The Dominican Republic holds a place very near and dear to my heart for many reasons. At first I was like many.. "oh you are from Mexico?"... after a heated discussion, and a lesson on "not all Latinos are from Mexico" I began to become infatuated with this place called Republica Dominicana or Dominican Republic if you will. That heated discussion was with my now husband Luis Miguel...
<Luis in D.R next to Dominican symbol>Growing up in California with not much travel besides the Grand Canyon and Vegas I assumed that if you spoke Spanish and you ended up here in Cali you were from Mexico. Little did I know that there are a vast variety of Latino immigrants who come to this country every year. As I got to know him I began to wonder about the country he came from. I did research here and there, asked him questions and what not, but never dove to deep.
Over the years my interest in Latin American History has gotten stronger. I have always been a fan of history (it was my undergrad major). I became very intrigued by the culture of D.R because it was unknown to many, yet so rich in history and culture, Did Luis have something to do with a stronger desire to learn? probably. Or perhaps it was my dad forcing-yes forcing- of me to take Spanish all throughout high school which turned into college which turned into an A.A in language studies and a greater appreciation for Latin America.
Three years after meeting this Luis character from the Dominican Republic, we ended up married and decided to take a vacation to D.R and boy was I in for a treat. We went to museums, beaches, historical sites and most important to me I got to see the city where my husband grew up. We stayed with his abuela in his childhood home, walked the streets and ate the street food. Staying in the barrio of Puerto Plata was a humbling and insightful experience.
<en El Malecon
<abuela's shop4 WEEKS LATER .... I found out I was pregnant. It must of been in the air in DR because now I was carrying a child whose culture belonged in this country I had just visited. Not only that, but no one on the west coast knows what a "Dominican" is. The fact that I have a child who is half Dominican deepened my desire to find out what traditions, beliefs, and values this culture practice. I have the surface level knowledge ( thanks babe ) but I wanted more in order for me to help in passing on this knowledge to my son Yadiel.... thus begins my quest for traditions of the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.
I'm excited to learn more about the DR! It's always been on my list of places that I'd like to visit.
ReplyDeleteIt is so beautiful and the exchange rate is wonderful lol
DeleteI, too, do not know much about the DR but I am always excited to learn about other cultures. I usually focus on the food and their folklore so I am curious what you will be focusing on through your journey.
ReplyDeleteIt is my first time to hear about DR. Hope I could learn more from you!
ReplyDeleteI have been eager to travel South America someday in my life. I'd never met any people from South America when I was in Korea, but had a fantasy or illusion about South America. I didn't know that South America consists of numerous different cultures as Asia is not like just a country. It's awesome you married to a man who has completely different culture.
ReplyDeleteJessica,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I would like to say that I love your style of writing for a blog. It is easy to read, yet engaging. I like that it feels like you are talking to me and having a conversation,rather than talking at me. I also really like that you added pictures from your trip :)
I currently work at an international studies school. This being said, different grade levels learn more specifically about certain continents and countries. Being RSP and seeing all grade levels, I teach them all. I look forward to learning about the Dominican Republic with you and being able to take some of that knowledge back into my classroom.
Question for you... Have you told your husband your doing this project on his home country? :)
How cool you get to teach about the different cultures, I wish we would of had more about that when I was in school. It is super beneficial and eye opening! I have not told him yet, I want to get raw uncensored answers when I go to him as a resource lol.
DeleteI have to admit I know 3 things about the DR and they are all baseball players :) It's so close to our country yet most of us know very little about it. What better way for us become more worldly than through your lens and word. Wisk us away on an adventure!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Learning about an entire culture might prove daunting. Don't be afraid to follow a specific line of inquiry or two at some point.
This is so exciting! Like many, I don't know much about the Dominican Republic but I love learning about different cultures and traditions so I already know I will enjoy reading your blog!
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