IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 717 
Recognizing the Dominican community’s presence and contributions to 
Washington Heights and Inwood. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 12, 2021 
Mr. ESPAILLAT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Reform, 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 Domini-
can people with the city forever; 
Whereas Juan Rodriguez’s biological brothers and sisters set-
tled 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 be-
came 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 na-
tional 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 Wash-
ington Heights and Inwood, actively involved in the life 
of the neighborhood, including advocacy, art, culture, lit-
erature, 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 or-
ganizations, and a growing and diverse business sector; 
Whereas, in the 1950s, Casa Dominicana, located at 3825 
Broadway, was founded by Dominican activists as a gath-
ering space for political activities to dismantle the dic-
tatorial 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 Uni-
versity Professor Dr. Jesu´s de Galı´ndez, delivered speech-
es at Casa Dominicana; 
Whereas one day after class, Dr. Galı´ndez, who had written 
a thesis denouncing the Dominican Government, dis-
appeared 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 com-
munities 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 meren-
gue 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 Do-
minican 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 ac-
cess 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 organiza-
tion in Washington Heights for over two decades, became 
an economic engine that provided jobs to over 350 indi-
viduals who worked on issues such as domestic violence, 
drug abuse, and other social ills; 
Whereas Alianza Dominicana also played a vital role in help-
ing families of the Flight 587 tragedy to secure the serv-
ices 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, per-
forming, and visual programs, fostering the artistic devel-
opment of the neighborhood’s youth; 
Whereas Dominican cultural and educational activists orga-
nized 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 Rodri-
guez Way, Altagracia Dilone Levat Way, Freddy Beras- 
Goico 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 neighbor-
hood; 
Whereas Dyckman Street restaurants have witnessed a ren-
aissance 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 Na-
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tional Supermarket Association and the Bodega Associa-
tion supermarkets are located; 
Whereas professional associations, such as Dominicans on 
Wall Street (DOWS), the Association of Dominican- 
American Supervisors and Administrators (ADASA), the 
New York Dominican Officers Organization (NYDO), the 
Dominican Bar Association (DBA), the Dominican Med-
ical Association (DMA), and the Dominican Medical-Den-
tal Society (DMDS), highlight the contributions of pro-
fessional 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 dy-
namic blending of cultures that has historically personi-
fied the neighborhood’s identity; 
Whereas, from the late 1950s to mid-1960s, the Malagon Sis-
ters, 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 me-
rengue, 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 plat-
forms 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 Domini-
can-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 im-
migrant communities of upper Manhattan; 
Whereas playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda conceived ‘‘In the 
Heights’’, the Tony Award-winning musical set in Wash-
ington 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˜a- 
Gratereaux that shines a light on the immigrant experi-
ence 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 Wash-
ington Heights whose books, ‘‘Soledad’’, ‘‘Let It Rain 
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Coffee’’, and ‘‘Dominicana’’, highlight the issues of work-
ing-class life, gender, and race in New York City; 
Whereas the Dominican Film Festival in New York show-
cases filmmakers from 21 countries including the Domin-
ican Republic who reflect the city’s diverse and multicul-
tural 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 addi-
tion to economic, commerce, and academic collaboration; 
Whereas the Dominican Day Parade in New York City has 
celebrated the vibrant Dominican heritage through his-
tory, traditions, and music since its beginnings in 1982 
on Audubon Avenue, and now attracts thousands of peo-
ple who gather to enjoy the reverence of Dominican cul-
ture 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 Wash-
ington 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 at-
tended George Washington High School in Washington 
Heights and became a baseball prodigy; 
Whereas Guillermo Linares became the first Dominican elect-
ed 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 predomi-
nantly Dominican American; 
Whereas Rolando Acosta was elected as the first Dominican- 
American 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 Univer-
sity 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 inte-
gral component of their ongoing rich and dynamic his-
tory: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the designation of a noncontiguous 
Dominican cultural heritage district under the aegis 
of the National Park Service to acknowledge and cel-
ebrate the contributions of the Dominican commu-
nity to New York City, New York State, and the 
Nation; 
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(2) recognizes that the cultural legacy and his-
torical contributions of the Dominican community 
enrich, enliven, and permeate Washington Heights 
and Inwood; 
(3) honors the long standing history and rich 
contributions of Dominican-American elected offi-
cials, artists, small business and bodega owners, 
writers, and trailblazers; 
(4) supports the efforts to recognize and pre-
serve the history of the Dominican people in Wash-
ington Heights and Inwood, including through the 
designation of historic buildings and districts; and 
(5) promises to fight against the displacement, 
gentrification, uprooting of low- and moderate-in-
come residents, and other factors threatening the 
history of Washington Heights. 
Æ 
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