Dominican Republic Research Paper

The Dominican Republic For decades, controversy has existed over whether Hispanic-Americans from the Dominican Republic should identify with one or two cultures. The concept of dual citizenship would allow Dominican-Americans to identify with two cultures. Although some would argue that dual citizenship is flawed because individuals should identify with one culture or the other, dual citizenship gave Dominican-Americans several advantages that outweighed the drawbacks.
First, dual citizenship allowed Dominican-Americans the ability to travel back and forth between the United States and the Dominican Republic. What happens to a Dominican in America if his or her family member in the D.R. gets sick? The Dominican in America would only be able to take care of the family member in the D.R. if he had a dual citizenship. The dual citizenship would allow him to return to the D.R. and stay for an extended period of time. Dual citizenship would also allow Dominican-Americans the ability to send money back to the D.R. Second, dual citizenship allowed Dominican-Americans the benefit of
better healthcare services. The status of American citizenship would allow Dominican-Americans access to better hospitals, doctors, and treatment in the event of getting sick. Furthermore, Dominican-American children would have access to annual pediatric care that would lead to a lower chance of serious illness in the future. The healthcare services from the Dominican Republic were no comparison to the elite services offered in America. The U.S. healthcare system offered benefits such as social security, Medicare, and universal healthcare, which were not offered in the Dominican Republic. Third, dual citizenship allowed Dominican-Americans access to better education.
This benefit also included financial aid for 1st Generations, many of whom could not afford secondary or college education. The education system in America was elite compared to the schools offered in the Dominican Republic. Dominican-American children would grow up with advantage of being able to go to American schools and learn from better teachers and professors as they advance their education level. Access to these schools and teachers would allow Dominican-American students to improve their English, thereby getting rid of the language barrier if they did not have the dual citizenship. Finally, dual citizenship gave Dominican-Americans better economic opportunity. The number of jobs and the opportunity to earn a comfortable income was greater than the opportunities offered in the Dominican
Republic. However, dual citizenship came with a few disadvantages. These disadvantages included being drafted to serve in the U.S. army, even if a Dominican-American has been living in the Dominican Republic for over 20 years. Another disadvantage was the issue of taxes, which could result in double taxation if incorrect eligibility were to occur. Third, it was possible that dual citizenship could hurt relationships with family and friends back home in the Dominican-Republic due to potential jealousy, disconnect, or cultural/marital differences that might arise. Despite these disadvantages, the benefits of dual citizenship outweigh the drawbacks. Having dual citizenship status allowed Dominican-Americans the ability to travel back and forth and have access to better healthcare, education, and economic opportunities. Although there was the potential for cultural disconnect or a culture clash within the Dominican family at home, the Dominican-American would be helping the family in the long run by being able to send money back home.