franco, dont surrender yet. It is true that working wages are low, and chefs certainly deserve more, as it is very demanding work. Ironically a really good chef, not just a capable one, is something rare and you would think that hotel owners would recognize that and pay accordingly to attract good talent. But the history of this place in terms of relations between owners and workers is such that the phrase "wage slave" may be taken literally here. (Btw, The best French restaurant in NYC for at least 10 yrs running is Le Bernadin. The head chef is French, but the entire crew is Dominican.)
however, Ithink if you were first to engage in an intensive internet investigation of the bigger companies along the East Coast, you might eventually connect with the right people and find slightly higher wages than those found along the North Coast. Then you could come down here, live over in Bavaro or Punta Cana and get a feel for how things are done in DR. Get to know EVERYONE in the business, because it is only through contacts that one gets ahead here. I hate to say it, but being "Dominican" in the States means nothing down here; you are in fact in worse shape than the gringos that live here, and you definitely know nothing about the country. So while you suss out the industry, you also have to reacquaint yourself with the society, history and culture of your putative "homeland." Fact is, you are American. You are going to be shocked, puzzled, bamboozled and flabbergasted at first. But eventually you will catch on, and if you like it, you will stay and master the situation. One of the things I can tell you is this: here the people who make money and get ahead are usually their own masters. there is a growing middle class of office workers and such, but their wages are still pitifully low. The entrepreneur with a flair for independence and a bit of imagination attuned to the Dominican marketplace can do quite well for himself. My wife, for example, flitted from one job to the next, always with very poor wages and no prospects. She recently took over the family business -- a mere bar/cafeteria, nothing special -- and she is making much more money than she ever did before. The business languished in the hands of her brother for lack of interest, but with her flair for buying and selling it is taking off again. If you could eventually establish a restaurant of your own, you could do quite well here. It is a tricky business. In the capital I have seen many restaurants come and go, good ones, and it is not always clear why one succeeds and another fails. But the owner of Caribbean Blue once mentioned to a friend of mine that you cannot have a "special occasion" restaurant and hope to survive. You have to offer something that might be special but that will also appeal to the masses.
One other point: 15,000 is poor wages. About 500 bucks a month. But that is good wages for many a Dominican. The headmistress at my daughter's nursery school only made 6000 a month. A friend of mine who is an editor at Listin only makes 24,000 a month. In your case, 15,000 would probably go further: I imagine the hotel might have living space for its employees (but maybe not, I dont know how these places operate), and of course meals are taken care of, so in fact if room and board are not a major expense, your 15,000 suddenly becomes the equivalent of at least 30,000 or more. Bear that in mind while you are considering the value of a salary and how far you can stretch it.