Before Trujillo came into power, Dominican men would have many, many children. The view was and sometimes still is that the more children you had, the wealthier you were.
Add to that the very high mortality rate, in the early 20th century it would be something akin to a Bronte' novel, a cough would appear or a fever and the person would just die, of course young children would get ill, suffer quickly or slowly and die.
That was reality.
The other reality was that due to the endemic mini civil wars between local strong men, the constant threat of Haitian invasions having a large family was a protection, kinda like the scottish highland clans, aye?
Also before if you messed with somebody and you hurt or killed them, then you would have a blood feud and the person's brothers and cousins (if they were close) would try to get you back, from their comes the very Dominican term "eso no se va quedar asi), vengeance was approved of.
So a niece and a nephew for many have become like their own children so what Frank has written is correct, in many instances Dominicans do need each other to survive it's a jungle out their!!!
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