Culture of the Dominican Republic Essay -- Cultural Dominical Republic

Culture of the friar preacher RepublicThe Peoplefriar preachers ethnicity consists of Taino, Spanish and African. The inwrought people on the island were the Taino. The Taino were hunter and gatherers who lived off the land. Led by Christopher Columbus, the Spanish conquered the island in 1492. The Spanish overtook the Taino forcing them to be their slaves while killing many in the process. The Africans were then later brought to the island as slaves. Certain traits of these ethnic groups are take over present in the Dominican culture, such as the food, language, religion and temper of the people (Goodwin, 116). A true Taino is hard to arrive by in the Dominican Republic, yet most Dominicans consider themselves part Taino. During the conquest the Spanish killed massive amounts of this indigenous group and their population almost vanished. However, Taino culture is withal seen in some of the foods that are eaten in the Dominican Republic. Dominicans also map some of th e Tainos words in their language, such as tobacco, knoll and canoe (Lonely artificial satellite website). One of the most significant aspects of Taino culture that is still present today is the importance of land. The Taino lived off the land and respected render Nature. This is still seen in Dominican agriculture which grows a rich construct of bananas, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco and cacao. Importing these products is one of their major sources of income (Goodwin, 116). The Dominicans encounter intermarried with Tainos, Spanish and African people but their African physical features are still present. Dominicans come in all different colors, ranging from very dark to very catch fire and everything in between. Dominicans see skin color differently than it is seen in the ... ...Lonely Planet Goodwin, 116-117).Throughout the history of the Dominican Republic certain heritage groups have played an important role in creating the Dominican culture. The Taino gave the Domin icans their love of stick Nature, the African slaves gave them their physical appearance and the Spanish conquistadors shaped the Dominicans language and religion. Although some influences are more dominant than others, overall the Dominican culture is a mix of three heritage groups that create a unique and intriguing culture.BibliographyFoner, Nancy. From Ellis Island to JFK. New Haven Yale University Press, 2000.Goodwin, Paul Jr. The Dominican Republic. Latin America Tenth Edition. Guilford, CN McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2003.Lonely Planethttp//www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/caribbea/dominican_republic/culture.htmAccessed 22 jar against 2004