Dominican or not? Hmm, tough question for others to answer for you!
Here is my viewpoint into this:
You are worried that you are not "Dominican" enough, thus your post here. Your worryness (if that is a word) is due to the fact that you find alot of people telling you that you are not Dominican, and that is kind of bothering you because you don't want to lose your Dominican connection. Why? Because you love being a Dominican!
So, are you Dominican?
Yes and no. You are a Dominican because you obviously care about being one and you want to make sure that you are one! So, in that respect yes, you are a Dominican.
But, no because alot of people are commenting on your "lack" of Dominicanidad in your way of being. Remember that old saying, when you can hear the river is because it has water! So, what can you do if you "lack" the Dominican qualities that make up a Dominican?
Well, you will have to fill in that void that is preventing most people to see you as such. So, the real question is how do you become more Dominicanized?
The answer to that is complex and simple at the same time. You see, we can all sit on our comfy chairs or sofas and type into our computers or laptops what it is that makes a Dominican! However, you will not really assimilate some of the real "Dominican" qualities because you are going to continue living your current lifestyle which is the culprit of you lack of Dominicanidad.
So, how can you solve that problem much more effectively? Come and spend a good amount of time in the DR. Make it a goal of yours to come either for two weeks every year, or to come for the Summer, or to come and actually live here for a while - who knows, you might decide to stay here forever, which in many ways is not a bad thing at all!
Only by experiencing the real authentic Dominican culture in its own home turf, will you fully understand accept and assimilate what it is to be a Dominican. However, there are subtle differences between attitudes towards Dominicanidad all over the DR.
Quick example: Santo Domingo vs. Santiago
SDQ: Its a city filled with people that cherish and maintain their historic buildings, very patriotic people and probably the most mobile people on the island. In the other hand, SDQ's tend to accept the latest trends from the US, they watch the latest American movies, many areas of the modern parts of town are down right American style suburbs! So, obviously there is a slight conflict of interest here.
STG: Its a city filled with people that are much more refined than those of the Capital. These denizens describe themselves as the real aristocrats of the country. To them, nobody is more pure Dominican than a Santiaguero. Beyond that, there is a heavy sense of pride in the Entire Cibao valley, the pride is so strong that many anthropologist refer to the Cibao as the "Republic within a Republic" meaning, that if the Cibao citizens had a reason to break apart from the DR, they could certainly find many. And besides, the valley produces 40% of total GDP (the Capital produces another 40% and the rest of the country produces the remaining 20%), the Cibao is home to 60% of the people, the Cibao has contributed more to the country than any other region of the DR. So, in many respects the Cibae?os are a slightly more "Dominican" than the Capitale?os, simply because the Capitale?os a bit more materialistic than the Cibae?os.
Now, don't get me wrong. You still see Cibae?os drinking Coca-Cola and playing baseball, just like in the Capital. It's just that the things that are Dominican are much more pronounced in the Cibao than elsewhere I would say. This is a subtle change that would be noticed after a person has spent some time in the DR.
So, you want to be Dominicanized? Just hop on a plane and land on this island that will certainly make you feel welcomed from the moment you step off the airplane. In fact, as soon that the plane lands and the door opens and you walk into the Terminal you will most likely see a trio makeshift band playing some traditional Perico Ripiao giving you a welcoming sensation to your land. In addition to all of that, the palm trees fronds appear to be welcoming you as they sway in the wind with their shiny and deep green fronds, the atmosphere is alive and kicking and you truly feel as if you have arrive to your home, even if you never step foot here.
That feeling is the Magic Potion that makes people of all races, nationalities, and backgrounds become a real Dominican.
I am sure that that magic potion was one of the biggest deciding factors when most of these expats took the "plunge" to live in paradise!
PS. There are different status of Dominicanidad. A rich Dominican would not act like a Poor Dominican. A middle class professional would not act like a poor Dominican. A poor Dominican would not act like a rich Dominican. And a newly rich Dominican for the most part, don't act like the old money rich Dominican simply because they don't know how to portrait their newly aquired riches other than through what popular culture tells them.
If you were to talk to an elite, you will notice that their Spanish sounds more like the Spanish being talked in Barcelona, Spain. Speak to a middle class Dominican and you will notice a strong Spanish language with some inuendos and slang mixed in, while you will notice them trying to assimilate the language pattern of their upper class counterparts. And then you speak with a poor Dominican and you will notice that its almost a Different language compared to the Elites speach patterns.
Then there are the public display. The way you carry yourself, the way you attend others, the way you act, etc. has a huge display of what type of Dominican you are. If you are a guy and you dress in heavy jeans or in those short jeans that go as low as your ankles, it is obvious that you are a Dominican york. If you dress with khakis and polo shirts with a shiny shoe and you walk with your head slightly up, then you are of the upper classes. If you dress with tighter jeans, tucked in shirt, and slightly laidback but still firm you will be obviously portraying the image of middle class.
Of course, everything comes clear when its time to get in the car or when its time to go home. While everybody mixes in the Colonial Zone and elsewhere, when its time to go home, the poor head to the outerfringes of town, the middle class head to the neighborhood in the innercity and the rich head to the hills of Arroyo Hondo or other newly created high class neighborhoods.
If you eat mangu with "salchichon" in the morning, that is indicative of a Dominican campesino. However, if you eat a peace of bread with an espresso, then you are a Dominican urbanite, most likely a Capitale?o, etc.
There is more to being simply Dominican, because there are different kinds of Dominicans.