My project intends to explore the ways in which Afro-Dominicans conceptualize their Blackness. My research will be based in the Dominican Republic and the NYC neighborhoods of Washington Heights and Spanish Harlem to explore how Dominicans’ understanding of their identity has been shaped by political and social forces in the Dominican Republic and New York City over time. This comparative analysis will put historical and social contexts in conversation with contemporary forms of identity expression through cultural practices (like music production, art, social practices) to investigate how the cultural and racial identities of (Afro-)Dominicans in these spaces are shaped by/shape their community.

I am rising senior (class of 2024) concentrating in Africana Studies and International and Public Affairs on the Development Track. I was born and raised in New York City. At Brown, I am a part of the varsity women's rugby team and have held positions with Afro-Latinx Alliance and Latinx Student Union on campus. My studies have focused on centering the experiences of Afro-Caribbean communities and expanding the ways in which we understand identity.