The amount of Dominicans who do not have an acceptable handle of their country's history and heritage is truly amazing, and embarrassing. This lack of knowledge is truly glaring with the under 40 age group and their descendants living abroad.
However, an interesting process has been taking place for those fortunate ones living in industrialized nations that have pension plans. Those born in the 1940's have been dusting off birth certificates as proof of age as they reach retirement and apply for pensions. On the first line of original birth certificates, the birth name is printed next to "born in Ciudad Trujillo" etc.
My experience is that most Dominicans can recognize themselves anywhere in the world, from Oslo to San Francisco. New Yorkers say it best by referring to ourselves as having "platano faces".
In fact, I had an interesting example of this instant recognition some years ago in the lobby of a Las Vegas hotel casino surrounded by thousands of "gringos" I fixed eyes-and so did he-on Juan Marichal, the great baseball Hall of Famer.
Now let's skip to today. We "platano faces" happily abound in the Greater New York Area and many more young Dominican professionals have been climbing up the social and professional scale. This is a very good feeling. After all, the Irish, Polish, Italians and other groups have done it and take care of their own.
Now we see the Mexicans do the manual labor as we Dominicans dominate the high paying professional baseball management positions: Omar Minaya as General Manger of the Mets. We dominate many areas outside of sports. However, with the Dominican Republic being peacefully invaded by foreigners, we must know our history.
When asked where I was born, I like to answer with perfectly provoking responses. To "gringos" my answer usually is "I was born in the oldest European city in the Western Hemisphere"...and to "platano places" my response is "well, my birth certificate states Ciudad Trujillo".
This response has left many with a blank stare and my suggestion for them to buy Frank Moya Pons English version of "Dominican History" or for the ambitious, I ask them to read LECTURAS in "Diario Libre".
Some have no knowledge of the sacrifices and heroics of the "Era of Trujillo", even less know least of all that this month we celebrate Dominican Independence February 27th. For these I diplomatically say that we cannot continue our conversation before their completing my reading assignment.
My intent is to measure the depth and interest of people's knowledge in their history and heritage in the polyglot of cultures that we live with abroad. It's quite a challenge, yet rewarding to have Dominicans learn more about their heritage.
De José del C. Paulino
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