My family is very large in total, but the vast majority of it is on my mother’s side. And the vast majority of that consists of women. The oldest relative I have ever known is my great-grandmother from my mother’s side, the matriarch of our family. In a small campo outside of the capital of the Dominican Republic, she had ten children, eight daughters and two sons, all of which are living in the US today. Most of these children, my grandmother, and most of my great-aunts and great-uncles, got married and had children. Some of them back in DR, some of them here. Continue reading Dominican-Raised, Brooklyn-Born Woman →

My extended family had already settled in the United States in the 1970’s prior to my parents immigrating. Many of my aunts and uncles had come with their families to either build businesses or to get a better education; basically the opportunities that most people come to America for. My father was the first person to come to the US. Continue reading Coming from the Dominican Republic… →