[NALs]

We already know that there are people in the DR with some Taino lineage (including myself...since I'm from the cibao and have "asian: eyes) but the truth is that the only thing that is left of Taíno culture are a few words and a few types of foods.

A few words and a few types of foods? Are you sure its only a few?
Read this article and then lets see if its a few...
http://www.centrelink.org/davidcampos.html

when was the last time you ate a tortilla, taco, or pozole for dinner?

I hope you realize that those foodtypes are based on maize or corn, a very widespread foodstuff that was cultivated in Mexico by the natives for thousands of years. Contrast that to Casave, Yuca, and Batata which was cultivated by the Caribbean native americans.

People need to realize that a Taino was not the same as an Inca, who were not the same as an Aztec. They were not the same physically, culturally, liguistically, or in most other fashions. The only sameness they got is that they are branded under the "Native American" title. But, just how Latin Americans are not all the same, neither were the native americans.

And when was the last time your family put some quebradita, vallenato, or grupero music at a family party?

You do realize that those music forms incorporate European, Native American, and to some extent african elements in them, just like Dominican music. Those particular music are not heard in all regions. Vallenato is not very popular in Mexico and the same goes for Quebradita in Colombia. Merengue is not very popular in Mexico (except at the clubs, I mean what other Latin music evokes more the sense of a latin party), just how Quebradita are not very popular in the DR.

If anything, the latin american countries that are most like us in racial composition and culture are Cuba and Puerto Rico...Venezuelan youth also speak like Dominican youth in a way and have many of the same slang terms (since Venezuela is carribean and very close to us). And colombia has some mullatoes but their culture is very deeply native american and spanish. But Mexico....Perú and Ecuador....NO WAY!!!!!!

Mexico, despite being very Native American, still holds a very strong european sense of being and place. I think Mexico has one of the purest Spanish influences in Latin America, some anthropologist put the DR ahead of Mexico in that respect.

Cuba and Puerto Rico are naturally going to be more like us, because all three islands were among the first to be colonized by Spain and among the last to lose their Spanish rule. As such, the Spanish Caribbean holds the most purest Spanish influences evident in speach and social patterns. For example, you would never notice this until you visit Spain and you come back to the DR. Us, Dominicans, tend to congregate every evening and every Sunday at the central plaza or park in the towns and cities. Family gatherings take place there and usually an entire Sunday after church is spent enjoy the ambiance and participating in activities at the central park or plaza. The same deal goes on in Spain, with alot of similarities with how it happens in the DR.

Also, the late dinner is a very prominent Mediterranean (especially Spain and Italy) custom, and that is very evident in the DR, especially Santo Domingo where bistros and restaurants and cafe's have people eating and drinking well into the nighttime hours. Other similarities between Spain and the DR is the way Dominican youth in particular go out.

Dominica youth usually go out in self chaperoned groups. The guys wear buckets of cologne and slick their hair back, the girls wear a nice outfit and fix their hair as well, and they themselves go out in groups. The guys go around the town checking out the "hot" spots prior to hitting the central park or plaza. In the park they flirt a little bit with the girls, but usually it doesn't amount to much. The guys joke around and are very socially and very touchy, more so than North Americans. In fact, some North Americans might see this touchy deal as a bit on the "gay" side, but in fact, its just another cultural manly trait that has become inept in Dominicans from our Spanish ancestors who had the greatest influence in this country.

In fact, the average Santo Domingo suburb and Dominican town has a provincial Spanish feel to it, the only thing that ruins the moments are the motoconchos raising the noise levels. I'm always amaze by the Spanish similarities that still prevail in the DR. I remember a couple of weeks ago I went to Jarabacoa (it was right before Hurricane Jeanne came for a visit). On my way back I went to Santiago to visit a few family and friends and I went to Moca in Espaillat to visit a few friends who live not in Moca itself, but in a few "fincas" near the town. I stopped in Moca in front of the Catedral Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, which is in the center of town, more or less. There is a small park area there, and while my girlfriend went into a nearby business, I simply began to do something I do alot while on the streets of the DR, I people watch the scenery from my SUV. I was once again, amazed the similar Spanish feeling one gets from a Dominican town. The motion of the place, the tightness of the roads, the small parks, the men sitted in the benches talking (probably about politics), the group of kids hang around, and just the general ambiance. Even the slight wind and the traffic noise (to some extent) evoked memories of my last time I was in Spain or Italy, for that matter.

Also, linguistically there are some words like "Asechar" which are still in use in certain regions of the DR. Asechar is an old Spanish word that is no longer in use in other Spanish speaking countries, including Spain itself! And yet, it is very much in style in the DR. Other words include "no moors, etc."