RESOLUTION
BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT COLLINS-BELLAMY, MAJORITY LEADER RUBBO, MAJORITY WHIP ROBINSON, MINORITY LEADER BREEN, COUNCILMEMBERS PINEDA-ISAAC, DIAZ, AND HODGES:
A RESOLUTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF YONKERS TO DECLARE JANUARY 21, 2026, to FEBRUARY 27, 2026, AS “DOMINICAN HERITAGE MONTH” IN THE CITY OF YONKERS.
WHEREAS, Dominican Heritage Month celebrates the people, culture, history and heritage of the Dominican diaspora in the United States and recognizes the significant contributions Dominican-Americans and individuals of Dominican descent have contributed to the fabric of America; and
WHEREAS, the Dominican community is an integral part of the City of Yonkers, the State of New York, and the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, it is be appropriate that the City of Yonkers declare January 21 to February 27 as Dominican Heritage Month in celebration and honor of the people, culture and heritage of the Dominican people; and
WHEREAS, in 2026, the Dominican Day of Procession of Altagracia, the Dominican Republic’s most important religious celebration falls on January 21, 2026;
WHEREAS, the Dominican Republic attained sovereignty and autonomy as a nation on February 27, 1844;
WHEREAS, since the initial wave of Dominican migration in the 1960s to the most recent arrivals of today, Dominicans have worked hard to contribute to the national identity of the United States and educating people on their customs and enriching the quality of the Nation’s shared future; and
WHEREAS, the Dominican Republic enjoys a strong relationship with the United States on trade and investment that has expanded since the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, entered into force on March 1, 2007; and
WHEREAS, contribution from Dominican-Americans can be found in every facet of the United States life, including fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz, and baseball great David Ortiz (“Big Papi”); and
WHEREAS, many of the hemisphere’s first institutions were established on the shores of the Dominican Republic, including the first cathedral and the oldest university; and
WHEREAS, Dominicans are freedom loving people who first began their campaign for independence in 1831 under the leadership of Juan Pablo Duarte, who formed a secret political military organization named La Trinitaria, which led to the end of the Haitian occupation and transformed the Dominican Republic into an independent, self-sufficient nation; and
WHEREAS, after a long and hard-fought campaign for freedom from Haiti, a ceremonial musket shot fired on February 27, 1844, marked the Dominican Republic’s first official Independence Day; and
WHEREAS, Dominican Heritage Month offers all an opportunity to acknowledge and applaud the economic, cultural, and social contributions Dominican-Americans have made to the United States and in the City of Yonkers community; and
WHEREAS, New York City has the largest Dominican community in the United States and the largest in the world outside of Santo Domingo, according to a study by the Pew Research Center, and of the 1.5 million people of Dominican heritage living in the country, nearly half reside in New York; and
WHEREAS, recognizing the significance of the Dominican community in 2016, Governor Andrew Cuomo officially proclaimed January 21 through February 27 as Dominican Heritage Month in the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate that the City of Yonkers similarly celebrates and commemorates the contributions and significance of Dominican-Americans and the Dominican culture in the City of Yonkers by declaring January 21, 2026, to February 27, 2026, as Dominican Heritage Month in the City of Yonkers; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Yonkers City Council hereby proclaims January 21 to February 27, 2026, as “Dominican Heritage Month” in the City of Yonkers.
THIS RESOLUTION SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY