Excursions with Gina Arias: Dominican Republic

Storytellers Gina Arias and Fred Ones both have their roots in the Dominican Republic. Their parents and grandparents lived there during the reign of Rafael Trujillo, a dictator who ruled with an iron fist, through the unrest that followed the CIA-supported assassination of Trujillo, and the turbulent rule of the nation’s first democratically elected president, Juan Bosch.

Around that time, there was a revolution in the country, with numerous groups standing up to America’s involvement in Dominican politics. Arias’ mother remembered housing revolutionaries in her home. Ones’ mother was a revolutionary herself in the Dominican Popular Movement (MPD).

Both Arias’ and Ones’ parents would eventually immigrate to the U.S., but when it came time for Ones’ mother to apply for permanent residency, her revolutionary past caused some problems.

This story was originally published June 24, 2022 at 9:00 AM.