“In the Dominican Republic the families are much stricter. They are also far more family oriented then Americans tend to be; children help a lot more around the house and are respectful of their parents.”
(Kiya, Year Program, 2007)
Follow the jump links to learn more about Dominican Republic:
Lifestyle and Family Living
Teen Life
Dress and Appearance
Diet and Meals
Educational System
Geography and Climate
Population
Language
Government
Religion
Spending Money
Safety and Support
Fun Facts
Lifestyle and Family Living
Most Dominicans consider the family to be the basic element of society. Families are very close, and they stay close. It is not unusual to find grandparents living at home, fully integrated in the life of the family. A majority of young people stay living with their parents, even after entering college or becoming financially independent. They usually will not leave the home until they get married, and even then, they will try to remain close to their parents geographically.
Masculine and feminine roles are clearly defined in the society and family cultures, which includes machismo (the idea that men are superior to women). The father is usually the head of the family. His authority is respected, and his words are final, even if what he says only confirms what the mother or somebody else has already decided.
Machismo has been decreasing lately as more women have integrated into the economic and political life of the country. Still, in practice the men of the family are granted certain privileges that women do not fully enjoy, such as minor participation in the household chores and fewer restrictions regarding social life, going out, permissions, etc.
Dominican families are very conservative and protective of their children, no matter how old they are. Parents have to know their children’s friends before letting them go out and parents will expect you to ask for their authorization before going out.
It is not common for children to receive house keys. Most of the time when they go out at night parents wait up for them to return home.
Dominicans place great value on education, courtesy, and social rituals such as proper ways of greeting and saying good-bye. Men shake hands, pat shoulders, and often embrace; women embrace and pat shoulders or perhaps touch cheeks and kiss the air. It is common to ask about someone’s health and that of his or her entire family.
Dominicans put great emphasis on cleanliness. Everyone is supposed to shower daily, to change clothes, to use deodorant, etc.
AFSers coming to the Dominican Republic should understand that sometimes host families will not have the modern facilities, comforts and latest gadgets to which they might be accustomed. Not many houses have air conditioning, electric dishwashers, microwave ovens, and so on.
This should be an important point to consider as you prepare to come to the Dominican Republic. It is true that you may be leaving many things behind, but you will also find many rewards in the Dominican Republic, among them love, communication, hospitality, and most of all, warmth.
Dominican host families, like all AFS host families worldwide, are volunteers and are not paid. They open their homes to students in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.
Teen Life
Dominican teens devote most of their time during the week to homework. On weekends teenagers enjoy getting together with friends, going to movies or dancing, relaxing in local cafes, or just hanging out in the town square.
Dominicans young and old are very fond of dancing. Many people often go out to dance or organize parties in their homes where the main activity is dancing. They dance to all kinds of music, but they especially enjoy merengue, which is the national dance. Dancing is a very important part of social life, and both boys and girls learn it at an early age.
Dress and Appearance
In general, it is best to bring casual clothes such as jeans, T-shirts, slacks and skirts. Spring and summer clothes are appropriate. Young people wear jeans a lot, but they should look neat. Shorts are okay for sports but not acceptable for all occasions.
Girls should bring skirts, blouses and a couple of dresses for parties or other formal occasions, and boys should bring a pair of good pants, with a jacket to match, and a nice dress shirt and tie. It is also recommended that you bring at least one sweatshirt or sweater, because it’s cooler in the north and during the winter.
Dominican students are required to wear uniforms to school, and each school has different uniforms. Make sure to bring $100 to cover the cost of purchasing the uniform when you arrive.
Diet and Meals
The basic meal consists of rice and beans prepared in many different ways, seasoned but not spicy. Other staples of the Dominican diet are meat, plantains, tubers, juice and cheese. Many dishes are fried in vegetable oil.
In the Dominican Republic, the whole family customarily eats the same food at meals together. Host families tend to think that if a student eats a lot, she or he will be happy. It is considered inappropriate for individuals to request special foods, to prepare separate food for themselves or to raid the refrigerator.
Many imported foods are available, but they are expensive. Although these products might be easily obtained at your home, they may be seen as luxuries in the Dominican Republic (cereal, imported cheese, jellies, etc.).
Educational System
School is one of the best places for you to make friends while in the Dominican Republic. School is in session from September to June; classes run Monday through Friday.
Schools expect students to maintain good grades. Subjects studied are mandatory and are determined by grade-level placement. Tenth grade subjects are Spanish, geometry, English, physics, world history, botany, zoology and religion. Eleventh grade subjects are Spanish, English, trigonometry, Dominican history and geography, chemistry, philosophy, anatomy, French and religion. Twelfth grade subjects are literature, French, psychology and philosophy, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, math, civics and religion.
There are monthly tests and exams in December and May or June Exemptions from final exams are given to students with grades above 80.
All instruction, with the exception of foreign languages, is done in Spanish. In the beginning, you may find it hard to follow, but as you learn more of the language, school will become less challenging, so be patient, work hard, and keep at it!
While it may be possible to obtain academic credit for the coursework you successfully complete abroad, AFS cannot guarantee this. Please discuss your plans with your school before you go abroad.
Geography and Climate
The Dominican Republic is located in a torrid sub-tropical area, on the second largest island in the Antilles Archipelago. The Dominican Republic occupies two thirds of the island. The coast has many magnificent beaches. The remaining portion of the island belongs to the Republic of Haiti.
The Dominican Republic’s irregular geography ranges from the Caribbean and Atlantic coastal plains in the south and north to the 3,175-meter-high Pico Duarte, the highest peak in the Antilles. Three great mountain ranges cross the territory from southeast to northeast: Cordillera Septentrional to the north; Sierra del Bahoruco to the south, and between these two, Cordillera Central with the widest sweep and highest elevations.
A warm tropical climate predominates in the Dominican Republic’s coastal areas, while a cooler and more benign tropical climate is typical in the Central Region. The average temperature throughout the year is 25°C (77°F). August is the warmest month of the year and January is the coolest. In the mountains it can get quite cold, especially during winter months.
Practically every day is sunny in the Dominican Republic but there are two rainy seasons: the longest and heaviest stretches from May to August and the lighter one arriving in November and December. The southwest is the country’s driest region.
Population
The Dominican Republic has a total population of about 9.5 million; one-third is concentrated in Santo Domingo, the capital city.
Dominicans are a mixture of Europeans, Africans and natives.
Dominicans are very nationalistic and proud of their country, but not in an aggressive way. Everyone feels free to criticize institutions or government – but they don’t necessarily like criticism when it comes from foreigners.
Language
Spanish is spoken in the Dominican Republic.
Government
The country has been a democracy since 1966. The president is elected by popular vote every four years. Members of the Senate and of the Chamber of Deputies are also elected every four years.
Religion
Roman Catholicism is the official religion. The Catholic religion is important in Dominican society. Most people practice their religion and attend church regularly, but there are also many who go to church only occasionally or are Catholics only by name. Families put a lot of emphasis on religion. Many private schools are religious ones.
Many Dominicans believe they must be resigned to the will of God and usually add the phrase Si Dios quiere (God willing) to any mention of plans, even something as simple as “See you tomorrow.” There is freedom of religion and churches representing different denominations are found in many cities.
Spending Money
The peso is the official currency.
Your program and country information packet (provided in the months prior to your departure) will give you an idea of how much spending money is appropriate and whether you should arrive with any amount of the local currency in hand.
Host families pay only for ordinary family events in which you are expected to participate. When you do such things as shopping for yourself or going out with friends, the expenses are your responsibility. Depending on the cost of living in your host country, we recommend you budget about $100-$300 per month.
Remember: never travel with large amounts of cash. Instead, bring travelers checks or follow the advice in the country and program information packet. Another option for obtaining money while overseas is to use a debit card linked to a checking account back home (but try not to use a debit card for daily purchases since there are ATM and currency exchange fees). Or, you can transfer money using wiring services such as Western Union.
You and your parents should determine a budget and preferred money transfer plan before you depart so that you are not caught without spending money while abroad.
Be conscientious of your spending since conspicuous consumption may not be viewed favorably and spending more than your peers and family may create a distance between you and them.
Safety and Support
AFS has the utmost concern for the welfare, safety, and security of our participants. We’ve been exchanging participants throughout the world for 60 years—that’s six decades of history and experience in international education with an exemplary record of safety, security, and service.
AFS maintains a network of experienced staff and trained volunteers who provide support in each country. In the event of an emergency, 24-hour assistance is available to students, their parents, and the host families. Furthermore, your AFS tuition includes comprehensive medical insurance coverage to ensure that medical care is available to our participants anywhere in the world and at all times.
While we have the above support structures in place, we also encourage you to take responsibility for your own safety and we give you the guidance to do so. Many of the AFS orientation activities, both at home and abroad, are intended to give you the tools to stay safe. We also provide country-specific safety tips to each participant prior to departure.
Learn more about the AFS safety and support network.
Fun Facts
- The island where the Dominican Republic is situated, called Hispaniola, was discovered by Christopher Columbus on December 5th, 1492.
- Santo Domingo is the first city of the “New World,” founded by Bartholomew Columbus in 1502. The city also has the first cathedral, the first street called “Calle Las Damas” and the first university.
- The Dominican Republic is the only country in the world with a Bible on its national flag.