Thoughts On The Dominican Republic And Its Diaspora

By Ambassador Raul Yzaguirre

[Editor’s note: This is the text of the keynote speech given by the United States Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Raul Yzaguirre, to the 14th Annual Summit of the Dominican American National Roundtable (DANR) on October 8, 2011 in The Bronx, New York.] 

Thank you for that generous introduction and for your invitation to share some thoughts with you.

First of all, you should know that the Dominican Republic was my f1rst choice when I was offered an ambassadorship. And, as I approach my one year anniversary in Santo Domingo, I am so pleased that I made that choice. Words like “un chin” have become part of my vocabulary. I am now, as they say, “completamente aplatana’o.”

But speaking here to this audience of proud Americans who maintain strong ties to their land of origin, I want to begin by saying something about the character of the United States, the thing that I believe makes our nation unique.

It’s often said that almost all Americans have immigrant roots, but this is true of other countries as well. What I believe makes America unique is that, throughout our history, Americans have maintained these roots to their nations of origin. And it is these immigrant communities – diasporas – that have helped make our nation what it is today.

This is true of the Dominican American community in the United States, a community whose impact on the United States is felt more profoundly each year.

For most Americans, the most visible Dominicans are on the playing field. Dominicans were among the eight Major League players that made it to the playoffs this year. And even if David Ol1iz and the Red Sox didn’t make it, Robinson Cano and Alben Pujols are leading the Yankees and Cardinals into the post season.

But Dominicans in the United States – the Dominican diaspora – are making their mark off the field as well.

Dominicans like Thomas Perez, whose grandparents came to the United States in the wakc of Trujillo’s totalitarian regime, and who now serves as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. Judge Rolando T. Acosta, who came from Santiago de los Caballeros, and now is a Justice of the Supreme Court of New York County. Camelia M. Valdes, who is a lead prosecutor in Passaic County. Juan M. Pichardo, who is a State Senator in Rhode Island.

Indeed today, there are over two dozen mayors, local officials and state legislators of Dominican descent in the states of Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. And their professional priorities, in part, are the offshoot of the diaspora experience.

The Dominican Diaspora has also been active in the financial world and in philanthropy: for example, the group Dominicans on Wall Street champions educational initiatives that inspire students to pursue careers in the financial markets.

And the Dominican Diaspora has blazed new trails in literature. Names like Junot Diaz, Julio Alvarez, Nelly Rosario, Norbeno James Rawlings, and Angie Cruz are at the forefront of today’s literature.

Finally, I would be remiss in not noting the appoi1tment of my colleague Julissa Reynoso as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central America and Caribbean Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Originally from Salcedo, and of self-describcd “Dominican­ Bronx” roots, Deputy Assistant Secretary Reynoso now promotes U.S. interests in Latin America.

All of these Dominicans draw on the proud history of those who fought for freedom and democracy in the Dominican Republic. Men like Juan Pablo Duarte, who dreamed of creating a free and democratic Dominican Republic. Like Gregorio Luperon, wbo fought against Spain for the continued independence of the Dominican Republic. And not just men – women too – like the Mirabal sisters, whose courage and bravery in the face of one of history’s most repressive dictatorships, continue to inspire us.

Our two nations’ histories have often intersected. Every morning when I walk to my office, I pass by the photos of my predecessors, including Frederick Douglass, a man who was born a slave,but became one of the United States’ greatest advocates against slavery, and later represented the United States as the head of the American delegation in Santo Domingo. Even the geography of our cities pays tribute to the close ties between our nations. Just as there is a high school in New York named for Gregorio Luperon, in Santo Domingo, I can drive down Avenida George Washington, make a right onto Avenida Abraham Lincoln, and continue up to the intersection with Avenida John F. Kennedy.

Of course, our joint history is not without controversy. As I drive up Lincoln, I would also pass Avenida Charles Sumner, another American, a senator from the 19th century who is far from a household name in the United States today. But in the Dominican Republic he is remembered for having blocked the U.S. Senate’s ratification of a treaty that would have annexed the Dominican Republic to the United States. Similarly, the two US interventions in the Dominican Republic during the twentieth centu1y still can stir passionate debate.

But whatever the history, there can be no question that, as we move forward today, we are two nations united in our vision.

The Dominican Republic has come a long way in the past five decades since the end of the dictatorship. But important challenges remain. Many of you are familiar with these challenges. Health care concerns persist about contaminated school lunches, the spread of HIV AIDS, and the recent return of cholera to the island of Hispaniola. Poll after poll shows that most Do1ninicans believe crime is increasing, a belief no doubt encouraged by trafficking in narcotics. Unemployment and underemployment are serious problems.

We are working with our planners in the Dominican government and society to confront these problems, but it is my opinion that none of our efforts will be able to succeed unless we can tackle the country’s serious problem: the continuing low quality of education in the country.

In case there are any doubts, let me highlight three recent studies about education in the Dominican Republic.

One study from Harvard University found that the top 10 percent of students in the Dominican Republic ranked at the same level in test scores and achievement as the bottom 10 percent of students in countries such as South Korea and Canada.

In another study, the Dominican Republic ranked last in math and science among 16 countries in Latin America.

In another study, the Dominican Republic came in 66th place among 67 participating countries worldwide.

These data are even more worrying given that forty percent of the Dominican population is under 15 years old.

And this matters. Economists will tell you that there is a direct relationship between a country having a well-educated population and enjoying sustained economic growth. But even if you are not an economist, you know that in today’s global economy, you need a good education to compete and be successful. And you know that education is key in developing an equitable society that provides opportunities to all its citizens.

Dominicans understand this, and it is Dominicans who will play the leading role in improving its educational system. The private sector is already working on this cause. Civil society organizations have highlighted this issue and have initiated a wide debate. And the United States, through USAID, has provided millions of dollars in assistance to support the Ministry of Education and its ten-year program to improve the quality and development of basic education in the country.

But I say to you today, it is time for the Dominican diaspora to increase its involvement. I know that many of you have stepped in where others are unwilling or unable to do. I know that others are looking for ways to help. In the coming weeks and months, I hope to meet with many of you and talk about how you can be part of the effort to help the Dominican Republic where it needs the help most.

When I first arrived at the Embassy, almost a year ago, I asked to see my mission statement. I was surprised to see that there did not exist a satisfactory document that met our needs. So I called for a retreat for the Embassy staff in which we looked at State Department mandates, President Obama’s speeches and Secretary Clinton’s policies. At the end of the day we agreed on the following statement as our mission statement. And I quote:

“Promover los intereses y valores de los Estados Unidos, trabajando juntos con los dominicanos para lograr un desarrollo continuo de una Republica Dominicana democratica, equitativa y próspera.”

In English:

“To promote the interests and values of the United States by working together with Dominicans for the continued development of a democratic, equitable and prosperous Dominican Republic.”

The essence of the statement is that American security and prosperity are dependent on the existence of neighbors who are democratic, just and prosperous. I believe that doing the right thing for the right reasons is the only long run way to insure stability. We do well by doing well for and to others.

Or, as the much admired 19th century President of Mexico, Benito Juarez, once said,”El respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz.”

These principles, I believe, should be the guiding principles of the Dominican diaspora as they seek to interact with the Dominican Republic.

I agree with Secretary Clinton that one of our greatest foreign policy tools as Americans – not only in our governmental activities but throughout our society – is to reach out and, frankly, model for others what it means to live with diversity, to be respectful and even proud of one’s own traditions.

More than 60 million Americans are first or second generation members of a diaspora community – there arc more than a million people of Dominican origin living in tl1e United States. To achieve what we need to achieve in the Dominican Republic, we need to expand and deepen the connections between the Dominican diaspora community and the Dominican Republic.

You, the Dominican diaspora, have the potential to be the most powerful asset the United States has in achieving our goals in the Dominican Republic. Because of your familiarity with the nation, your own motivations, your own special skills and leadership, you can be, as Secretary Clinton bas said, “Our Peace Corps, our USAID, our State Department, all rolled into one.”

President Barack Obama has called for a “new era of partnership” between the countries of Latin America and the United States, saying the region’s economic growth and increased democracy means it must assume a greater role in the world. The diaspora community needs to be a big part of that partnership.

I’ll close wi!h the President’s words:

“In the Americas today there are no senior partners and there are no junior partners; there are only equal partners. Of course, equal partnership, in tum. demands a sense of shared responsibility. We have obligations t0 each other.”

Thank you for your attention.

Raul Yzaguirre became the United States Ambassador to the Dominican Republic in 2010. Previous to this position he was President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and presidential professor of practice in community development and civil rights at Arizona State University. He was born in 1939 in San Juan, Texas.

[Photo By L.C.Nøttaasen]

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