Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Centro Cultural
y Deportivo Dominicano de New York. The story of Club Deportivo began 51 years ago in the New York City
neighborhood of Washington Heights, where a group of Dominican
immigrants bonded over weekly games of the classic board game dominoes
and a shared desire to maintain their cultural roots. Over time, this proud group, inspired by the founding fathers of the
Dominican Republic--Juan Pablo Duarte, Francisco del Rosario Sanchez,
and Ramon Matias Mella--made the decision to formalize itself in order
to protect their own identity and cultural heritage. They officially
incorporated on March 23, 1966. As the years passed, what initially began as a way for friends new
and old to stay in touch through the power of sports blossomed into
what is now institutionally and athletically one of the most important
centers of Dominican Americans and their friends in the 13th
Congressional District. Over the past 50 years, they have hosted
numerous recreational sports tournaments and have played an integral
role in formation of many other civic, cultural, and social
organizations. Club Deportivo also provides its members with many vital forms of
community service: ESL, citizenship classes for immigrants, folklore
classes, music and arts classes for young and adults. Additionally, the
group provides hot meals for the homeless each Thanksgiving and carries
out frequent medical fairs. Mr.
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