Books in the New Americans Series are designed for high school students and general readers who want to learn more about the immigrants who have become their new neighbors. This volume deals with the experience of Dominican Americans, a settled community in its North American abode. The book begins with a brief historical background that traces the geographical, cultural, and ethnic origins of the Dominican people. Chapter 1,"U.S.-Dominican Relations: An Age-Old Romance," gives an account of United States-Dominican relations from the mid-1800s. Chapter 2, "Escape from the Native Land," surveys the political and socioeconomic conditions that have caused the Dominicans to leave their home country en masse since the mid-1960s. Chapter 3, "Dominicans in the United States: The Rise of a Community," discusses the formation of a Dominican community in the United States and focuses on their place in the labor market, education, business, and politics. In Chapter 4, "Forging a Dominican-American Culture," the development of a Dominican culture that stems from the immigrant experience is detailed, with emphasis on the visual and performing arts, literature, food, and religion. Chapter 5, "The Future of Dominican Americans," articulates the vision of the future for the Dominican community in the United States. (Contains 4 figures, 16 tables, and 192 references.) (SLD)