Why this chapter of our city’s story might be our best since, well, 1776
It is, I have to tell you, the most bitterly cold Independence Day I’ve ever been part of. Then again, it’s not the 4th of July; it’s the 27th of February — aka Dominican Independence Day. I’m standing on the north (that is, shady) side of City Hall around noontime, amidst a hundred or so happy if chilly Philadelphians who’ve come to celebrate the 182nd anniversary of the Dominican Republic’s liberating itself from Haiti.
Shaira Arias, a reporter for NBC10 and Telemundo62, is the emcee for this event, and as she speaks to the crowd, many of whom are clutching small Dominican flags, she switches seamlessly between English and Spanish. The same holds true for most of the dignitaries Arias introduces over the course of 30 minutes, from leaders of the cultural organization Dominicanos del Delaware Valley to City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada to Office of Immigrant Affairs director Charlie Elison (who proudly notes that his wife, a surgical oncologist, came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic when she was in elementary school).
One hundred and seventy-five years ago, it was migrants from Northern Europe who were transforming Philadelphia. One hundred and twenty-five years ago, it was migrants from Southern Europe. Today, among the people pushing Philadelphia forward are the Dominicans. Over the past 20 years, and particularly the past 10, the city has seen a significant influx of migrants from the small Caribbean country, and they’re increasingly making their presence, and their value, felt — economically, culturally, and civically…