The Minister of Culture, Milagros Germán, led the inauguration of three new offices of the Directorate of Dominican Culture Abroad (DCDEX), thus continuing the process of projecting Dominican culture in North American territory since it was established in New York in January 2023.
The new extensions of the DCDEX are located in the cities of Paterson, in the State of New Jersey, as well as in Boston and Lawrence, in Massachusetts, where a large community of Dominicans is settled.
During the tour, Minister German was accompanied by Rey Andújar, director of the DCDEX; André Sayegh, mayor of Paterson; Angel Pichardo, Consul General of the Dominican Republic in New Jersey; Congresswoman Kenia Bidó; Alex Méndez, president of the Paterson City Council, and Councilman Luis Vélez, among other authorities.
“One of the objectives of this project is to extend the participation of our ministry beyond New York City, where all cultural activities were concentrated, and this is how, in a historic and necessary way, this first extension of the DCDEX is now a reality,” said Germán as he inaugurated the Paterson office.
For his part, Rey Andújar described the inauguration of the new offices as a historic event for the local Dominican community and assured that the goal is “to offer them a space where they can maintain and enrich their cultural identity.
After the event in New Jersey, the minister headed to Massachusetts to lead the inauguration of the new cultural spaces. In Boston and Lawrence, Germán was accompanied by the mayor of Lawrence, Brian de Peña; Enrique García, consul general in Boston; Rey Andújar, director of the DCDEX; Yadires Nova-Salcedo, directorate liaison in Boston; and Christian Rodríguez, cultural liaison in Lawrence.
“With the opening of these offices we fulfill the objective of disseminating, promoting and highlighting the cultural expressions of Dominicans abroad,” said Germán, attributing the success of this project to President Luis Abinader, who has guaranteed that no matter where in the world a Dominican is located; the Government will always be on his side.”
In that sense, Andújar highlighted these openings as a fundamental step to strengthen the cultural ties of the Dominican Diaspora, since they offer spaces where this community can maintain and enrich its cultural identity.
These extensions are in addition to the main office in Washington Heights, the heart of the Dominican community in New York, and have been located in strategic points that seek to facilitate access to cultural and educational activities to a greater number of Dominicans in the United States.
About DCDEX
The DCDEX was formalized by President Luis Abinader through Decree No. 532-22, which replaced the U.S. Commissioner of Culture and established its organizational structure under the Ministry of Culture. Unlike the former commissioner, the DCDEX is not limited to New York, but its mission is to attend to the cultural expressions of Dominicans in any part of the world.
This institution inaugurated its facilities in New York in January 2023, which include an auditorium, an art gallery, a library and a multipurpose room. Its triangular structure is based on three fundamental pillars: free education, a wide range of cultural offerings and active community participation, an approach that has led to significant achievements and progress since its establishment.
Source:presidencia.gob.do
