The Dominican Migration 1,800,000 (NYC, New Jersey, South Florida, Boston, Philadelphia)Between 1961-1986, 400,000 Dominicans legally immigrated to the US. 300,000 Dominicans lived in NYC by 1990’s Migratory wave started in the 1960-1965 period. 1965-1995-political repression, poverty and political social instability. 1960’s-NYC’s Dominican community settled near established Puerto Rican communities- Upper West Side of Manhattan. 1960s Dominican organizations (social clubs): Club Maria Trinidad Sanchez; Centro Educacional Caribe. The Dominican migration of the 1960’s-1970’s was well-educated, politically active. Early 1970’s El Comite, a radical group. Rallied Dominican communities around eviction prevention and housing rights issues. Washington Heights in the 1970’s; at CCNY: first Organization of Dominican students (Guillermo Linares). Association of Progressive Dominicans. US-Dominican Republic RelationsDuring the dictatorship of Ulises Heureaux (1880’s-1890’s), Dominican Republic to void bankruptcy refinanced its foreign debt with Dutch creditors and New York banks. New York banks bought the Dutch share of the debt to establish a newly US firm the Santo Domingo Improvement Company. Heureaux gave the firm control of the national bank and one of the country railroads. After the assassination of Ulises Heureaux, a financial crisis hit DR in 1905: customs revenues plummeted, the government suspended debt payments. European powers (countries) threaten to invade DR to collect their money. President Roosevelt offered to consolidate the debt with a new New York bank. Roosevelt insisted that the Dominicans turn over all customs revenues to an appointed agent to pay the debt: DR a financial protectorate. US pressured the DR government to reform land-tenure laws to and offer tax exemptions to American sugar trusts to expand sugar production. Each time the Dominican president or congress rejected to comply with US demands warships appeared offshore to force their submission. Political unrest and violence continued through the 1905-1925 period. Washington decided to tighten its hold on the country’s political and economic life. 1916 US invasion- DR rejected Presidents Wilson proposal to replace the Dominica Army for a new National Guard, and the President Juan Isidro Jimenez. The US occupation lasted from 1916-1924. The US military governor reformed Dominican finances, built hundreds of public schools, infrastructure projects: public works indebted more Dominican Republic. The occupation left DR dependent of the US. The US occupation imposed new property taxes and land registration laws: abolition of terrenos comuneros. The occupation lasting legacy: the national police. American commanders in the national police appointed Rafael Leonidas Trujillo as police chief. 1924 -the withdrawal of troops was arranged. First free elections were held in 1930, Trujillo was elected president. During the campaign the police terrorized ...

1. The Dominican Migration
1,800,000 (NYC, New Jersey, South Florida, Boston,
Philadelphia)Between 1961-1986, 400,000 Dominicans legally
immigrated to the US.
300,000 Dominicans lived in NYC by 1990’s
Migratory wave started in the 1960-1965 period.
1965-1995-political repression, poverty and political social
instability.
1960’s-NYC’s Dominican community settled near established
Puerto Rican communities- Upper West Side of Manhattan.
1960s Dominican organizations (social clubs): Club Maria
Trinidad Sanchez; Centro Educacional Caribe.
The Dominican migration of the 1960’s-1970’s was well-
educated, politically active.
Early 1970’s El Comite, a radical group. Rallied Dominican
communities around eviction prevention and housing rights
issues. Washington Heights in the 1970’s; at CCNY: first
Organization of Dominican students (Guillermo Linares).
Association of Progressive Dominicans.
US-Dominican Republic RelationsDuring the dictatorship of
Ulises Heureaux (1880’s-1890’s), Dominican Republic to void
bankruptcy refinanced its foreign debt with Dutch creditors and
New York banks.
New York banks bought the Dutch share of the debt to establish

2. a newly US firm the Santo Domingo Improvement Company.
Heureaux gave the firm control of the national bank and one of
the country railroads.
After the assassination of Ulises Heureaux, a financial crisis hit
DR in 1905: customs revenues plummeted, the government
suspended debt payments.
European powers (countries) threaten to invade DR to collect
their money.
President Roosevelt offered to consolidate the debt with a new
New York bank.
Roosevelt insisted that the Dominicans turn over all customs
revenues to an appointed agent to pay the debt: DR a financial
protectorate.
US pressured the DR government to reform land-tenure laws to
and offer tax exemptions to American sugar trusts to expand
sugar production.
Each time the Dominican president or congress rejected to
comply with US demands warships appeared offshore to force
their submission.
Political unrest and violence continued through the 1905-1925
period. Washington decided to tighten its hold on the country’s
political and economic life.
1916 US invasion- DR rejected Presidents Wilson proposal to
replace the Dominica Army for a new National Guard, and the
President Juan Isidro Jimenez.
The US occupation lasted from 1916-1924.
The US military governor reformed Dominican finances, built
hundreds of public schools, infrastructure projects: public
works indebted more Dominican Republic.
The occupation left DR dependent of the US.

3. The US occupation imposed new property taxes and land
registration laws: abolition of terrenos comuneros.
The occupation lasting legacy: the national police.
American commanders in the national police appointed Rafael
Leonidas Trujillo as police chief.
1924 -the withdrawal of troops was arranged. First free
elections were held in 1930, Trujillo was elected president.
During the campaign the police terrorized the opposition.
1924-1954 Trujillo’s dictatorship and terror. Trujillo perfected
the most notorious dictatorship in the hemisphere.
1937- Perejil massacre- Trujillo massacred 20,000 thousands
Haitians in the border towns.
Juan Bosch and US invasionTrujillo was assassinated in May
1861.
First free elections after Trujillos’ dictatorship December 1962.
Juan Bosch was elected president, sworn in as president on
April 1963.
New liberal constitution: new labour rights, land redistribution
and rights for the child and the young.
Bosch was overthrown in a coup led by Colonel Elias Wessin.
Bosch was replaced by a three-man military junta.
April 1965 Colonel Francisco Camano removed the Junta from
power and demanded Bosch’s restoration.
The US responded by sending 42,000 troops to DR.
1966 new elections, Bosch returned but not allowed to
campaign.
Trujillos’ advisor, Joaquin Balaguer defeated Bosch.

4. The Cuban Migration
From 1860’s to 1994
1860’s-1898 Cuban migration
1st Cuba migration
• Spanish American War 1898 (Cuban Revolutionary
Party-Antillean Confederation ideals)……Cuba &
Puerto Rican migrations
• Battle-tested independence army
• Platt Amendment to Cuban Constitution
• Roads and health care, new schools
• Heavy US private investments in railroads,
electricity company, tobacco corporations (90% of
exports in tobacco)
US invasions (1906, 1912, 1917)
-push factor-
• US citizen & annexationist- Tomas Estrada Palma,
first president of Cuba. Reelected in 1905 in
fraudulent election.

5. • Violent protests resulted in US invasion in 1906
(1906-1909)
• Country looted by General Charles Magoon; 12
million deficit in national budget.
• General Magoon gave government contracts to Frank
Steinhert, Cuba’s Rockefeller. Concessions of Havana
Electric Railway, Light and Power Company.
• 1912 US invasion- Negro Rebellion, Independent
Party of Color vs. President Jose Miguel Gomez.
-1,000 Americans living in Cuba
-3/4 of land owned by foreigners
• 1917 US invasion to crush rebellion against Mario
Garcia Menocal-US backed candidate reelected in
fraud-tainted vote.
Second Cuban Migration (1917-1940’s)
• (1917-1930’s) These push factor forced thousand of
Cubans to migrate to NYC, New Orleans, Key West,
Tampa. Cigar makers and poor peasants.

6. Presidents Machado & Batista
• Labor strikes and protests, socialist and anarchist
organizations gained power.
• President Machado (1925), first modern dictator
in Cuba, with support of National City Bank, JP
Morgan and Chase.
• Ramon Grau San Martin (1933) –National general
strike against Machado brought San Martin to
power.
• Abolished Plan Amendment, right to vote for
women, minimum wage and eight-hour day
• Sumner Welles, President Roosevelt’s emisary
considered Grau a radical liberal and urged
General Fulgencio Batista, commander of Cuba
Army to stage a coup.
• General Batista unleashed a bloody repression
against working class organizations and Grau
movement.

7. • General Batista (1933-1944)-pushed thousands
of Cubans into exile, mostly to the US.
• Batista legalized the Communist Party and
adapted Grau’s plan of reforms. Draft the most
progressive constitutions in Cuba’s history in
1940.
• 1944 Grau San Martin won the presidency again.
(1944-1952)-corruption
• General Batista staged a coup again in 1952,
“forced to return” (1952-1958); bloodiest
authoritarian presidential period in Cuban
history.
• Unemployment, economic downturn, incomes
dropped, prostitution, corruption, heroin and
cocaine trafficking rampant.
The Cuban Migration 1950-1994
(1 million + Cubans living in the US)

8. *5 Cuban migrations in US history:
1st: War of independence and cigar makers , circular migration
(19th century);
2nd: Cubans escaping poverty and elites working for US
companies in Cuba;
*3rd: Cuban Revolution (1959);
*4th: Mariel Boatlift (1980);
*5th the “Balsero” Crisis (1994).
*3rd migration (highly skilled migration)
A. The Batista Regime and The Cuban Revolution (215,000
Cubans left the island, first 4 years)
1. This migration was composed by the wealthy classes, Cuban
citizens with US passport,
government employees, and military personnel, and Batista
loyalist families, professionals.
2. The US Federal government created a safety network of
federal programs aimed at easing
the cultural and economic adaptation of Cubans into the
American society (food stamps,
public assistance, English classes, and credit and special loans.
3. Bay of Pigs Invasion/Invasion de Playa Girón (1961)
4. Cuban Adjustment Act (1966)

9. 5. Economic Embargo
6. Miami financial sector, construction boom, commercial
boom, urban expansion. 1979 Dade
County construction boom, ½ of companies owned by Cubans.
7. Cold War and 1960’s US economic boom.
*4th migration (mulatto and black migration)
A. Mariel Boatlift (los marielitos) (125,000)
1. Escaping poverty
2. Racial and social complexion of this migration
3. A working class migration
*5th migration (mulatto and black migration)
A. 1994 Balseros Crisis
1. President Bill Clinton halted the special treatment of Cuban
refugees