Dominican Republic	Asians in the Americas
General Overview  Brief Description  Demographic Resources  Sources Official Census  Foreign Affairs/Immigration  Municipal Registries  Parochial Records  Information/Research Resources, Dissertations and Scholars  Societies and Associations  Embassies  Miscellaneous

General Overview

ETHNIC GROUPS: white 16%, black 11%, mixed 73% RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 95% LANGUAGES: Spanish

Visit the CIA World Factbook for more information on this country http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/dr.html

Brief Description

Arrival of Asian Peoples:

"30 More Japanese Sue Over Dominican Republic Immigration Promises," EFE News Service, August 6, 2001. Source: http://migration.ucdavis.edu/mn/sep_2001-16.html Thirty Japanese who immigrated to the Dominican Republic in the 1950s have joined 150 others in a class-action lawsuit against the Japanese government for inducing them to move to the Caribbean nation, where they were forced into hard labor. In the 1950s, Japan encouraged emigration, including to the Dominican Republic. Some 1,300 Japanese emigrated in 1955; they were promised free land. However, they did not get arable land in Dominican Republic, and 180 Japanese sued their government for making false promises to induce them to emigrate. In 1961, Japan offered to repatriate those who had immigrated to the Dominican Republic. Most returned, but about 900 Japanese immigrants and their descendants remain in the Dominican Republic. A Chinatown for Santo Domingo Filed October 01, 1999 Source: http://www.cweek.com/rr7.html The Municipality of Santo Domingo has plans for a Santo Domingo Chinatown. Architect Pedro Alfonso, of the Urban Planning Department of the municipality, says they have plans to post an arch and signs as well as Chinese decorations in what spontaneously has become the city's Chinatown. This area is located between the city streets of Avenida Mexico, Jacinto de la Concha, Avenida Mella and Calle José Martí, with Avenida Duarte being a central focal point. Listín Diario newspaper reports there are at least 40 Chinese-owned businesses in the area, including restaurants, laundries, beauty salons, video clubs, furniture stores, supermarkets, and pensions, primarily occupied by Chinese residents. The Dragon House Restaurant, on Avenida Duarte, about 50 meters from Avenida México, is a popular outing for middle class and even upscale families on Sundays. Architect Pedro Alfonso says that by dressing up the area, it will become a new tourist attraction. Top of Page

Geographic and Labor Concentration:

During the 1970's there were about 700 Chinese in the Dominican Republic, mostly in its capital, Santo Domingo. (Source: Chinese Around the World, 1970) Top of Page

Demographic and Historical Information:

Demographic information not available aside from that given in the previous sections. Historical information: read previous sections. Top of Page

Demographic Resources

Official Census:

Statistical agency and contact: Oficina Nacional de Estadisticas (ONE) http://www.one.gov.do/ Contact Info: Address: Av. México esq. Leopoldo Navarro, Edificio Oficinas Gubernamentales "Juan Pablo Duarte" Pisos 8 y 9 Gazcue, Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. Tel.: (809) 682-7777 Fax: (809) 685-4424 Email Addresses: Dirección: direccion@one.gov.do Asesoría: asesoria@one.gov.do Mercadeo: mercadeo@one.gov.do Censo: censo@one.gov.do Museo Estadístico e Informático Hermanas Mirabal http://www.one.gov.do/ Click option "Museo Estadistico e Informatico" (Java Applet) The museum includes all the surveys forms used in the past in the Dominican Republic and related information that documents the history of the census in the Dominican Republic. The site is in Spanish only. Address: Ave. México esq. Leopoldo Navarro, Edif. Gubernamental Juan Pablo Duarte, Octavo Piso. Teléfono: 682-7777 Fax: (809) 687-3747 Email: ofic.estadis@codetel.net.do Additional information about the census in the Dominican Republic is in the "Breve Historia de la Estadistica en Republica Dominicana" http://www.one.gov.do/ Click option "Historia de la One" Census categories and definitions relevant to Race and/or Ethnicity: [1] Census taken in Dominican Republic (1920 to 1970)   1920 Nationality, Religion, Race   1935 Nationality, Religion, Race   1950 Nationality, Religion, Race (White, Black, Mestizo and Yellow) [Note: This question was not directly asked. The enumerator during the field visit determined in which category people belonged.]   1960 Nationality, Religion, Race (White, Black, Mulatto, and Yellow), Place of Birth (country of birth for foreigner)   1970 Place of Birth (country of birth for foreigner). Race, Religion and Nationality were dropped National repository and contact: Archivo General de la Nación: Calle M. E. Díaz, Santo Domingo, La República Dominicana Top of Page

Foreign Affairs/Immigration:

Dirección General de Migración http://www.presidencia.gov.do/Instituciones/Direcciones/imigracion.htm No address, not URL link for statistics. The site is in Spanish only. Top of Page

Municipal Registries:

Information Not Available. Top of Page

Parochial Records:

Dominican Republic Parochial Archives by Town http://users.aol.com/mrosado007/drparc.htm This site offers the names and addresses of the different parochial archives throughout the Dominican Republic. Top of Page

Information/Research Resources, Dissertations and Scholars:

Information not available. Top of Page

Societies and Associations:

Information not available. Top of Page

Embassies:

Embassy of Japan http://www.embjapon.org/ Email: embajada@embjapon.org Phone #s: (809) 567-3365/67 fax (809) 566-8013 Embassy of People's Republic of China http://www.roc-taiwan-do.com/dominicana.htm Address: Edif. PALIC, Primer Piso Av. Abraham Lincoln, #952 Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana 1 (809) 541-4954 1 (809) 541-2125 Email: cons.prensa@codetel.net.do Top of Page

Miscellaneous:

None Top of Page

Sources

[1]  Ed. Doreen S. Goyer and Elaine Domschke. The Handbook of National Population Censuses. Westpost: Conn, Greenwood Press, 1983. Top of Page