IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 157 

Recognizing the Dominican community’s presence and contributions to 

Washington Heights and Inwood. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 24, 2023 

Mr. ESPAILLAT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined 

by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 

within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the Dominican community’s presence and 

contributions to Washington Heights and Inwood. 

Whereas, in 1613, Juan Rodriguez, a free Black man from 

La Espan ̃ola, was the first immigrant, the first Latino, 

and the first Dominican to have resided in what became 

New York City, intertwining the history of the Dominican people with the city forever; 

Whereas Juan Rodriguez’s biological brothers and sisters settled everywhere in New York City, and they established 

the largest concentration in Washington Heights and 

Inwood for decades; 

Whereas, from 1892 to 1924, hundreds of thousands of 

Dominicans entered New York through the famous port 


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of Ellis Island, with many settling in or passing through 

Washington Heights, including the Brea and Lample 

families; 

Whereas Roumula A. Brea arrived in the United States on 

April 23, 1915; 

Whereas 9 years later, on December 23, 1924, Mr. Brea became a naturalized United States citizen; 

Whereas, at the time, Mr. Brea lived with his wife, Julia 

Brea, on 838 Riverside Drive, located between 159th and 

160th Streets; 

Whereas Mr. Brea participated in both World War I and 

World War II; 

Whereas Federico Lample, a successful merchant, arrived in 

New York City in 1917 to join his wife Elizabeth Lample 

at 565 W. 162nd Street; 

Whereas the Lample’s son, Federico Lample, Jr., later joined 

them in 1921 to further his studies, but ended up staying 

permanently; 

Whereas, by 1947, Federico Lample, Jr., had already become 

a bona fide United States citizen, an act which at the 

time meant giving up his Dominican citizenship; 

Whereas, since the 1960s, Washington Heights has been the 

cultural heartland and the fountain of memory of 

Dominicans in New York City and more broadly, the 

United States; 

Whereas, for the past 40 years, people of Dominican descent 

have consistently made up the majority of Washington 

Heights residents as compared to any other single national group; 


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Whereas in Washington Heights and Inwood, Dominicans 

found a neighborhood that was vibrant and diverse and 

wholeheartedly embraced it, placing their own indelible 

marks on a neighborhood they have transformed and 

made their own with their contributions and legacy; 

Whereas Dominicans have been an integral part of Washington Heights and Inwood, actively involved in the life 

of the neighborhood, including advocacy, art, culture, literature, sports, business, and government; 

Whereas Dominicans have contributed to make Washington 

Heights and Inwood into an entrepreneurial community 

that boasts vibrant cultural centers, strong nonprofit organizations, and a growing and diverse business sector; 

Whereas, in the 1950s, Casa Dominicana, located at 3825 

Broadway, was founded by Dominican activists as a gathering space for political activities to dismantle the dictatorial Trujillo regime; 

Whereas Casa Dominicana regularly organized fundraising 

events to support the anti-Trujillista movement, as well 

as other liberatory causes in Latin America; 

Whereas people of notable stature, including Columbia University Professor Dr. Jesu ́s de Galı ́ndez, delivered speeches at Casa Dominicana; 

Whereas one day after class, Dr. Galı ́ndez, who had written 

a thesis denouncing the Dominican Government, disappeared and is presumed to have been kidnapped and 

murdered by Trujillo’s henchmen; 

Whereas the disappearance of Dr. Galı ́ndez is regarded as 

one of the most horrendous, still unresolved, episodes in 

the shared history of the Dominican Republic and the 

United States; 


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Whereas the Centro Civico Cultural Dominicano, a nonprofit 

community organization founded in 1962, continues to 

build on the invaluable contributions of Dominicans by 

engaging and empowering Dominican and Hispanic communities locally; 

Whereas, in 1966, Club Juan Pablo Duarte was founded on 

Dominican Independence Day to educate the public on 

Dominican history, and the organization remains active 

today and is now known as Instituto Duartiano; 

Whereas Centro Cultural Deportivo Dominicano, a social club 

founded in 1966, remains a longstanding pillar of the 

local community, where the sound of traditional merengue tipico continues to expand the cultural roots of the 

Dominican immigrant experience; 

Whereas Dominican native Normandia Maldonado had a long 

history of cultural activism in Washington Heights, 

founding, alongside other notable Dominicans, several 

prominent and long-lasting organizations, such as the 

Instituto Duartiano of the United States in 1966, the 

Centro Cultural Ballet Quisqueya in 1967, and the Dominican Day Parade, Inc., in 1983; 

Whereas, in 1979, the pioneering Community Association of 

Progressive Dominicans was founded at 3940 Broadway 

to deliver services in a culturally competent manner to 

Dominicans and other Latinos who were facing economic 

hardship and faced language and cultural barriers to access aid; 

Whereas the Dominican Women’s Development Center has 

been a vital resource to the Washington Heights and 

Inwood communities since 1988, providing comprehensive 


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services specifically to the working class, poor women, 

and families; 

Whereas Alianza Dominicana, a leading Dominican organization in Washington Heights for over two decades, became 

an economic engine that provided jobs to over 350 individuals who worked on issues such as domestic violence, 

drug abuse, and other social ills; 

Whereas Alianza Dominicana also played a vital role in helping families of the Flight 587 tragedy to secure the services they needed; 

Whereas Alianza Dominicana also created a Cultural Center 

that serves as a hub for local artists who enrich northern 

Manhattan with their art, including literature, performing, and visual programs, fostering the artistic development of the neighborhood’s youth; 

Whereas Dominican cultural and educational activists organized to reverse inequities in public schools within the 

area, and developed Gregorio Luperon High School for 

Science and Mathematics to meet the needs of immigrant 

Spanish-speaking adolescents and to create an inclusive 

learning environment; 

Whereas 6 schools in the area have been named after historic 

Dominican figures: I.S. 218 Salome Urena, P.S. 132 

Juan Pablo Duarte School, Gregorio Luperon High 

School for Science and Mathematics, Mirabal Sisters 

Campus, Professor Juan Bosch Public School, and P.S. 

8 Luis Belliard; 

Whereas 21 streets, avenues, boulevards, corners, and ways 

commemorate the Dominican figures and events that 

have propelled the Dominican people forward: Juan Pablo 

Duarte Boulevard, Staff Sergeant Riayan Agusto Tejeda 


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Street, Wilson Batista Corner, Corporal Juan M. 

Alcantara Way, Professor Juan Bosch Way, Miguel 

Amaro Way, Manolo Tavarez Justo Way, Juan Rodriguez Way, Altagracia Dilone Levat Way, Freddy BerasGoico Way, Flight 587 Way, Luis ‘‘El Terror’’ Dı ́as 

Way, Flor Maria Miolan Way, Rafael Corpora ́n de los 

Santos Way, Rafael A. Este ́vez Way, Mirabal Sisters 

Way, 27 de Febrero Way, Carlos Alberto Martı ́nez Way, 

Carmen Georgina Acosta-Cruz Way, Dr. Nasry Michelen 

Way, and Pedro Rafael Landestoy Duluc Way; 

Whereas an array of small- and medium-size businesses in 

Washington Heights and Inwood continue to be fueled by 

Dominican entrepreneurs and loyal patrons, creating a 

sense of a prosperous people within the entire neighborhood; 

Whereas Dyckman Street restaurants have witnessed a renaissance creatively fusing Dominican cuisine with cuisines 

of different cultures, such as Japanese and Italian, and 

local staples, such as 809 Bar and Grill, Mamajuana, La 

Nueva Espan ̃a, and La Casa Del Mofongo, continue to 

attract patrons citywide to dine on the new-Dominican 

cuisine as they visit the neighborhood; 

Whereas the National Supermarket Association and the 

Bodega Association of the United States, the 2 largest 

Dominican food-retail businesses, have a strong presence 

in Washington Heights and Inwood, providing a vital 

service, but also creating jobs and contributing to the 

neighborhood economic progress; 

Whereas the National Supermarket Association distributes its 

scholarships, with awards from $1,000 to $5,000, only to 

college students who live in the neighborhoods where NaVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:24 Feb 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR157.IH HR157

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tional Supermarket Association and the Bodega Association supermarkets are located; 

Whereas professional associations, such as Dominicans on 

Wall Street (DOWS), the Association of DominicanAmerican Supervisors and Administrators (ADASA), the 

New York Dominican Officers Organization (NYDO), the 

Dominican Bar Association (DBA), the Dominican Medical Association (DMA), and the Dominican Medical-Dental Society (DMDS), highlight the contributions of professional Dominicans nationwide to the development of 

their communities; 

Whereas the Dominican community was heavily involved in 

the advocacy and restoration efforts to bring local parks 

back to life in the 1990s from their state of neglect and 

vandalism, such as High Bridge Park, Inwood Hill Park, 

Riverside Park, and Fort Tryon Park; 

Whereas Dominican artists and artists born to immigrant 

Dominican parents in Washington Heights add to the dynamic blending of cultures that has historically personified the neighborhood’s identity; 

Whereas, from the late 1950s to mid-1960s, the Malagon Sisters, one of the first Dominican music acts to successfully 

cross over, lived in Washington Heights at 600 West 

164th Street, Apt. 47; 

Whereas the Malagon trio contributed to the exposure of merengue, cha-cha-cha ́, and other Latin American genres, 

and their vocal and wide variety of instrumental talents 

earned them opportunities to perform at prestigious 

venues such as the Apollo Theater, and on iconic platforms such as the Ed Sullivan Show; 


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Whereas Milly Quezada, the ‘‘Queen of Merengue’’, was 

raised and rose to stardom in Washington Heights with 

Milly y los Vecinos, a band she created with her siblings; 

Whereas Quezada arrived in the neighborhood at age 11 and 

lived at 500 West 171st Street, and she attended George 

Washington High School; 

Whereas Dominican-American artists Lucia Hierro and M. 

Tony Peralta have both been recognized internationally 

for their thought-provoking work exploring the Dominican-American experience in intersecting areas of class, 

culture, identity, and gender; 

Whereas Dominican theater artist Mino Lora cofounded the 

People’s Theater Project, which provides creative youth 

development programs for children growing up in the immigrant communities of upper Manhattan; 

Whereas playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda conceived ‘‘In the 

Heights’’, the Tony Award-winning musical set in Washington Heights, which tells the tale of immigrant Usnavi 

de la Vega who longs to return to his native Dominican 

Republic, yet ultimately staying because he, like so many 

Dominicans, has become part of a vibrant community 

and has made it his permanent home; 

Whereas Cayena Publications is a publishing firm based in 

Washington Heights and founded by Mary Ely Pen ̃aGratereaux that shines a light on the immigrant experience by supporting literary works that project a positive 

representation of Dominicans and other Latinos in the 

United States; 

Whereas author and activist Angie Cruz is a native of Washington Heights whose books, ‘‘Soledad’’, ‘‘Let It Rain 


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Coffee’’, and ‘‘Dominicana’’, highlight the issues of working-class life, gender, and race in New York City; 

Whereas the Dominican Film Festival in New York showcases filmmakers from 21 countries including the Dominican Republic who reflect the city’s diverse and multicultural population; 

Whereas Semana Dominicana en Estados Unidos (Dominican 

Week in the United States) has been celebrated for 25 

years, highlighting the social and cultural ties between 

the Dominican Republic and the United States, in addition to economic, commerce, and academic collaboration; 

Whereas the Dominican Day Parade in New York City has 

celebrated the vibrant Dominican heritage through history, traditions, and music since its beginnings in 1982 

on Audubon Avenue, and now attracts thousands of people who gather to enjoy the reverence of Dominican culture on the Avenue of the Americas; 

Whereas 3-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Alex Rodriguez 

and 4-time Major League Baseball All-Star Dellin 

Betances of the New York Yankees were born in Washington Heights, and Manny Ramirez, the award-winning 

MVP and 12-time All-Star baseball player, moved from 

the Dominican Republic to New York City where he attended George Washington High School in Washington 

Heights and became a baseball prodigy; 

Whereas Guillermo Linares became the first Dominican elected to public office in New York City in 1991, and also 

served on President Bill Clinton’s Advisory Commission 

on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans; 

Whereas Adriano Espaillat is the first Dominican immigrant 

to be elected to the New York State Assembly in 1996, 


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and the first formerly undocumented person elected to 

the United States Congress in 2016, representing New 

York’s 13th Congressional District which is predominantly Dominican American; 

Whereas Rolando Acosta was elected as the first DominicanAmerican New York State Supreme Court Justice in 

New York County in 2002; 

Whereas Judge Faviola Soto, who was born and raised in 

Hamilton Heights, was appointed as the first Dominican 

judge in New York in 1993, and was the first Hispanic 

to sit on the New York State Court of Claims in 2006; 

and 

Whereas the Dominican Studies Institute of the City University of New York is working on a National Register of 

Historic Places application for submission to the National 

Park Service that would create a noncontiguous cultural 

heritage district within sections of Washington Heights 

and Inwood to document, acknowledge, and honor the 

contributions of the Dominican community and ensure 

that the Dominican cultural legacy to the neighborhoods 

does not fade from memory, but rather remains an integral component of their ongoing rich and dynamic history: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of a noncontiguous 

3 Dominican cultural heritage district under the aegis 

4 of the National Park Service to acknowledge and cel5 ebrate the contributions of the Dominican commu6 nity to New York City, New York State, and the 

7 Nation; 


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1 (2) recognizes that the cultural legacy and his2 torical contributions of the Dominican community 

3 enrich, enliven, and permeate Washington Heights 

4 and Inwood; 

5 (3) honors the long standing history and rich 

6 contributions of Dominican-American elected offi7 cials, artists, small business and bodega owners, 

8 writers, and trailblazers; 

9 (4) supports the efforts to recognize and pre10 serve the history of the Dominican people in Wash11 ington Heights and Inwood, including through the 

12 designation of historic buildings and districts; and 

13 (5) promises to fight against the displacement, 

14 gentrification, uprooting of low- and moderate-in15 come residents, and other factors threatening the 

16 history of Washington Heights. 

Æ 


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