--- title: "10 Dominican republic Quotes By Junot Diaz" description: "10 Dominican republic quotes by Junot Diaz. Plus more from Junot Diaz and more Dominican republic sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d8/junot-diaz-531_book_for-my-first-three-books-the-setting-or_2570278.jpg" --- > [For my first three books the setting (or place if you will) has always been a given - N.J. and the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/for-my-first-three-books-the-setting-or-place-if-you-will-has-always/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d8/junot-diaz-531_book_for-my-first-three-books-the-setting-or_2570278.jpg) > [“Lola swore she would never return to that terrible country. On one of our last nights as novios she said, Ten million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/lola-swore-she-would-never-return-to-that-terrible-country-on-one-of/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/junot-diaz-531_dominican-republic_lola-swore-she-would-never-return-to-tha_900048.jpg) > [People can say what they want, but historically, feminism in the Dominican Republic has been extremely strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/people-can-say-what-they-want-but-historically-feminism-in-the-2/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/junot-diaz-531_dominican_people-can-say-what-they-want-but-histor_2854019.jpg) > [“But no matter what the truth, remember: Dominicans are Caribbean and therefore have an extraordinary tolerance for extreme phenomena”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/but-no-matter-what-the-truth-remember-dominicans-are-caribbean-and/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/junot-diaz-531_caribbean_but-no-matter-what-the-truth-remember-do_1214901.jpg) > [ I came up under \[Ronald\] Reagan and under \[George\] Bush, and what are we to do now? We are here to fight.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-came-up-under-ronald-reagan-and-under-george-bush-and-what-are-we/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/junot-diaz-531_dominican-republic_i-came-up-under-ronald-reagan-and-under_2170160.jpg) > [“My African roots made me what I am today. They’re the reason I’m from the Dominican Republic. They’re the reason I exist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/my-african-roots-made-me-what-i-am-today-they-re-the-reason-i-m-from/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/junot-diaz-531_africa_my-african-roots-made-me-what-i-am-today_2239798.jpg) > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e26/junot-diaz-531_april_it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u_7415.jpg) > [“They say it came first from Africa, carried in the screams of the enslaved; that it was the death bane of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/they-say-it-came-first-from-africa-carried-in-the-screams-of-the/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/junot-diaz-531_antilles_they-say-it-came-first-from-africa-carri_2002265.jpg) > [I have a very powerful sense of place, but I have a very powerful sense of being a migrant, so it's both.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-have-a-very-powerful-sense-of-place-but-i-have-a-very-powerful/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd0/junot-diaz-531_dominican-republic_i-have-a-very-powerful-sense-of-place-bu_176654.jpg) > [People can say what they want, but historically, feminism in the Dominican Republic has been extremely strong. I guess the best way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/people-can-say-what-they-want-but-historically-feminism-in-the/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/junot-diaz-531_abandonment_people-can-say-what-they-want-but-histor_785966.jpg) ## More by Junot Diaz > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Tell her that you love her hair, that you love her skin, her lips, because, in truth, you love them more than you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/tell-her-that-you-love-her-hair-that-you-love-her-skin-her-lips/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [It took me sixteen years to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-took-me-sixteen-years-to-write/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You ask everybody you know: How long does it usually take to get over it? There are many formulas. One year for every year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-ask-everybody-you-know-how-long-does-it-usually-take-to-get-over/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Instead of finding himself in nerd heaven—where every nerd gets fifty-eight virgins to role-play with—he woke up in Robert Wood Johnson with two broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/instead-of-finding-himself-in-nerd-heaven-where-every-nerd-gets-fifty/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The one thing about being a dude and writing from a female perspective is that the baseline is, you suck. The baseline is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-one-thing-about-being-a-dude-and-writing-from-a-female/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I used to think those were the barrio rules, Latinos and blacks in, whites out —a place we down cats weren’t supposed to go.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-used-to-think-those-were-the-barrio-rules-latinos-and-blacks-in/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I put my hand on her knee. I just wish you'd say you love me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-put-my-hand-on-her-knee-i-just-wish-you-d-say-you-love-me/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I've always thought that you don't love a country by turning a blind eye to its crimes and to a problem. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-ve-always-thought-that-you-don-t-love-a-country-by-turning-a-blind/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Called her a whore and attacked her walls, tearing down her posters and throwing her books everywhere. I found out because some whitegirl ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/called-her-a-whore-and-attacked-her-walls-tearing-down-her-posters/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You're Dominican only if you do this, this, and that. And if you do this and that, you'll be accepted to a certain degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-re-dominican-only-if-you-do-this-this-and-that-and-if-you-do-this/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Ramfis fled the country after Trujillo's death, lived dissolutely off his father's swag, and ended up dying in a car crash of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/ramfis-fled-the-country-after-trujillo-s-death-lived-dissolutely-off/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [If you didn't grow up like I did then you don't know, and if you don't know it's probably better you don't judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-didn-t-grow-up-like-i-did-then-you-don-t-know-and-if-you-don-t/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“If you ask me I don't think there are any such things as curses. I think there is only life. That's enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-ask-me-i-don-t-think-there-are-any-such-things-as-curses-i/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The only difference between a published and unpublished writer is a tolerance for imperfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-only-difference-between-a-published-and-unpublished-writer-is-a/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominican-republic/junot-diaz/#itemlist", "name": "10 Dominican republic Quotes By Junot Diaz", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For my first three books the setting (or place if you will) has always been a given - N.J. and the Dominican Republic and some N.Y.C. - so from one perspective you could say that the place in my work always comes first.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Diaz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/for-my-first-three-books-the-setting-or-place-if-you-will-has-always/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d8/junot-diaz-531_book_for-my-first-three-books-the-setting-or_2570278.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d8/junot-diaz-531_book_for-my-first-three-books-the-setting-or_2570278.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d8/junot-diaz-531_book_for-my-first-three-books-the-setting-or_2570278.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For my first three books the setting (or place if you will) has always been a given - N.J. and the Dominican…” — Junot Diaz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Lola swore she would never return to that terrible country. 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We are here to fight. People can run off all they want. But for me, [Donald] Trump is already in the Dominican Republic.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Diaz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-came-up-under-ronald-reagan-and-under-george-bush-and-what-are-we/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/junot-diaz-531_dominican-republic_i-came-up-under-ronald-reagan-and-under_2170160.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/junot-diaz-531_dominican-republic_i-came-up-under-ronald-reagan-and-under_2170160.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/junot-diaz-531_dominican-republic_i-came-up-under-ronald-reagan-and-under_2170160.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I came up under [Ronald] Reagan and under [George] Bush, and what are we to do now? We are here to fight…” — Junot Diaz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My African roots made me what I am today. They’re the reason I’m from the Dominican Republic. They’re the reason I exist at all. To these roots I owe everything.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Diaz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/my-african-roots-made-me-what-i-am-today-they-re-the-reason-i-m-from/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/junot-diaz-531_africa_my-african-roots-made-me-what-i-am-today_2239798.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/junot-diaz-531_africa_my-african-roots-made-me-what-i-am-today_2239798.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/junot-diaz-531_africa_my-african-roots-made-me-what-i-am-today_2239798.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My African roots made me what I am today. They’re the reason I’m from the Dominican Republic. They’re the…” — Junot Díaz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican Republic (April 28, 1965). (Santo Domingo was Iraq before Iraq was Iraq.)", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Diaz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e26/junot-diaz-531_april_it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u_7415.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e26/junot-diaz-531_april_it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u_7415.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e26/junot-diaz-531_april_it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u_7415.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an…” — Junot Diaz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They say it came first from Africa, carried in the screams of the enslaved; that it was the death bane of the Thainos, uttered just as one world perished and another began; that it was a demon drawn into Creation through the nightmare door that was cracked open in the Antilles. Fukú Americanus, or more colloquially, fukú-generally a curse or a doom of some kind; specifically the Curse and Doom of the New World.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Diaz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/they-say-it-came-first-from-africa-carried-in-the-screams-of-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/junot-diaz-531_antilles_they-say-it-came-first-from-africa-carri_2002265.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/junot-diaz-531_antilles_they-say-it-came-first-from-africa-carri_2002265.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/junot-diaz-531_antilles_they-say-it-came-first-from-africa-carri_2002265.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They say it came first from Africa, carried in the screams of the enslaved; that it was the death bane of…” — Junot Díaz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have a very powerful sense of place, but I have a very powerful sense of being a migrant, so it's both. It seems like I'm always leaving my home. That's part of the formula. I love the Dominican Republic. I go back all the time. I love New Jersey. Go back all the time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Diaz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-have-a-very-powerful-sense-of-place-but-i-have-a-very-powerful/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd0/junot-diaz-531_dominican-republic_i-have-a-very-powerful-sense-of-place-bu_176654.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd0/junot-diaz-531_dominican-republic_i-have-a-very-powerful-sense-of-place-bu_176654.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd0/junot-diaz-531_dominican-republic_i-have-a-very-powerful-sense-of-place-bu_176654.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have a very powerful sense of place, but I have a very powerful sense of being a migrant, so it's both. It…” — Junot Diaz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People can say what they want, but historically, feminism in the Dominican Republic has been extremely strong. I guess the best way of saying it is that no one could have survived what we survived - whether it was first extermination and slavery, then abandonment and erasure, then the series of gunboat two-bit dictatorships, followed by the final apotheosis of dictatorships, the Trujillato. You couldn't survive it without the resistance of this kind of woman.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Diaz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/people-can-say-what-they-want-but-historically-feminism-in-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/junot-diaz-531_abandonment_people-can-say-what-they-want-but-histor_785966.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/junot-diaz-531_abandonment_people-can-say-what-they-want-but-histor_785966.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/junot-diaz-531_abandonment_people-can-say-what-they-want-but-histor_785966.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People can say what they want, but historically, feminism in the Dominican Republic has been extremely…” — Junot Diaz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominican-republic/junot-diaz/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominican-republic/junot-diaz/", "name": "Dominican republic Quotes by Junot Diaz", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominican-republic/junot-diaz/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d8/junot-diaz-531_book_for-my-first-three-books-the-setting-or_2570278.jpg" }, "description": "10 Dominican republic quotes by Junot Diaz. 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