broadway, was founded by
Dominican activists as a gathering space for political activities to
dismantle the dictatorial Trujillo regime;
Whereas Casa Dominicana regularly organized fundraising events to support the
anti-Trujillista movement, as well as other liberatory causes in Latin
America;
Whereas people of notable stature, including Columbia University Professor Dr.
Jesus de Galindez, delivered speeches at Casa Dominicana;
Whereas one day after class, Dr. Galindez, who had written a thesis denouncing
the Dominican Government, disappeared and is presumed to have been
kidnapped and murdered by Trujillo's henchmen;
Whereas the disappearance of Dr. Galindez is regarded as one of the most
horrendous, still unresolved, episodes in the shared history of the
Dominican Republic and the United States;
Whereas the Centro Civico Cultural Dominicano, a nonprofit community
organization founded in 1962, continues to build on the invaluable
contributions of Dominicans by engaging and empowering Dominican and
Hispanic communities locally;
Whereas, in 1966, Club Juan Pablo Duarte was founded on Dominican Independence
Day to educate the public on Dominican history, and the organization
remains active today and is now known as Instituto Duartiano;
Whereas Centro Cultural Deportivo Dominicano, a social club founded in 1966,
remains a longstanding pillar of the local community, where the sound of
traditional merengue tipico continues to expand the cultural roots of
the Dominican immigrant experience;
Whereas Dominican native Normandia Maldonado had a long history of cultural
activism in Washington Heights, founding, alongside other notable
Dominicans, several prominent and long-lasting organizations, such as
the Instituto Duartiano of the United States in 1966, the Centro
Cultural Ballet Quisqueya in 1967, and the Dominican Day Parade, Inc.,
in 1983;
Whereas, in 1979, the pioneering Community Association of Progressive Dominicans
was founded at 3940 Broadway to deliver services in a culturally
competent manner to Dominicans and other Latinos who were facing
economic hardship and faced language and cultural barriers to access
aid;
Whereas the Dominican Women's Development Center has been a vital resource to
the Washington Heights and Inwood communities since 1988, providing
comprehensive services specifically to the working class, poor women,
and families;
Whereas Alianza Dominicana, a leading Dominican organization in Washington
Heights for over two decades, became an economic engine that provided
jobs to over 350 individuals who worked on issues such as domestic
violence, drug abuse, and other social ills;
Whereas Alianza Dominicana also played a vital role in helping families of the
Flight 587 tragedy to secure the services they needed;
Whereas Alianza Dominicana also created a Cultural Center that serves as a hub
for local artists who enrich northern Manhattan with their art,
including literature, performing, and visual programs, fostering the
artistic development of the neighborhood's youth;
Whereas Dominican cultural and educational activists organized to reverse
inequities in public schools within the area, and developed Gregorio
Luperon High School for Science and Mathematics to meet the needs of
immigrant Spanish-speaking adolescents and to create an inclusive
learning environment;
Whereas 6 schools in the area have been named after historic Dominican figures:
I.S. 218 Salome Urena, P.S. 132 Juan Pablo Duarte School, Gregorio
Luperon High School for Science and Mathematics, Mirabal Sisters Campus,
Professor Juan Bosch Public School, and P.S. 8 Luis Belliard;
Whereas 21 streets, avenues, boulevards, corners, and ways commemorate the
Dominican figures and events that have propelled the Dominican people
forward: Juan Pablo Duarte Boulevard, Staff Sergeant Riayan Agusto
Tejeda Street, Wilson Batista Corner, Corporal Juan M. Alcantara Way,
Professor Juan Bosch Way, Miguel Amaro Way, Manolo Tavarez Justo Way,
Juan Rodriguez Way, Altagracia Dilone Levat Way, Freddy Beras-Goico Way,
Flight 587 Way, Luis ``El Terror'' Dias Way, Flor Maria Miolan Way,
Rafael Corporan de los Santos Way, Rafael A. Estevez Way, Mirabal
Sisters Way, 27 de Febrero Way, Carlos Alberto Martinez Way, Carmen
Georgina Acosta-Cruz Way, Dr. Nasry Michelen Way, and Pedro Rafael
Landestoy Duluc Way;
Whereas an array of small- and medium-size businesses in Washington Heights and
Inwood continue to be fueled by Dominican entrepreneurs and loyal
patrons, creating a sense of a prosperous people within the entire
neighborhood;
Whereas Dyckman Street restaurants have witnessed a renaissance creatively
fusing Dominican cuisine with cuisines of different cultures, such as
Japanese and Italian, and local staples, such as 809 Bar and Grill,
Mamajuana, La Nueva Espana, and La Casa Del Mofongo, continue to attract
patrons citywide to dine on the new-Dominican cuisine as they visit the
neighborhood;
Whereas the National Supermarket Association and the Bodega Association of the
United States, the 2 largest Dominican food-retail businesses, have a
strong presence in Washington Heights and Inwood, providing a vital
service, but also creating jobs and contributing to the neighborhood
economic progress;
Whereas the National Supermarket Association distributes its scholarships, with
awards from $1,000 to $5,000, only to college students who live in the
neighborhoods where National Supermarket Association and the Bodega
Association supermarkets are located;
Whereas professional associations, such as Dominicans on Wall Street (DOWS), the
Association of Dominican-American Supervisors and Administrators
(ADASA), the New York Dominican Officers Organization (NYDO), the
Dominican Bar Association (DBA), the Dominican Medical Association
(DMA), and the Dominican Medical-Dental Society (DMDS), highlight the
contributions of professional Dominicans nationwide to the development
of their communities;
Whereas the Dominican community was heavily involved in the advocacy and
restoration efforts to bring local parks back to life in the 1990s from
their state of neglect and vandalism, such as High Bridge Park, Inwood
Hill Park, Riverside Park, and Fort Tryon Park;
Whereas Dominican artists and artists born to immigrant Dominican parents in
Washington Heights add to the dynamic blending of cultures that has
historically personified the neighborhood's identity;
Whereas, from the late 1950s to mid-1960s, the Malagon Sisters, one of the first
Dominican music acts to successfully cross over, lived in Washington
Heights at 600 West 164th Street, Apt. 47;
Whereas the Malagon trio contributed to the exposure of merengue, cha-cha-cha,
and other Latin American genres, and their vocal and wide variety of
instrumental talents earned them opportunities to perform at prestigious
venues such as the Apollo Theater, and on iconic platforms such as the
Ed Sullivan Show;
Whereas Milly Quezada, the ``Queen of Merengue'', was raised and rose to stardom
in Washington Heights with Milly y los Vecinos, a band she created with
her siblings;
Whereas Quezada arrived in the neighborhood at age 11 and lived at 500 West
171st Street, and she attended George Washington High School;
Whereas Dominican-American artists Lucia Hierro and M. Tony Peralta have both
been recognized internationally for their thought-provoking work
exploring the Dominican-American experience in intersecting areas of
class, culture, identity, and gender;
Whereas Dominican theater artist Mino Lora cofounded the People's Theater
Project, which provides creative youth development programs for children
growing up in the immigrant communities of upper Manhattan;
Whereas playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda conceived ``In the Heights'', the Tony
Award-winning musical set in Washington Heights, which tells the tale of
immigrant Usnavi de la Vega who longs to return to his native Dominican
Republic, yet ultimately staying because he, like so many Dominicans,
has become part of a vibrant community and has made it his permanent
home;
Whereas Cayena Publications is a publishing firm based in Washington Heights and
founded by Mary Ely Pena-Gratereaux that shines a light on the immigrant
experience by supporting literary works that project a positive
representation of Dominicans and other Latinos in the United States;
Whereas author and activist Angie Cruz is a native of Washington Heights whose
books, ``Soledad'', ``Let It Rain Coffee'', and ``Dominicana'',
highlight the issues of working-class life, gender, and race in New York
City;
Whereas the Dominican Film Festival in New York showcases filmmakers from 21
countries including the Dominican Republic who reflect the city's
diverse and multicultural population;
Whereas Semana Dominicana en Estados Unidos (Dominican Week in the United
States) has been celebrated for 25 years, highlighting the social and
cultural ties between the Dominican Republic and the United States, in
addition to economic, commerce, and academic collaboration;
Whereas the Dominican Day Parade in New York City has celebrated the vibrant
Dominican heritage through history, traditions, and music since its
beginnings in 1982 on Audubon Avenue, and now attracts thousands of
people who gather to enjoy the reverence of Dominican culture on the
Avenue of the Americas;
Whereas 3-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Alex Rodriguez and 4-time Major League
Baseball All-Star Dellin Betances of the New York Yankees were born in
Washington Heights, and Manny Ramirez, the award-winning MVP and 12-time
All-Star baseball player, moved from the Dominican Republic to New York
City where he attended George Washington High School in Washington
Heights and became a baseball prodigy;
Whereas Guillermo Linares became the first Dominican elected to public office in
New York City in 1991, and also served on President Bill Clinton's
Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans;
Whereas Adriano Espaillat is the first Dominican immigrant to be elected to the
New York State Assembly in 1996, and the first formerly undocumented
person elected to the United States Congress in 2016, representing New
York's 13th Congressional District which is predominantly Dominican
American;
Whereas Rolando Acosta was elected as the first Dominican-American New York
State Supreme Court Justice in New York County in 2002;
Whereas Judge Faviola Soto, who was born and raised in Hamilton Heights, was
appointed as the first Dominican judge in New York in 1993, and was the
first Hispanic to sit on the New York State Court of Claims in 2006; and
Whereas the Dominican Studies Institute of the City University of New York is
working on a National Register of Historic Places application for
submission to the National Park Service that would create a
noncontiguous cultural heritage district within sections of Washington
Heights and Inwood to document, acknowledge, and honor the contributions
of the Dominican community and ensure that the Dominican cultural legacy
to the neighborhoods does not fade from memory, but rather remains an
integral component of their ongoing rich and dynamic history: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the designation of a noncontiguous Dominican
cultural heritage district under the aegis of the National Park
Service to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of the
Dominican community to New York City, New York State, and the
Nation;
(2) recognizes that the cultural legacy and historical
contributions of the Dominican community enrich, enliven, and
permeate Washington Heights and Inwood;
(3) honors the long standing history and rich contributions
of Dominican-American elected officials, artists, small
business and bodega owners, writers, and trailblazers;
(4) supports the efforts to recognize and preserve the
history of the Dominican people in Washington Heights and
Inwood, including through the designation of historic buildings
and districts; and
(5) promises to fight against the displacement,
gentrification, uprooting of low- and moderate-income
residents, and other factors threatening the history of
Washington Heights.
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