Discuss two aspects of the Dominican experience

in the US that are portrayed in the life of

Oscar de Len and his family, the protagonists
of the novel The Wondrous Brief Life of Oscar Wao by
Junot Daz.

Usha Singh
AFPRL 102
October 4, 2015
Dominican Experience in the U.S.
Beginning in the 1960s, migration from the Dominican Republic to the
United States became large-scale. This was the result of the economic and
political turmoil that occurred after dictator Rafael Trujillo was killed by rebels in
1961 and the U.S. government began to intervene. The Dominican immigrant
population, in 1961 to 1986, more than 400,000 people legally immigrated to the
United Sates (Gonzalez, 117). This population continued to grow drastically as
many left their home country to reside in the U.S.
One aspect of the Dominican experience in the U.S. that is portrayed in
the life of Oscar de Leon in the novel The Wondrous Brief Life of Oscar Wao was

his struggle of growing up as a boy of color in a contemporary U.S. ghetto. Diaz

emphasizes sex as a key component of being a Dominican male. Stereotypically,
the Dominican male is characterized as having power and charm, and is
physically attractive, sexually active and violent. As a young child it wasnt hard to
fit in, but as he grew into adolescence it gradually became more of an issue for
him. According to the excerpt from the novel, Had none of the Higher Powers of
your typical Dominican male, couldn't have pulled a girl if his life depended on it.
Couldn't play sports for shit, or dominoes, was beyond uncoordinated, and threw
a ball like a girl. Had no knack for music or business or dance, no hustle, no rap,
no G. And most damning of all: no looks. Oscar wasnt what you would say a
Dominican man should be at that point in his life. Based on his demeanor and
appearance, he was frequently made fun of and teased. In the mean streets of
Paterson, it made him stick out more as if he didnt already. Based on the excerpt
he was, Victimized by the other boys punches and pushes and wedgies and
broken glasses and brand-new books from Scholastic, at a cost of fifty cents
each, torn in half before his very eyes. Oscar also lacked the ability and the
desire to fight or commit to violence of any nature. If this werent enough his
mother would also command him to go outside and play instead of being inside

all day long. It was a challenge for Oscar to make friends, or even maintain a love
life because of his inability to upkeep his Dominican masculinity.
Aside from this miniscule challenge that Oscar de Leon faced, his family
also faced the limited opportunities of being able to return home whenever they
wished. Many immigrants migrated to the U.S. for better job opportunities and for
a chance of living a better life. Many worked hard and sent their earnings back
home to support family members that were left behind. According to the excerpt,
I have not seen mi madre in a long long time,' she said quietly. I have many
promesas to fulfill, so better now than when I'm dead. This depicts how hard it
was for many families to have to separate for very long periods of time. Oscar as
well didnt have the opportunity to visit his home again for a very long time. This
shows how visiting home was a chance that really didnt take place too often.
After his arrival back home, he noticed many things changed and there were
many things he would used to do that he wasnt able to do now like dance salsa,
merengue and bachata.