First, I think people are giving more credit to the Height than they should. Why? GENTRIFICATION. There are more white Americans moving in and a TON of Mexicans. As the economic power of younger Dom-Am generations increases, they are migrating out. Thus, this idea of the Height's as an enclave is more of a transitional idealogical take in my opinion.
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The fact that these people live in the US for many, many years 15-20+ years with the mentality that they will move back to DR prevents them from actually partaking in voting decisions or being active members of society. Lesley, this is more of the point I was trying to get into. People come here to raise their kids but they DON'T CARE that their kids are getting into drugs, crime, prostitution, etc. and are being exposed to these things in the schools, the streets, their very neighborhoods. What I mean by don't care is that they don't protest to their political leadership, they don't VOTE, and are not active in the school system. This translates to a hands off policy to rearing (sp?) their kids because they feel that the US system is adequate and why change it since they are moving back to DR...why should they care what happends? This is not an issue of accepting to let people move out of the US or not, rather their needs to be a realization that they must take part in the society they live in while they are there...how ever long.
We are losing this next generation of kids to the streets...but this can be avoided if people cared enough to change and effect change. This means that we need to take a more nationwide approach rather than focus all resources to 20 blocks in Manhattan. Dominicans are EVERYWHERE in the US.
Peace.