Black behind the Ears: Dominican Racial Identity from Museums to Beauty Shops

Black Behind the Ears is a groundbreaking historical and ethnographic examination of Dominican identity formation in the Dominican Republic and the United States.

This book challenges simplistic explanations for why Dominicans have historically defined themselves as "not black," instead offering a nuanced understanding of how indigeneity and Hispanicity have operated as vehicles for asserting Dominican sovereignty in the face of Spanish colonialism, Haitian unification efforts, and U.S.

imperialism.

Through participant observation in a Dominican beauty shop in Washington Heights and interviews with Dominicans in New York City, Washington D.C., and Santo Domingo, Candelario reveals how hair texture has become a defining feature of Dominican identity, trumping skin color, facial features, and ancestry.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of Dominican identity and culture.