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New York.– Elected and community leaders came together Friday to celebrate groundbreaking on a new Dominican cultural center in Washington Heights.

Alianza Dominicana broke ground on their new headquarters Friday. The group, founded in 1987, works with members of the community to provide health care, education and child welfare services to families in need.

The new facility will occupy some 48,000 square feet and also offer offices for Columbia University. Those at the ceremony say it will be a powerful step forward for their community.

"We are making history, because we are not just going to be a group of immigrants that lived in northern Manhattan, we are going to be immigrants who left a history, who left a legacy, and left our permanent fingerprints in northern Manhattan to this great project here in this triangle for Alianza Dominicana," said City Councilman Miguel Martinez.

"Were going to house the Casa Afro-Quisqueya Cultural Center there that will begin to present and collect our history as immigrants in this community," said Moises Perez of Alianza Dominicana. "So it is tremendously important."

Alianza Dominicana works with more than 17,000 New Yorkers each year. The new headquarters is scheduled to be completed early next year.

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COMMENTS
8 comment(s)
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Written by: Leandro, 10 Feb 2008 8:57 PM
From: Dominican Republic
good one step forward for the best of the dominican immigrant who live on the usa go ahead dominicano
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Written by: lorinka, 13 Feb 2008 2:31 AM
From: Canada
Yeah, it's great, but I wonder why are so many Dominicanos in the States anyway ?! They're probably poorer there than @ home...
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Written by: BASTA, 15 Feb 2008 5:51 AM
From: Dominican Republic, SPM
True, and how many are legal?
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Written by: Euromax, 15 Feb 2008 6:04 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Bona, The holy land of the west
yea thats true, thats what happen to my uncle and wife, my grandmother advised them not to live over there, they spend 3 mouths on New York living, and that was a hell for them, my cousins couldn't go to schoool becuase they had to work, my uncle was working from 8:00 Am to 11:00! :0, and it was all a mess + the cold, traffic ect., than they came back to Bonao and they are way better
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Written by: Manhattanite, 22 Feb 2008 1:54 PM
From: United States, New York City
I guess it depends on the family. Mine faced hardship, but I'd say it was worth it in light of the education and opportunities I've had. Still I often think as you guys do, and advise ppl to not come here unless they have well established family. Alianza Dominican played some role in my family's positive efforts here, so kudos to them for growing the organization.
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Written by: xiomi, 25 Jul 2008 3:39 PM
From: United States
No a lot of Dominican's are not poorer back home, they just come to US thinking life is better here and to find an opportunity to improve their life style, most of them own there own home and land back home and over here they have to pay for an apartment ...not a good investment but sometimes they do it for their kids. So please choose your words wisely and don't make judgement.
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Written by: ladronaso, 26 Jul 2008 10:52 AM
From: United States
Many Dominican immigrants have come to the U.S. move to the city live in projects or section 8 units or with family. They find work, sometimes multiple jobs or side gigs, save and return to DR flashing their money building huge homes or importing the Almighty Jipeta and flashing their material wealth. Giving the illusion and impression that the U.S is a gold mine.

Before anyone attacks my statements I am not referring to hard working Dominicans who do not fit the description.
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Written by: JustMe, 29 Jul 2008 4:21 PM
From: United States
Ignorance is bliss. Yes, like many people that come to the US from all over the world, some dominicans have it hard here, as they do in their country. And, like people from other cultures, some dominicans take advantage of public programs. That doesn't mean we can generalize. Many dominican immigrants come into this country and achieve success that many non-immigrants can only dream of. There are numerous professional dominicans in NYC and accross the nation making a difference for Americans and other latinos, in the fields of science, law, medicine, education, finance, military, sports, etc. Not just those educated in the US, but also abroad. It's great that Alianza is moving forward, as it has for the past couple of decades. It's only one of the many community and professional groups that have been created for the improvement of dominicans and other immigrants in our great nation.
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