imagine imagine all the people: !, '! . OR Dominicans in Boston &, TH! TLAN TIC/ 53! CEAN all the 'ULFOF The fall of General Rafael Trujillo in -EXICO 4 96 marked a major turning point in H E " A H A people the history of the Dominican Republic M A S as a nation and unleashed waves of #UBA $OMINICAN migratory movements of its citizens. 2EPUBLIC (AITI *AMAICA Over the last four decades, the Do- #ARRIBEAN3EA 3ANTO$OMINGO minican Republic has seen continued migration of its residents from the countryside to urban areas through the Dominican Republic and, eventu- ally, abroad to other nations. Migration of Dominicans into the migratory phenomenon experienced United States has primarily been fu- by Dominicans today. Dominican eled by a stagnant economic environ- migrants have formed deep-rooted, ment and to some extent unstable culturally rich communities in New political circumstances (particularly York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico, during the 960s). These conditions with fast-growing populations in other and a large demand for unskilled labor states like Florida, Massachusetts, in the northeastern cities of the U.S. Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. during the 960s, translated into the Dominican CITY OF BOSTON Thomas M. Menino Mayor New Bostonian Series June 2009 immigrants in Boston Photo by H. Fernando Bossa/Fernando’s Hideaway/El Show De Fernandito imagine population share Nearly 30% of Results from the 005-007 Ameri- and Haiti in the top countries of origin can Community Survey (ACS) show for Boston’s foreign-born population. Dominicans that there are approximately 744,540 Overall, Dominicans in Boston con- foreign-born3 individuals from the Do- stitute just under 8% of the city’s total in Boston minican Republic living in the United foreign-born residents. States. The U.S. is by far the leading According to the 000 Census, destination for Dominican immigrants, Boston’s Dominican-born immigrants, are between with other primary destinations includ- though scattered throughout the city, ing Spain, Italy, Venezuela, the Nether- live mostly in the neighborhoods of lands Antilles, and Haiti.4 the ages of Roxbury, Jamaica Plain and Dorches- The vast majority of immigrants from ter. Other concentrations reside in 20 and 34. the Dominican Republic moving to South Boston, Roslindale, Mattapan, the U.S. settle in the Northeast, which Charlestown and the South End. accounts for approximately 8% of While we can look at the most recent the foreign-born from the Dominican ACS for estimating the total Dominican Republic.5 population, the most reliable cross- Massachusetts ranks fourth (7.5%) in tabular data for relatively small groups, states with the highest percentage of such as the foreign-born communities foreign-born residents from the Do- in Boston is the 000 Census. In minican Republic. The most popular 000, fifty-five percent of Dominican states for Dominican immigrants are immigrants in Boston are female. More New York (54%), New Jersey (4%) than 60 percent of Dominican im- and Florida (%). Together these four migrants in Boston are either married states comprise nearly 87% of the total (39%) or divorced/separated (4%). foreign-born population from the Do- Nearly 30% of all Dominican Bosto- minican Republic living in the United nians are between the ages of 0-34. States.6 Over half of all Dominican Bostonians are over the age of 35. The vast major- Of the close to 56,0007 Dominicans ity of resident Dominicans (73%) are spread throughout Massachusetts8, not naturalized U.S. citizens. 3,386 live in Boston9, 0. The Do- minican Republic is third to China ulation Share of Dominican Population by State .4% 6.7% .4% 3.0% New York p 7.5% New Jersey Florida Massachusetts .3% 54.0% Pennsylvania Rhode Island o Connecticut Other States 3.7% Source: ACS 2005-2007, BRA Research Division Analysis p imagine educational attainment Twenty-two percent Slightly less than half of Dominicans While % of Dominican immigrants in Boston have not completed high have attended college, only 7% have school. This figure is higher than that completed at least a bachelor’s of Dominican of all foreign-born residents (34%) and degree, compared with 7% of the over three times the proportion for the entire foreign-born population and immigrants have native-born population (6%). More 40% of the native-born. With respect to than a quarter (8%) of Dominican im- advanced degrees, only 3% of Domin- migrants have received a high school icans living in Boston hold a graduate/ at least some diploma with no further schooling. professional degree or higher, com- pared with % of all foreign-born and college education. 7% of the native-born. Photo by H. Fernando Bossa/Fernando’s Hideaway/El Show De Fernandito Educational Attainment for Population 25 Years and Older Dominicans Foreign-Born Native-Born 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 8th Grade or Less Some HS HS Diploma Some College Associate Bachelor Graduate Source: U.S. Census 2000, Public Use Microdata (PUM) 5% Sam le BRA Research 3 occupations Nearly half (45%) of the Dominican In the technical, sales and administra- workforce in Boston work in service tive support category, representation occupations.3 The next highest oc- of the Dominican population (5%) is cupational category is technical, sales similar to that of the entire foreign-born and administrative support occupa- (6%), but below that of the native- tions (5%), followed by construction, born (3%). extraction and transportation occu- In total, 60% of Dominican immigrants pations (9.4%) and managerial and participate in the labor force com- professional occupations (8.9%). pared with 60% of the total foreign- Dominican immigrants are over-rep- born population and 65% of the native- resented in the services occupations, born population.4 The unemployment which accounts for only 5% of jobs rate among Dominican-born immi- for the total foreign-born workforce. grants in Boston is at 8.7%, higher This high level of participation in ser- than that of all foreign-born (7.%) and vice occupations is likely driven by the the native-born (7.8%).5 low levels of higher education among An estimated 59% of Dominican-born Dominican immigrants. immigrants in Boston work for pri- Conversely, Dominican immigrants in vate, for-profit companies. An ad- Boston are significantly under-repre- ditional 7.5% work for private, non- sented in managerial and professional profit organizations. A total of 7.6% are occupations (8.9% for Dominican employed in the public sector (local, immigrants compared with 6% for state and federal government). the overall foreign-born population). Occupations of Boston’s Dominican Population 50 Dominicans Foreign-Born Native-Born 40 30 20 10 0 Service Technical, Installation, Managerial & Production Community & Arts, Design, Other Sales & Maintenance, Professional Social Service Entertainment, Administration Construction, Sports & Media Support Extraction & Transportation occupations Source: U.S. Census 2000, Public Use Microdata (PUM) 5% Sample, BRA Research 4 imagine self-employed Self employment An estimated 4.5% of Dominican im- migrants in Boston are self-employed. This compares with rates of 5.8% for among Dominicans the entire foreign-born population and 6.% for the native-born population.6 in Boston is less than in both the foreign-born population and native-born population. Photo provided by Tony Barros Share of Self-Employed 8.0% Dominicans Foreign-Born Native-Born 7.0% 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 1.0% 0.0% Self-employed Source: U.S. Census 2000, Public Use Microdata (PUM) 5% Sample, BRA Research 5 imagine More. than 744,540 13,386 Dominicans in Boston Dominicans live in the U.S. OCCUPATIONS CONTRIBUTING Main Destinations for 45% Service $193 million Dominican Immigrants: annual spending 25% Technical, Sales & • U.S. Administrative Support $180 million to the regional product • Spain 9% Installation,Maintenance, • Italy Construction, Extraction $52 million & Transportation in state and federal taxes Gender 9% Managerial & Professional 1,572 indirect jobs for the local economy 8% Production 2% Community & Social Services 45% 55% 1% Other 1% Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports & Media Female Male Marital Status Employment Status 40% 60% Age 35% 50% 30% 40% 25% 19% 20% 30% 15% 20% 10% 10% 51% 5% 0% 0 Now Widowed Divorced Separated Never 30% Married Married Employed Unemployed Not in Labor Force 0-19 35+ 20-34 6 Boston’s Dominicans by Census Tract December 2008 Charlestown East Boston Central Allston/Brighton Back Bay/ Beacon Hill South Boston Fenway/ South End Kenmore Roxbury North Harbor Dorchester Islands Jamaica Plain South Dorchester West Roxbury Mattapan Roslindale Percentage of Foreign-Born Dominicans by Census Tract Shown for residential area only 30.1 - 54.9 Hyde Park 15.1 - 30 5.1 - 15 0.1 - 5 0 Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 3. 0 1 2 O Miles 7 imagine spending Dominican immigrants contribute to Beyond the contributions Dominican- the local economy through their labor born immigrants living in Boston make and consumer spending. The total to the local economy, they continue value of their contributions are esti- to play a vital role in the economy of mated using a Regional Economic their home country by sending back Model (REMI) that calculates the value remittances of $. million each year. of goods and services consumed on This breaks down to an average of ap- each dollar spent. proximately $00 per month sent back by each Dominican household.0 This Dominican immigrants spend, from trend is also witnessed throughout the their after tax earnings, nearly $93 U.S. and beyond, with Dominicans million in Boston, annually.7 These living abroad contributing more than annual expenditures contribute over $3.04 billion, or 0% of GDP, to the $80 million to the gross state prod- economy of the Dominican Republic uct and generate nearly $5 million in in 006.