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Dominican American Culture Essay

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From where I come from in the Dominican Republic, music plays a big role in the lives of the people. The cultures of music in the country have grown and redefined its African and European roots from into modern eras with more social, and cultural celebrations that vary throughout the different cities and small towns of the island. I grew up in a household made out of three artists that express and display their artistic skills through music and carnaval costumes and masks that they wear every year during the month of February. Before the month comes my uncles will start getting ready drawing their new designs for their costumes for the upcoming carnaval parades, at the same time, they are making music, creating unique sounds with just three instruments. The instruments they love to make their music with are güira, tambora and conga. Their music is hardcore folklore with a strong emphasis on the instruments; also they add …show more content…

They were welcomed at Hispaniola by the Taínos but the Spaniards took advantage of the Taínos. Their kindness and hospitality made it more vulnerable and easier to be conquered by the Spaniards and turned into slaves for cheaper labor, and to grow and export natural resources like sugar cane. Sugar cane farming still raising controversy today, sugar cane fields are worked by Haitian people that mostly do not have papers to work legally in the country, and they are taken advantage of and treated as slaves. The biggest owner of sugar cane fields in the country is the American sugar company Domino sugar. Haitians are also part of the Dominican roots since we are mixed with one another. My great-grandmother was Haitian, and my great-grandfather was half Spaniard and half Haitian. It is impossible to stop the mixing of the two cultures, but Dominicans have tried hard to get away from the influence of Haitian culture in the

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