Poverty in the Dominican Republic

Development throughout the life of a person depends on nourishment, shelter, education, and many other factors. A person cannot lead a full life without catering to their needs and interests, and living in poverty does not help. Poverty levels affect many people all over the world, specifically, the Dominican Republic. I recently took a trip there with my mother, and, during this trip, I noticed many dilapidated homes that housed under-nourished families. I feel that these situations do not help people develop successfully or practice all of their beliefs. To further research my assumptions, I interviewed Yadiris Aleman who was born and raised in a small town outside of Santiago. She moved to America when she was 20 with her family, and now - at 34 - she lives in New York with her three children. Research has shown that many areas of the Dominican Republic have been affected by the poverty throughout the country, was your lifestyle affected by this tremendous obstacle? Yadiris had a very strict life as a child. No girls were allowed out past 8 o’clock, they were not allowed to have boyfriends until they were 18 years old, and there was a 6 a.m. wake up call to clean before school. The women had to constantly keep up with the housework and cooking. When the entire family was together the men would relax and watch television while the women had to constantly be cooking and cleaning. The poverty greatly affected Yadiris’s life in the Dominican Republic just judging by the adjustments she alone had to make: moving to America and needing to learn English while keeping up with her other chores and raising a family. I have experienced the beautiful developing tourism in the Dominican Republic and have also seen the horrible living conditions of the local families. During my stay in the country, I saw numerous stray animals that were malnourished and wondering around. In addition, I saw many children who looked as if they have not been taken care of very well. For

Cited: Frietag, T.G. "Tourism and the Transformation of a Dominican Coastal Community." Urban Anthropology 25.3 1996: 225-258. Print. Howard, David. "Development, racism, and discrimination in the Dominican Republic." Development in Practice 17.6 (2007): 725-738. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. Raynolds, Laura T. "Peasants in Distress: Poverty and Unemployment in the Dominican Republic (Book)." Rural Sociology 57.1 (1992): 112-114. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.