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Places of Worship
Templo Biblico Cristiano | Christian Bible Temple
1524 Parker Street
Bronx, NY 10462
(718)409-4100
Religious Affiliation: Protestant
Description:
A small Protestant church in the Bronx.
Impressions:
Like other churches, Christian Bible Temple hosts weekly youth meetings for its many teenagers and youth adults. I attended one of their youth meetings, fearful of exclusion from the group. To my surprise, I didn’t feel like an outcast at all, thanks to the warm and welcoming nature of the group.
At the youth meeting, there were many high school students and several college students in attendance. I was told that many other young adults went away for college but occasionally came back on Sundays. The atmosphere was very casual, and the group spoke about many different topics -- at one point, they were having a discussion on the meaning of names. One girl’s name was Grace, and that sparked a discussion about the difference between grace and mercy. They also told many jokes, and I noticed that all the jokes had to do with being Dominican (I needed a translator to explain things). Throughout the whole night they often referred to Dominican foods and to life in the DR.
They also made time for praise and worship, and at the end they talked about upcoming events, including summer camps (funded with money raised by the church) where the kids get away from New York City and escape to an island. After the meeting, the kids headed downstairs to socialize and of course, to eat!
Interviews:
Like most first-generation Dominican immigrants, Pastor Batista identifies himself as 100% Dominican, rather than as an American. Like many, he also feels that in terms of race, he is perceived very differently in America: “They perceive me as black because of my skin color,” he observed. These feelings are not limited to only Dominicans of color, as many darker-skinned immigrants feel disadvantaged or stigmatized by generalized negativity associated with being black.
While some experts believe that an ethnic enclave/ethnic community environment slows down an immigrant’s adaptation to American society, Batista feels that becoming involved with the religious community has aided him: “I’ve gone to many seminars that helped develop my leadership skills, which helped me adjust to American life and helped with my job.” He has interacted with many people of other beliefs and cultures, but feels that it hasn’t really affected his own views and cultural values. Although he does not travel back to the Dominican Republic very often, and his family speaks mostly English at home, he still feels more connected to his Dominican identity. It is also very important to him to pass cultural and religious beliefs on to his children
But he also admits that the second-generation might face some issues with their ethnic identity. His own family does not celebrate Dominican Independence Day, but they do celebrate July 4th. While Batista does not view such “choices” as identity issues, he also acknowledged that some young people might feel like they have to choose between Dominican values and “more American” ones.
While Batista feels that the new generation of Dominicans are doing well, he believes that they could do better, especially engaging themselves productively and by getting more involved in their community. He is greatly concerned about Dominican children and their education, especially with the rate of drop-outs: “Many live in unsuitable areas with bad schools. Their parents don’t know English and can’t help with their homework. I think it’s important that schools have more ESL programs and more Hispanic leaders. It’s hard for our parents to communicate with teachers so there should be a use of both languages within schools in order to communicate with parents.” Batista is also concerned with the second-generation’s relationship with God: “No respect for God leads to no respect in society. I’m concerned that the first things children learn is to use a condom, and not to engage in their faith. The society is degrading and there is a lack of morality.”
Like her husband, Mrs. Batista is also from the Dominican Republic. She also identifies herself as primarily Dominican, rather than American, and believes that others see her as Hispanic especially because of her “different accent” and the way she speaks.
Mrs. Batista also expresses some concern over the future generation, and whether or not Dominican traditions and values will be passed on to them. She believes that continuing their native culture and beliefs is very important: “As a tell my kids, ‘We’re here but we’re foreigners.’ We’re part of the Dominican Republic.” While she does not feel that “choosing” between American and Dominican culture is an issue for her today, she admits that she felt that way when she was younger, especially since she was learning English. And while Batista herself prefers to speak Spanish, her American-born son speaks only in English – a fact that is of some concern to her: “It’s not a big concern to me that our traditions will die, but I think about it sometimes. It’s not good that my son doesn’t speak Spanish even though he is Hispanic.”
Like her husband, the standards of education for second-generation Dominicans are also worrisome. She feels that while some are doing well because they are educated, others are stuck: “Some kids don’t realize the reality, and some don’t do as much as they can.” Nevertheless, she seems hopeful that generations will change, and that future Dominican generations will be able to advance even further.