As I understand it, the Dominican constitution allows for its citizens to become citizens of other nations without losing their Dominican citizenship and recognizes their foreign born children as citizens (please clarify if incorrect or incomplete). As a nation with enormous human and financial resources in their diaspora, this type of law seems like an essential tool for maximizing the integration of these people into the economic, social, and political life of their homeland and it process of development.

While conceptually I am in complete favor this policy I don't really know how it plays out in the real world. What do people do? I would like to know some of the specific ways that this has helped Dominicans abroad contribute to the advancement of their country. DR has obviously been doing something right over the past few decades and I would be thoroughly surprised if the diaspora wasn't a part of this progress.

Please share any examples of how the Dominican diaspora, and the legal ability to carry multiple nationalities in particular, is helping to advance the country.

It could be you, family members, people you know, heard of, whatever please share!

Only insofar as we're allowed to be granted citizenship through application, but it is not automatic. I recently discovered this after being told by my father I could not attain Dominican citizenship. I'm still trying to figure out when I'll have the time/patience to go down to NYC and apply.

eddie it will be interesting to see if anyone here can come up with concrete examples.

I think it is too early to come up with examples of positives that wouldn't occur even in the absence of these dual citizenship privileges. The 800lb gorilla of the topic is that of remittances. However as I just suggested these remittances are coming in with or without dual citizenship mechanisms. In light of that you might say extending dual nationality mechanisms is more about doing something for the diasporans in return for what they do for DR in any case. By allowing dual citizenship you give diasporans the ability to seek maximum protections and rights in nations where they reside without feeling they have compromised some part of their identity.

The other recent development is that of legislators representing the exterior. eddie you asked for specific DR examples, however if no one has any you may want to look into the experience of other nations whose legislatures include seats for diasporan communities. This development could become nothing but a proverbial boondoggle, however the people who occupy these positions have a opportunity to forge a genuine relationship that goes beyond pride parades and flag-waving.


For hundreds of years people were brought to the Caribbean in pursuit of profits...for the next couple of hundred the process will likely go in reverse. Island nations will provide receiving nations with human capital & labor. It's up to the islands to find a way (cultural, legal, however) to leverage the loyalty/identity of diasporans into an ongoing positive force for their development. This won't happen on its own, we all know how easy it is for 2nd and 3rd generations to be fully assimilated in new nations. The effort has to be proactive on the part of the mother nation, though it will take more clever people than me to figure out the best way to go about that.

You may find some important figures related to the Dominican population in the United States: Growth & Distribution.
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/MPI_Report_Dominican_Pop_US.pdf

Sorry for that long delay!! I've been away from the blogs and stuff for a couple weeks but I appreciate you guys responding. Thanks!!!

I couldn't agree with you more on this point. These migration patterns are going in reverse creating more of a cyclical relationship. This has no real precedent on the scale that its reached over the past 50 years. We (Latin Americans) , along with the rest of the world, are kinda making this up as we go along. I'm hoping that Haiti will adopt dual or multiple citizenship (legislatively a real possibility at over next 6-12 months); the majority of the country's professional and educated classes don't live there. There is an enormous diaspora with a lot of financial human resources the country desperately needs.

Going back to the original point, even after such amendment is passed, there's the practical matter of reintegration of a group of people that has been away for so long, how does that happen? In DR, Haiti, or anywhere else? (semi-rhetorical, don't have to answer, can of want to).

Thanks for the input.