| Contact: | Sunny Mindel/Sid Dinsay | (212) 788-2958 |
Joining the Mayor were Board of Education member Ninfa Segarra; Consul General of the Dominican Republic Luis Eludis Perez; and many distinguished members of the Dominican community.
"Dominican New Yorkers have been motivated by, and defined by, the value of hard work and the bonds of family--the same pillars on which the success of immigrant groups have been built for hundreds of years," said the Mayor. "In some neighborhoods--like Washington Heights and Inwood, the West Bronx, Marble Hill, Corona, and Sunset Park--you can clearly see how the culture and contribution of Dominican New Yorkers has shaped practically every block."
Every year during Dominican Heritage Month, the Dominican community sponsors a series of concerts, exhibits, and other events to highlight the vibrant Dominican culture and its contributions to every area of life in our City. The festivities also pay tribute to the country's history, and celebrate its future with the inclusion of many school groups.
The campaign for the Independence of the Dominican Republic began in 1831 under the leadership of Juan Pablo Duarte, who formed a secret society named The Trinity. Thirteen years later, he succeeded in commanding a decisive uprising, which resulted in Independence for the Dominican Republic. After the long and hard campaign for freedom had ended, a ceremonial musket shot fired on February 27, 1844 marked the Dominican Republic's first official Independence Day.