Movimiento Tricolor’s Dominican Restoration Day Brings Camden Together
Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen with members of Movimiento Tricolor. Photo by Frank Santos
BY FRANK SANTOS | For AC JosepH Media
CAMDEN — On Sunday, August 18, the City of Camden and its Latin-American community came together for the fifth annual Dominican Restoration Day organized by Movimiento Tricolor (known as “Tricolor Movement” in English), an organization that provides resources to address social and economic barriers facing the Dominican community and the broader Latin American population in Camden and New Jersey.
The celebration has roots in the commemoration of the Dominican Republic’s second independence from Spain which was achieved through the Dominican Restoration War on August 16, 1863.
Movimiento Tricolor honors this history with an annual cultural festival that is open to the public of all ages providing on-site social services/resources, small business vendors and live performances.
Patricia Rodriguez, owner of Royal Silky Miracles said she was “beyond proud to celebrate our culture, be with our people, listen to our music and empower the Dominican community.”
Rodriguez, who is an owner of a highly-regarded beauty salon in South Jersey, donated grants amounting to more than $1,000 each for two recipients with the purpose of providing financial assistance to aspiring or current female entrepreneurs in Camden County.
“Events like these give us a chance to come together and see other small businesses within our community, especially the Dominican community,” Rodriguez said, who along with other vendors warmly welcomed the South Jersey community with backgrounds of all kinds to enjoy the talents, foods and entertainment of Camden’s Dominican-American community.
The importance of this is highlighted by Camden’s demographics, where 53.3 percent of the population is of Hispanic or Latino descent according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Ashly Estevez-Perez, president and one of the founders of Movimiento Tricolor, leads efforts on preserving and promoting Dominican culture, organizing events, and community engagement to bring people together and celebrate the rich heritage of the Dominican Republic.
“Through Movimiento Tricolor and our events, I hope to foster a stronger sense of cultural identity and community among Dominicans and the broader Latin American population in Camden and New Jersey,” Estevez-Perez said.
What began as the city’s first major Dominican Restoration Day celebration in 2020, continues to unite people through cultural performances, food, and community interaction. The atmosphere of the event fostered a sense of unity, encouraging people to honor the history and work toward a better future while promoting civic involvement, education, and economic growth.
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