Richard De Los Santos Abreu
Have you ever felt there is a stigma attached to being an immigrant, or even more specifically from the Dominican Republic?
“Absolutely, I think there are stigmas attached to three big things: being an immigrant, being Hispanic and coming from the DR. Being an immigrant, people see it from two different perspectives. One, you came here to get better opportunities because you didn't have any in your home country, because of your financial status or because of some governmental issues in the country that you didn't agree with. Or two, you can be seen as the cream of the crop, seeking not for better opportunities - because you already had a good financial status in your home country - but for better quality of life. It's often understood that Hispanics tend to get lower-paying jobs and they tend to be from low-income families. You get attached to that stigma. If you came to the US and you are Hispanic, you must be from a low-income family, with no education and no desire to speak English. Dominicans who come to the US are usually sent to jobs related to gardening or housekeeping, especially in Manhattan. That’s where most of the Dominicans are located - or in Washington Heights. The stigma is there for a reason; stereotypes exist for a reason. But we must not generalize, and I think society is changing. The new wave of immigrants is changing. We are better prepared, and we have a lot more desire and motivation than other Americans. We came to the US to strive, so it’s what we're gonna do - it’s what we're doing.”
