How strong of a desire?

johne · Oct 8, 2003

How strong of a desire is it for Dominicans to return to DR at some point in their lives? I'm referring to Dom. that are now living in the US, Canada or elsewhere. More specfically I am interested in opinions on the following:

1) Doms. born in DR working in U.S. (etc) wanting to return upon retirement

2) Dom. children born in U.S. wanting to buy, own, a piece of their heritage.

3) Any other category of person that is outside of DR that really has his heart "back home" and works toward the goal of moving, living, buying, etc. in the DR

Opinions should be based on facts, real life experiences, and first hand knowledge.

Ken · Oct 8, 2003

My observation based on the 17 years I have been living in the DR is that the desire to return is very strong on the part of those who have left the island to work. I know a number who gave up good jobs to return because the urge got so strong. One, for example, was working as a custom's agent in the Port of Miami. Had he stayed longer he would have done much better retirement wise, but he was anxious to get back. Another example would be the young man who got a good job as the crew member on a husband/wife cruising sailboat. He went all through the Caribbean, crossed the Atlantic, and was headed for the Med when he quit and came home because he was homesick for the DR. Now he picks up what income he can helping visitors to Samana. These aren't isolated cases. I could give many more examples.

suarezn · Oct 8, 2003

I believe that Dominicans in general are very attached to their roots and always have a very strong desire to one day come back to their homeland. I know I do. Pretty much every Dominican person living in the US that I've talked to, always mentions how one day they will retire to their beloved DR and how living here is just a temporary situation to them. I have not found the same desire in other groups. A lot of Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Indians, etc...that I've talked to express no desire to go back to their home countries and live. I truly believe that if the opportunities were there to make a decent living in the DR, very few people would emigrate. The DR has a pull on you that I can't explain...it's like if you live there the younger part of your life you just cannot get rid of the feeling that this is where your home ultimately is.
I left the DR when I was 17 and the more time I spend away from it the more homesick I get. The more I go back the more convinced I become that this is where I want to spend the rest of my life - With occasional travel outside, of course. I now have a ten year plan to make it happen.

Forbeca · Oct 8, 2003

I'm dominican born, and much to my mother's dismay, my father sent me to the US to study at the age of 12. I love the US (mostly the west coast where I attended college) but to be honest with you, the DR has a strong hold on me. I feel so good while visiting there; I get this feeling within me that I am really home. I also have lots of family there on my father's side which I'm very close to and I miss them terribly. It is my dream to live there one day, don't know how that's going to play out since my husband doesn't like the country at all but the desire to return is very strong .

Dolores1 · Oct 8, 2003

While thousands of Dominicans would like to return, few make it back. Work skills in the US, for example, are not necessarily the ones that will make them successful here.

But the main reason keeping Dominicans abroad is actually family. They have raised their family abroad and the roots of their children are abroad. When they are of retirement age they will not want to leave their children (and grandchildren) behind, and it is not likely the children will want to relocate with them and start all over. The rule of thumb is that if a family does not make the return when their children are still of elementary school age, it is very unlikely that they will make it back.

In other words, the nostalgia may be there, but the reality works against them.

There is a marketing challenge here, though, to sell to the new generation of children of Dominicans that could be stimulated to invest in a vacation home in the land of their parents, or where they themselves spent their first years.

Tony Cabrera · Oct 8, 2003

suarezn said:
I believe that Dominicans in general are very attached to their roots and always have a very strong desire to one day come back to their homeland. I know I do. Pretty much every Dominican person living in the US that I've talked to, always mentions how one day they will retire to their beloved DR and how living here is just a temporary situation to them. I have not found the same desire in other groups. A lot of Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Indians, etc...that I've talked to express no desire to go back to their home countries and live. I truly believe that if the opportunities were there to make a decent living in the DR, very few people would emigrate. The DR has a pull on you that I can't explain...it's like if you live there the younger part of your life you just cannot get rid of the feeling that this is where your home ultimately is.
I left the DR when I was 17 and the more time I spend away from it the more homesick I get. The more I go back the more convinced I become that this is where I want to spend the rest of my life - With occasional travel outside, of course. I now have a ten year plan to make it happen.

I could not believe my eyes when i saw your post suarezn !!,
that it's exactly what my plan is too. By the way i left when i was
17 yrs also, and i can't way to go back to my beloved Santiago.

Take care, Tony Cabrera

Fred · Oct 8, 2003

Same old song and dance

I have heard the same retoric from Mexicans, Dominicans, etc. about how great their countries are. As soon as they have enough money to open a business they will return for good.

What nonsense, if they were real business people they would have opened a business while they were there. Most do not return because they encounter the exact same problems when they left.

goatfarmnga · Oct 8, 2003

Speaking on my husband's behalf...

My sister in laws (2) live in NY most of the year to EARN money and go back to DR for several months at a time..go back and forth bringing their mom from DR each time for her yearly doctor visits etc..

There is somewhat a great deal of truth to what Delores said..The kids grow up in NY so the mothers do not want to leave their young adult kids behind and the kids do not want to move to the DR..It is happening to my family now..My husband came to New York then after 7 years went back to DR but left his girlfriend who pursueded him to return to NY....He returned to NY... for the past 15 years I think he wished he stayed in the DR...

NOW he wants to return to live for good..BUT will not return without enough cash to start a business, build nice home etc.....It does take CASH to get started in the DR... The Pride of the Dom people will not let them return without money to show for their life in the USA..They want everyone to think they have been a success when they return. Others who lurk on here know me and what I am saying as it happened to their husbands too

PAM

Forbeca · Oct 8, 2003

Re: Same old song and dance

Fred said:
I have heard the same retoric from Mexicans, Dominicans, etc. about how great their countries are. As soon as they have enough money to open a business they will return for good.

What nonsense, if they were real business people they would have opened a business while they were there.

Why is it nonsense? Is it nonsense to dream?

Not everyone wants to go back home to start a business. That's not my situation at all, I don't need to start anything. It's been established a long, long time ago.

There are lots of different reasons why someone may want to return to his native country.

suarezn · Oct 8, 2003

Re: Same old song and dance

Fred said:
What nonsense, if they were real business people they would have opened a business while they were there. Most do not return because they encounter the exact same problems when they left.

Fred: What ignorance! Most people who have enough money to set up a business DO NOT leave the country. Most people emigrate because of economic reasons. Furthermore, when people do not return is normally because of family ties - as explained by Delores - or because they did not plan well, or couldn't make enough money to be able to live confortably in the DR. When you leave and come back with some money the problems are not the same anymore. YES there's still corruption, power outages, bureacracy, etc...If you have enough money most of those problems are mitigated.
Power outage - No problem, buy an inverter
Too hot - Get and air conditioneer or take a dip in your pool
Bureaucracy - No problem, pay someone else to do the errands for you

Life as a poor person in the DR is tough, Life as a rich person in the DR is heaven

Fred · Oct 8, 2003

Get Real

What happens as soon as you need medical attention? My wife's father(Dominican) had diabetes, he never would think about returning to the DR except to visit due to his medical condition.

Dreaming is one thing but reality will bit you in the behind.

suarezn · Oct 8, 2003

Re: Get Real

Fred said:
What happens as soon as you need medical attention? My wife's father(Dominican) had diabetes, he never would think about returning to the DR except to visit due to his medical condition.

Dreaming is one thing but reality will bit you in the behind.

My point exactly. Apparently your father in law did not plan well enough or could not make enough money to go back and live in the DR. If he had, he could live there as he could find the same type of care he can get here in the US.

Fred · Oct 8, 2003

Economic Reasons?

What about people emigrating for political reasons or violence, such as Columbia?

Once these so called rich Dominicans go back their families will be sure to spend their money very quickly. Everyon will have a sob story!!

How will they support themselves? If what you say is true show me some statitistics that show me how many return and actually stay!!!

You are living in a dream world Suarzen!!

suarezn · Oct 8, 2003

I have no idea about people from Colombia or other countries. The topic is about Dominicans...

Like I said before you have to have a plan. You cannot move back to the DR without being financially secure, that's the bottom line. I'm very realistic about that. That's the reason why I haven't made the final move yet. You're right in that a lot of people do no return, but that doesn't mean the desire isn't there - Which BTW was the original topic.

Fred · Oct 8, 2003

Plan

You are right you need a plan! That is something most Dominicans cannot do. My wife's family cannot even manage their expenses from one week to the next, never mind investing or saving any money for their trip home.

It takes many steps to finanial independance.

1. Discipline(Learing to do without stupid things(cell phone for ex)
2. Investing( Knowing how and when to invest
3. Saving(Putting aside something each paycheck.

Tony C · Oct 8, 2003

My Wife is Dominican.
Most of here family is there and they are a very close knit group.
We are finacially secure and so is her family(Very Secure)

She will be the first to tell you that she has no desire to move back to the DR. Lately she has not even the desire to visit. She would rather have here family come to Miami instead for visits.

Some of her reasons for not wanting to go back:
The Goverment(PRD,PLD,PRSC doesn't matter)
The Garbage.
The noise.
The Bullshit and Lies.
Poor service.
The lack of manners in general.
Electricity, Water....ect.

She will also be the first person to tell you how beautiful the DR is and what a great place it is to vacation but move back there and Live? No way.

suarezn · Oct 10, 2003

Tony: If I remember you once mentioned that your wife had never been to a Colmado. It does not sound like she's a typical dominican. Thus it does not surprise me that she doesn't want to return. What does surprise me though is that she would get annoyed by things such as the garbage, the noise, electricity, water etc...if she comes from a rich family, as you mentioned in the past then why would she even had to deal with any of that?
I'm not rich and I don't think I would have to deal tiwh those things very much.
-Noise - Get a house in a quiet neighborhood
-Water & Electricity - Outfit your house with Inverter and Tinacos
-Garbage - Not an issue if you live in a rich neighborhood. If it is then pay someone to take the garbage out for you and keep your area clean
-Lack of manners - I didn't think the elite would have poor manners. What is the world coming to?

Anyhow, my point is that all of those are valid concerns, but if you have enough money to live confortable then those aren't problems at all.

Jon S. · Oct 10, 2003

suarezn said:
Tony: If I remember you once mentioned that your wife had never been to a Colmado. It does not sound like she's a typical dominican. Thus it does not surprise me that she doesn't want to return. What does surprise me though is that she would get annoyed by things such as the garbage, the noise, electricity, water etc...if she comes from a rich family, as you mentioned in the past then why would she even had to deal with any of that?
I'm not rich and I don't think I would have to deal tiwh those things very much.
-Noise - Get a house in a quiet neighborhood
-Water & Electricity - Outfit your house with Inverter and Tinacos
-Garbage - Not an issue if you live in a rich neighborhood. If it is then pay someone to take the garbage out for you and keep your area clean
-Lack of manners - I didn't think the elite would have poor manners. What is the world coming to?

Anyhow, my point is that all of those are valid concerns, but if you have enough money to live confortable then those aren't problems at all.

Took the words right outta my mouth............

Tony C · Oct 10, 2003

suarezn said:
Tony: If I remember you once mentioned that your wife had never been to a Colmado. It does not sound like she's a typical dominican. Thus it does not surprise me that she doesn't want to return. What does surprise me though is that she would get annoyed by things such as the garbage, the noise, electricity, water etc...if she comes from a rich family, as you mentioned in the past then why would she even had to deal with any of that?
I'm not rich and I don't think I would have to deal tiwh those things very much.
-Noise - Get a house in a quiet neighborhood
-Water & Electricity - Outfit your house with Inverter and Tinacos
-Garbage - Not an issue if you live in a rich neighborhood. If it is then pay someone to take the garbage out for you and keep your area clean
-Lack of manners - I didn't think the elite would have poor manners. What is the world coming to?

Anyhow, my point is that all of those are valid concerns, but if you have enough money to live confortable then those aren't problems at all.

That is all well and good if you want to live in a coccoon! Some people like to get out of the house now and then.
Their is nothing uglier than jealousy!

How strong of a desire?

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