We are excited to have special guest Kim Giles, senior at CUNY, where she studies anthropology and Jewish studies. In her talk, she will discuss the role of Jews as merchants in the Dominican Republic after their expulsion from Spain in 1492. For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, Jews were only allowed entry to Spanish colonies as seafarers or merchants, which forced them to take an active part in the transatlantic slave trade. Kim's focus is on examining how the Jewish merchants contributed to the formation of national identity and the creation of the concept of citizenship in the Dominican Republic.