Growing up in Hudson County, New Jersey — home to the second-largest Dominican community outside of New York — Dominicans have always held a special place in my heart. The first country I ever traveled to, freshly graduated from high school, was the Dominican Republic. My Dominican childhood best friend invited our friend group to spend a few weeks with her family in La Vega, and we were welcomed with so much love (and a banner that read “¡Bienvenidas!”)