Hostos Celebrates Dominicans Breaking Ground in Multicultural Settings

On Tuesday, February 25, Hostos Community College celebrated the vibrant culture, heritage, and multidisciplinary contributions of the Dominican community in New York and beyond with a special symposium. Held in commemoration of Dominican Heritage Month and Dominican Independence Day (February 27), the bilingual event convened experts in humanities, education, culture, business, youth services, and more for a full day of conversations on the state of the Dominican community. 
   
Hostos President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, the first Dominican woman to serve as a CUNY college president and pioneer in the field of Dominican women's studies, regretfully was not able to attend in person but did not miss the opportunity to welcome honored guests and attendees and share a special message via video. In her remarks, President Cocco De Filippis lauded the Dominican spirit and fight for independence, and she recognized the work Dominican women did to preserve Dominican history and ensure access to education for their fellow country women, alongside Hostos’ namesake, Don Eugenio María de Hostos. "Today we honor education; we honor the Dominican people — people who are not afraid to fight for their independence, not once but twice," she said. "People, as you can see in this wonderful program, from all of the speakers who believe, as I do, that you change lives for the better by means of education." 
 
Before the packed program began, symposium Co-Chairs Dean Ana Garcia Reyes, Community Relations, and Dr. Wilfredo José Burgos Matos, Communications Manager, warmly welcomed the day's panelists, guest speakers, and special guests and shared that they were honored and very humbled to create space for everyone to celebrate and commemorate Dominican heritage in New York City. Burgos Matos then invited special guest Carmen Rojas to bless the event. Guests were also greeted by Dr. Sofía Oviedo, Director of Research Programs, who shared that, as a proud Dominican woman, she is honored to welcome all in attendance to the "home" of the day's event, the Hostos Research Center, as well as Dainma Martínez, Student Government Association President. "Today, we gather not only to honor the rich history, culture, and contributions of the Dominican community but also to engage in a meaningful conversation that inspires growth, community, and progress," shared the student leader.  
   
Hostos was honored to have in attendance special guest speaker and panelist Jesús Vásquez Martínez, Consul General of the Dominican Republic in New York, who spoke on the importance of building bridges between the Dominican Republic and the Dominican diaspora, with special attention toward instilling and nurturing cultural pride among Dominican youth. He also spoke of the Consulate's commitment to supporting the Dominican community in various ways, including creating cultural events and defending the rights of every Dominican in New York. The College also had the distinct pleasure of welcoming Deputy Bronx Borough President Janet Peguero, who recognized Hostos for its contributions toward the advancement of the Dominican community. 
 
The symposium officially kicked off with an insightful conversation on Dominican humanities in higher education, moderated by Dr. Burgos Matos, with panelists Professor Fiordaliza Acosta Ippolito, Hostos Community College; Professor Nelson Santana, Bronx Community College; Professor Jacqueline Jiménez Polanco, Bronx Community College; Professor Pedro José Ortega, The City College of New York-CUNY Dominican Studies Institute; Professor Lissette Acosta Cornia, Manhattan Community College; and Professor Yini Rodríguez, Lehman College. Together, the esteemed CUNY educators reflected on the hunger among students for Dominican studies and their respective professional contributions to the expansion of the field. They also noted their bureaucratic challenges and shared advice for better integrating Dominican studies into humanities. Polanco shared that she incorporates her research and literature into her curriculum. Ortega and Santana suggested that faculty must build relationships and collaboratively create strategies to establish roadmaps to more robust course offerings. 
 
The program continued with a conversation on the state of K-12 Dominican students in education today, among Elisa Álvarez, NYS Associate Commissioner for Bilingual Education and World Languages; Paula Lev, GW Principal of Law & Public Service High School; Jayson Castillo, CUNY DSI Research Associate; and Henry Rubio, President, Council of School Supervisors & Administrators. Moderated by Gilberto Garcia, NYC Department of Education, the dynamic dialogue covered ways to continue integrating Dominican studies curricula into K-12 curricula. After the initial discussion, attendees asked questions ranging from how educators can encourage high schoolers to pursue higher education to how to support immigrant students; the latter segued perfectly into the next panel. 
   
Titled "Navigating immigration rights under the new administration," the timely discussion was moderated by Hostos Dean Carlos Rivera and featured insight from panelists Eddie Cuesta, Executive Director, Dominicanos USA; Cristal Girón, Dominican Bar Association Attorney; and Juan I. Rosa, Director of Civic Engagement, NALEO. The expert panelists shared how their organizations serve the Dominican and immigrant communities, noting how they help ensure they know their rights. They also discussed new changes in immigration processes and removal enforcement measures under the new administration. Girón reminded that the Constitution applies to everyone, regardless of status, and advised those undergoing the immigration process to have access to the most up-to-date documents available. Cuesta shared that his organization is available to help Dominicans understand and navigate the immigration process, and Rosa advocated for civic education and involvement.  
Next, Luisa López, President of Latino Social Work Coalition, moderated a vital roundtable discussion among Dr. Walid Michelen, of the Dr. Nasry Michelen Foundation; Dr. Juan Ariel Jiménez Núñez, former Minister of Economics, Planning & Development and Lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School; and Dr. Denise Núñez, Pediatrician at Montefiore Hospital on building prosperity in business, mental health and fostering hope in diverse, bilingual settings. Dr. Michelen, whose father was Hostos' founding President, the late Nasry Michelen, discussed the disparities in mental healthcare among Dominicans and the need for culturally competent providers, noting one cannot treat mental health without looking at the whole person, including their cultural influences. Dr. Núñez agreed, adding that mental health care must be integrated into all care and highlighting the importance of mentorship of young people as an act of care. Jiménez Núñez lauded the Dominican community's support of one another and noted the incredible knowledge and expertise among their business owners and leaders.   
The program continued with an uplifting panel on the importance and power of building communities near and far, titled "Dominican CBOs, Youth Services, Arts, and Culture." Moderated by Dr. Burgos Matos, the segment invited insight from architects of community, Shadie Tineo, Community Representative, INDEX; Angie Abreu, Executive Director, Dominican Writers Association; and Angela Howell, President and Founder, World Women Talent System of Italy, all of whom are active members in the community in New York City, Italy, and other international locations. Tineo kicked off the conversation with a presentation of the many excellent resources INDEX — present in 30 countries across four continents — offers to Dominicans in the diaspora to strengthen their socioeconomic and cultural ties. Abreu discussed how her passion for creating, consuming, and sharing Dominican literature led her to create a literary arts organization dedicated to amplifying Dominican voices in literature. Howell shared how she made a sisterhood abroad through her organization. 
 
In the spirit of celebrating Dominican excellence, the symposium also featured a special award ceremony honoring Dominican trailblazers. Co-chairs Dean Garcia Reyes and Dr. Burgos Matos presented special certificates of recognition to Jesús Vásquez Martínez, Consul General of the Dominican Republic in New York; Fidel Malena, Bronx Regional Representative, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul; El Diario La Prensa; Renzo Martínez, District 6 Superintendent, NYC Department of Education (accepted on his behalf by Paula Lev, GW Principal of Law & Public Service High School); Henry Rubio, President, Council of School Supervisors & Administrators; and Shadie Tineo, Community Representative, INDEX.