The domestic impact of international remittances : t he role of Dominican remittances in Washington Heights, New York

Abstract

There has been a lot of research on, writing about, and celebration of the benefit of remittances on the economies of developing countries. However, there are no studies on the impact of these remittances on the communities within the United States from which these remittances originate. This lack of attention is particularly troublesome, as remitting communities are often concentrated in low-income neighborhoods where many families live below the poverty line. This thesis examines the domestic impact of remittances on money-sending communities: how much money is sent abroad, what sacrifices are made to send this money, what other costs are associated with remitting, and what could be done with the money if it were invested locally instead. Understanding remitting habits and costs from the sending side sheds light on this particular facet of immigrant life, and suggests where funding and support might be targeted to best help local development in communities with large remitting immigrant populations. This study focuses on the remitting habits and economic conditions of Dominican immigrants in Washington Heights.

(cont.) Investigating the Dominican community of Washington Heights provides a lens into the domestic toll of international remittances in one of New York City's poorest neighborhoods. An analysis of the findings of this investigation suggests that remittance sending has a profound impact, both real and imagined, on Washington Heights' Dominican community. Further, it recommends that any planning for development in neighborhoods with similar populations take into account how intimately connected these communities are to their countries of origin and their family there. Despite U.S. citizenship, and realities which may keep them here indefinitely, many Dominicans live a truly transnational existence, foregoing establishing permanent roots and investing in the U.S. in favor of a regular practice of sending money abroad.