By The Diary
Aug 12, 2024, 8:02 PM EDT
New York’s vibrant Dominican community will have a center to celebrate its rich culture and traditions, thanks to a $12.5 million allocation announced Sunday by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“New York would not be what we are today without our Dominican community,” said Governor Hochul. “Through this first-of-its-kind cultural and arts center, New York will celebrate and preserve the history of the Dominican Republic, as well as the countless contributions Dominican Americans have made to help shape our Northern Manhattan community into what it is today.”
The Dominican Center for Arts and Culture, to be located in the Washington Heights/Inwood section of Manhattan and run by the Dominican Studies Institute (DSI) at the City College of New York, will feature a museum and exhibition space, theater, children’s library, and an oral history project and archives to preserve the cultural history of the Dominican Republic and New Yorkers of Dominican descent.
“This investment will enable the CUNY Institute for Dominican Studies to create a center that celebrates the rich history and traditions of the Dominican Republic, whose people represent the largest immigrant group both in our city and at the University,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez.
Celebrating the contributions of Dominicans
For his part, Congressman Adriano Espaillat recalled that Dominican culture and the diaspora have had an undeniable impact on communities across the country, and nowhere is this more evident than here in New York City, and especially in northern Manhattan.
“There is a pressing need for a Dominican cultural center that recognizes and celebrates the contributions of our community,” Espaillat said.
Assemblyman Manny De Los Santos said he was “thrilled to celebrate this important milestone in our goal of establishing the Dominican Center for Arts and Culture in my district,” adding that the Center will help New Yorkers, visitors and future generations learn about and experience the rich Dominican heritage.
“The $12.5 million funding for the Dominican-American Cultural Center is vital to the cultural footprint and legacy of generations of Dominicans who have made this place a home and transformed our communities,” said Councilwoman Carmen de la Rosa.