Latin American Languages and Societies Commons^™

“No Tengo Otra Opción – Ya Me Voy”: Stories Of Family Separation Told By Dominican Immigrants, Sharon Utakis, Nelson Reynoso

Publications and Research

The Dominican community in New York City is a clear example of a transnational community: migrants move between the Dominican Republic and the United States, maintaining strong ties with both places. Dominicans migrate because of economic difficulties and to rejoin family members who have gone before them. Families often move in a stepwise fashion, with one or two members of the household immigrating first, and then bringing others over. Here we discuss the oral histories of three immigrants, Manuel, Yngrid, and Maria, who were separated from their families for at least three years during the course of immigration. Each decided …