It’s a historic and powerful moment for Dominican pride in the United States. On Sunday, former (godly) Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martínez was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, only the second Dominican-American ever to earn the honor. Martínez showed up wearing a light blue suit and a tie with the Dominican flag colors, and a patch on each sleeve honoring his beloved Dominican Republic. He spoke both in English and Spanish, oozing the kind of class and style that has made him legendary both on and off the field.
Hundreds of Dominicans, including many from Boston, were in attendance to witness the event and to express what comes naturally to them: an outsized, remarkable sense of patriotism. On Wednesday night, the Red Sox continue honoring Martínez with a “Dominican Night” celebration at Fenway Park. Hundreds of Dominican flags will be distributed. Never has Boston felt more Dominican.
And yet, this moment of pride comes at a time when the local Dominican community is grappling with a troubling crisis that has left them somewhat divided. When a handful of leaders of the local Haitian and Dominican communities spoke up recently against the Dominican Republic’s new, draconian immigration policy, one naturally expected pushback. But instead, a toxic backlash ensued, subjecting those who dared to criticize the country’s efforts to deport much of its longstanding Haitian population to personal and ugly criticism.
Three renowned local Dominican-Americans are taking most of the heat for speaking up: Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Díaz, Cambridge Vice Mayor Dennis Benzán, and local restaurateur and community leader Hector Piña have been the target of online hate and bullying — all because they have questioned and condemned the actions of their government. The absence of a rational discussion, to agree to disagree in a civil manner, sends a disappointing message about the prospects of the Boston Latino community to galvanize its power to push for meaningful change.
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Dominicans are now the largest Latino group in the Boston area, numbering nearly 40,000, according to UMass Boston’s Gastón Institute researcher Phillip Granberry, and the population in Boston increased 28 percent between 2010 and 2013.
Their connections and loyalties to the homeland often run deep. “Nationalism is a religion in the Dominican Republic. There currently isn’t a healthy environment for having a debate here,” says Mario Terán, a local political activist. “If you don’t agree [with the policy,] they will call you a traitor, a defamer, unpatriotic, and will immediately question your Dominicaness.”
What does it say about local Dominicans that they are way more involved in their homeland’s politics than Boston’s? What is the message that they’re sending to upcoming generations of Latinos in the city? Longtime local Latino leader and Puerto Rican activist José Massó feels this type of division among Dominicans creates a quandary for Boston’s Hispanic community. “Today, whatever clout Latinos have in the city, is thanks to the efforts of past alliances and cooperation. The worst part is that this is the example we’re giving to future generations about progress. What these Dominicans are conveying to them is, ‘bullying is the way to do it,’ that’s basically what they’re saying.”
And herein lies the biggest takeaway. The road to political power in the United States for an immigrant group is through unity and local participation. (It’s no accident that there have been about a dozen Cuban-Americans elected to the US Congress — including current candidates vying for the Republican presidential nomination Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio; in contrast, no Dominican-American has been elected so such a national office.)
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The good news is that this rift represents an opportunity for a local Dominican leader to take on the challenge of bridging the differences, speaking up on behalf of rational discourse, and defending Piña, Díaz, and Benzán. If a leader can unite the community, it will become stronger and will ultimately be in a better position to elect more of its leaders to public office.
Marcela García is a Globe editorial writer. Follow her on Twitter @marcela_elisa.
Related:
• Editorial: The Dominican Republic must normalize harsh immigration policy
• John Tirman: The failure of neoliberalism and the global migrant crisis
• Editorial: The EU must take responsibility for migrant ships crisis