CUNY DOMINICAN STUDIES INSTITUTE 

The CUNY Dominican Studies Institute  (CUNY DSI) is an interdisciplinary research unit of the City University of New York devoted to the study of Dominicans in the United States and other parts of the world, as well as in the Dominican Republic. The Institute is housed at The City College of New York in Upper Manhattan, a campus bordered by the City's historic Washington Heights and Inwood neighborhoods, which are home to the largest concentration of Dominicans in the country.

The mission of the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute is twofold: (1) To gather, produce, and disseminate academic knowledge, from an interdisciplinary as well as a comparative perspective, on the human experience of people residing in the United States who trace their ancestry to the Dominican Republic; and (2) To advance research and teaching at the City University of New York, focusing on the Dominican population in the United States and elsewhere. CUNY DSI’s primary goal is to further the understanding of the history, culture, socioeconomic, and political status of Dominicans in the United States. The Institute sponsors academic research projects in the areas of education, migration, language, literature, history, economics, women's issues, politics, youth, cultural identity, sports, performance and visual arts, among many others.

BRIEF HISTORY

The CUNY Dominican Studies Institute was founded in 1992 by the Council of Dominican Educators, community activists, and other academics from CUNY, to address the lack of reputable information on Dominicans available to students, scholars, and the community at large in the United States. It is the first and only university-based research institution in the United States focusing on the study of Dominican life outside of the Dominican Republic. CUNY DSI began as a pilot project in August of 1992, with a development grant made available by CUNY’s Chancellor. It was officially approved by the Board of Trustees at its February 22, 1994 meeting, and soon became an integral component of the City University of New York.

Since its inception, the Dominican Studies Institute has sponsored or co-sponsored, more than 80 conferences and symposia on diverse topics in various disciplines, bringing scholars at different stages of their careers to exchange knowledge and ideas on different aspects of the Dominican experience. The events are well attended by enthusiastic audiences of students, faculty, and community residents. As a general practice, CUNY DSI promotes a linkage between the academy and the community, and has strongly encouraged the participation of members of the community in all its public events. Research that impacts and explains the life and experiences of Dominicans in the U.S. is presented to academics as well as to members of the community, allowing the latter to have the opportunity to participate in a dialogue that is usually reserved for academics. 

Through its groundbreaking research published as books and monographs, and its Archives and Library, the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute has contributed to increasing the visibility of The City College of New York and of parent University.