Dominicans take their place as an American success story.

[Mirkeya]

It's great to hear stories like Gimabella. You're young and have the world at your feet. Don't let anyone or anybody to keep you away from your goals/dreams. Some people tried to do that to me, but I did not let them. I still have goals to accomplish and I don't plan to stop now.

I'm a mother of 3 kids - the youngest is 5 months old and the oldest is 12 years old. I also went to Hunter College like you. I did my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and graduated with honors. During my first year, I was pregnant (6 months) and I remembered going up and down the stairs at Hunter. I spent one semester out of school and went back after my daughter was only 3 months old. I'm not that old yet - (Between 30 - 35). Besides my fulltime job, I also teach undergraduate students at Pace University. As I previously mentioned, what else I can ask for. I have everything that I wanted to have. However, I still have more aspirations. Unfortunately, there are many of us that for X reason cannot fulfill their dreams. And to those I?ll say this ? ?it?s never too late?. I always tell my students about my first job at McDonald?s. Thanks to this job, I was able to practice the language and learn new words.

This article hopefully will encourage others and let them know that the "American Dream" can be achieved. I know it is not a piece of cake to pursue our dreams. However I believe that if you really want something you must work hard to get it. The good things won't come to you UNLESS you work for it.

Saludos,

Mirkeya.

 

[deelt]

Hi Mirkeya

A few of my friends were teen Moms. I always admired their strength to keep going. One of them later became a lawyer, entering one of the most competitive law schools (NYU Law), two others graduated from ivy league schools. A Dominican woman I greatly admire was a welfare single mom of four who went on to get her college degree from City College and went on to become the first Dominican woman judge in NYC. I also currently work for an amazing woman with an amazing life story. Beautiful Latina/Dominican women of color just striving. I love to read their stories of inspiration, persistence and most of all victory.

It's just sad that I have observed is a persistent lack of Dominican male presence in the life struggles of these women. Many can't handle or share in the spotlight. What I have found is that few Dominicans will revile in your success. I call them the "haters." They always wait to see you fail. These are the people that I have learned to slowly start cutting out of my life. Basically, if you can't tell the difference between where I from and where I am going then you need to step out of the way.

Best,
D

I'm a mother of 3 kids - the youngest is 5 months old and the oldest is 12 years old. I also went to Hunter College like you. I did my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and graduated with honors. During my first year, I was pregnant (6 months) and I remembered going up and down the stairs at Hunter. I spent one semester out of school and went back after my daughter was only 3 months old. I'm not that old yet - (Between 30 - 35). Besides my fulltime job, I also teach undergraduate students at Pace University.
...
However I believe that if you really want something you must work hard to get it. The good things won't come to you UNLESS you work for it.

Saludos,

Mirkeya.

 

[Mirkeya]

Hi Deelt,

You?re right. Some Dominican women don?t have the support that they need from their partners. I?ve been lucky on that matter. My husband has been the most supportive person besides my mother. I would not have been where I'm today without his support. This is one of the problems that some Dominican women encounter. Let?s hope that it?ll change.

Mirkeya

Hi Mirkeya

It's just sad that I have observed is a persistent lack of Dominican male presence in the life struggles of these women. Many can't handle or share in the spotlight. What I have found is that few Dominicans will revile in your success. I call them the "haters." They always wait to see you fail. These are the people that I have learned to slowly start cutting out of my life. Basically, if you can't tell the difference between where I from and where I am going then you need to step out of the way.

Best,
D

 

[Enverswife]

Seeing Dollar signs before an indivisual

It is sad but Domincan Women are not the only ones faceing that problem- that is a world wide situation. As more and more women complete degrees and get higher paying jobs the number of men at their level that they may be attracted to decreases. Not to say that these men are not there but that they are just not single and available for a relationship. On the other hand some Dominican women expect there partners to beocme there daddys and only care about how much money the men can give to them and so Dominican men are dating more and more non- Dominican women whom they don't have to physically or finacially take care of but can love and support regardless of what they can offer finacially. Maybe when Dominican women stop seeing dollar signs before they even find out a mans name things will change for Dominican women.
I am not Dominican but my husuband is, we have both completed degrees at institutions of higher education in NYC where we met, neither one of us knew eachothers nationality nor did we care we just fell in love and married here in DR last summer. :glasses:
Good luck ladies. Remembr to look for a mans heart not his wallet and you just might strike gold!

Hi Deelt,

You?re right. Some Dominican women don?t have the support that they need from their partners. I?ve been lucky on that matter. My husband has been the most supportive person besides my mother. I would not have been where I'm today without his support. This is one of the problems that some Dominican women encounter. Let?s hope that it?ll change.

Mirkeya

 

[Jon S.]

A sort of public service announcement from moi.....

I'm very proud of Dominicans in the US who achieve their goals of getting an education and degree from an institution of higher education. Very proud but you know what, I'll compare this pursuit of education issue to something Chris Rock said on his 'Bring The Pain' comedy special about fathers that claim responsibility for their kids: "You're supposed to, you dumb mother-effer".

I was pushed on and on by both my parents since I was little with a small amount of resources from them to get an education because it will come in handy in the future. My father was a 10th grade drop-out in the DR because his dad got killed in the Civil War of 1965 as a Navy Lieutenant. My mom dropped out of college when she was pregnant with me and therefore it's part of my duty to do it for them. My future and welfare comes first but I owe it to them to get an education. Who knows what would've happened if they would've left me to my own devices as a young kid in Miami, then I would've just turned into a drug dealer in that Miami neighborhood that I grew up and lived in. Right now I'm in the US Air Force and also pursuing a degree and will put it to good use in the future. It'll be useful and besides, after going staying for a week in Washington Heights in my friend's house and witnessing things as I walked around Broadway, the situation makes me kinda sad but then I talk to my cousin who graduated from Syracuse and she grew up on 183rd and I feel proud of her. After that I talk to her big sis who is a CPA and smile at her achievement as a single mother and still she got her degree. That same week, I start school and it makes me reflect on what can be done to help my people out in the future with the tools I have available due to my education. Anyways, just thoughts that pop into my mind.

Besides that, there's other things that do bother me like what one poster previously said about Dominican women receiving their education and becoming succesful in their respective career field, yet they lose support from their Dominican husbands. And then it's kind of a crazy issue in itself because Dominican-American men (myself included) feel that Dominican women in our neighborhoods only want to be with us because of our money and therefore feel like they want our money and then we leave them and go to women of other nationalities and we don't feel like our resources are threatened. However I must state that my girlfriend is Dominican, born and raised in the DR, will be a doctor in the future and is sorta involved in DR society issues. Damn it, Dominican women are beautiful. Specially my girl....but back to the point, Dominicans educated in the US are now learning the value of the "American dream" with the house with a picket fence, the family and savings and investments. It makes me proud. Anyways, that's sort of how I started off, and I'll end it the same way, being proud of my people's achievements. I could talk more coherently if I actually spoke to someone instead of typing it.

 

[FuegoAzul21]

I tend to see different regarding Dominican men and women .What i have noticed is that, since Dominican women are starting to have more expensive tastes and progress faster that Dominican men ,They are the ones dating men of other nationalities becuase Dominican men dont exactly suit their wants, as in DR men dont make as much money as men of other nationalities (Sad Truth) . I tend to feel that Dominican men date outside of thier nationalities becuase DR women dont give them play for reasons like tendancies of being Infiel, bad husbands, lack of money, and wanting lighterskin men (another Sad Truth) ,so they go on to women who appreciate them more .However , im not saying that DR men are stayin this way , but i beleive that is the current situation .


A Fuegillo

 

[L-dzzy]

Motivational Thread

This thread is ispiring. It's great to see Dominican success stories.

One of the main reasons there aren't more dominicans in the U.S. "making it" is because there is an absence of role models - model dominican-american people who have made it, are in the public eye, and give back to their community. If the younger generation were exposed to more success stories, there would be less dominicans going down the wrong path, especially in the inner cities.

I'm dominican-american myself in my mid-20's with hopes of achieving big goals and giving back to the less informed (& less fortunate).

Maybe there should be a section made - for dominican success stories.... ???

 

[Mirkeya]

Hi L-dzzy,

That's the spirit. You're right, it would be a good idea to have a section with Dominican sucess stories.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

[thepiper]

Me too

Wow I am so happy to see my Dominican compadres y comadres sharing all these wonderfull stories and I strongly agree with the creation of The Dominican success seccion.