Dominican Studies Institute Week 3

 This week, I’ve once again been deep in the archives. Since the content I’ve been working with hasn’t changed much mostly going through photographs the main difference I can share is what I thought about what I was seeing.

I spent a lot of time looking through pictures of a woman named Normandia, a community organizer from a neighboring district to where I grew up. She organized and led huge block parties that featured traditional dresses and dances events I actually took part in when I was younger and other Hispanic oriented events. It felt personal and nostalgic to see those moments frozen in time.

 (one of the events) 

Aside from selecting photos, I was also tasked with researching the Church of Saint Rose of Lima and exploring the cultural impact it had on the New York community, especially among Dominicans. That research has been incredibly fulfilling. The church's contributions are hidden gems quiet but enduring. And I can confidently say that my research skills have grown a lot since I started here. I conducted a basic investigation on the church using old-school methods, partly without relying on the internet. I found photos of the church in the archives, the very same ones I had been sorting through, and pored over old newspapers. Honestly, I felt like a Latina Sherlock Holmes and yes, it was just as mentally gratifying as it sounds.

One thing became crystal clear through my research: there is a rich, unsaid history and cultural impact tied to things that often go unnoticed. I used to think that for something to be culturally rich or significant, it had to be well-known or large-scale. But this experience has shown me just how deeply local stories and traditions can shape a community. This realization has been incredibly eye-opening and has expanded my perspective in meaningful ways.

Through newspaper research, I discovered the significant contributions of the church’s choir. In fact, the choir from Saint Rose of Lima performed at the very first mass celebrating Hispanic Heritage at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Learning this made me realize I had been overlooking a cornerstone of Latin development in the city.

Even when I took off my investigative hat and went back to sorting and selecting  photos from the collections, I came across images of little girls and older women from the same events where I would dance in Hispanic cultural performances wearing quadrille dresses that I had once attended as a kid, from about 40 years ago. It hit me with a wave of nostalgia. To see those moments documented so vividly, to know they were part of my own lived experience it really felt like a full-circle moment. And I’m so grateful it’s all been preserved.

( when i went to rough the pictures i found a picture of oscar de la renta!!!!)

(me after i scanned the newspapers after i finished with my other work)

Logging off,

Dana