Hi folks! Some of you might remember me from THIS thread. Well I am now living in N.Y (again) near the Dominican Community in northwest Harlem. Now I know the Dominicans there have their annual parade to celebrate their culture here in the city but I want to understand something.
Haiti shares Hispanola with your country. Like you, they speak a different language from the rest of the English speaking Caribbean and are often not a part of the conversation when the English or Eastern Caribbean is being mentioned, however, come September (Labor Day) they can be found in rather large numbers in Brooklyn at the West Indian Carnival parade where Eastern Caribbean nationals and Jamaicans carouse. Who are conspicuously absent are the Dominicans who to some degree (at least for some) have connections to the Eastern Caribbean. Ironically, the Puerto Ricans are also not in the mix. You can find just about any other Caribbean flag flying in the breeze, but not a Dominican or Puerto Rican flag in sight and Puerto Rico is actually a mere 40 miles from the Virgin Islands AND they have a large community of descendants living on the English speaking island of St. Croix in the U.S Virgin Islands.
What is even more puzzling is that while Dominicans and Puerto Ricans are rare at the West Indian Carnival and one might be inclined to think it has something to do with both communities preferring to be associated more with the larger Latin American community, how do we explain the noticeable amount of Panamanians and Hondurans at the West Indian Carnival?
I also notice this is not just at the Labor Day Carnival. When I lived in South Florida and they had their Caribbean Carnival in both Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans were also scarce at those events too.
Does anyone have an opinion on why this is?
Oh, I realize the reverse is also true. I've never been to the Dominican parade but I doubt you can find two Trinidadians, Jamaicans or Virgin Islanders at their parade, however, what I find interesting is that the West Indian Carnival was originally held in Harlem. I'm not sure if Dominicans attended it then but stopped after it moved to Brooklyn.
Haiti shares Hispanola with your country. Like you, they speak a different language from the rest of the English speaking Caribbean and are often not a part of the conversation when the English or Eastern Caribbean is being mentioned, however, come September (Labor Day) they can be found in rather large numbers in Brooklyn at the West Indian Carnival parade where Eastern Caribbean nationals and Jamaicans carouse. Who are conspicuously absent are the Dominicans who to some degree (at least for some) have connections to the Eastern Caribbean. Ironically, the Puerto Ricans are also not in the mix. You can find just about any other Caribbean flag flying in the breeze, but not a Dominican or Puerto Rican flag in sight and Puerto Rico is actually a mere 40 miles from the Virgin Islands AND they have a large community of descendants living on the English speaking island of St. Croix in the U.S Virgin Islands.
What is even more puzzling is that while Dominicans and Puerto Ricans are rare at the West Indian Carnival and one might be inclined to think it has something to do with both communities preferring to be associated more with the larger Latin American community, how do we explain the noticeable amount of Panamanians and Hondurans at the West Indian Carnival?
I also notice this is not just at the Labor Day Carnival. When I lived in South Florida and they had their Caribbean Carnival in both Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans were also scarce at those events too.
Does anyone have an opinion on why this is?
Oh, I realize the reverse is also true. I've never been to the Dominican parade but I doubt you can find two Trinidadians, Jamaicans or Virgin Islanders at their parade, however, what I find interesting is that the West Indian Carnival was originally held in Harlem. I'm not sure if Dominicans attended it then but stopped after it moved to Brooklyn.