Duarte signs carry message of honor for city's Dominicans

It's still Broadway, but seven blocks of a busy Lawrence thoroughfare now sport a name that closely reflects its Dominican character.

Street signs honoring Juan Pablo Duarte, the founding father of the Dominican Republic, were unveiled Sunday in a ceremony that drew around 200 residents, as well as Lawrence and Dominican officials. While people waved Dominican and American flags, speaker after speaker touched on the significance of placing signs in the middle of a street that is home to almost 50 Dominican businesses.

The signs won't officially replace the street name, and businesses don't have to change their addresses. Still, City Council president Patrick J. Blanchette said placing the signs there ''recognizes the commitment and dedication that the Dominican community has made to the city of Lawrence."

Blanchette, who cast the deciding yes in a 5-to-3 City Council vote, said the signs are ''purely symbolic" for the 1,000-foot stretch of Broadway. ''When I first met with the [Dominican] consulate, I think there was some misconception. They thought it was all of Broadway, and Broadway was disappearing," Blanchette said.

The move by Dominican businesses to push for Duarte street signs originally sparked opposition by some councilors who feared the signs would cause confusion. But residents crowded City Council meetings in March to press for approval.

''We are gathered here today to place a piece of our landmark in this great city," said Julia Silverio, one of the organizers of the event Sunday. ''While we have chosen to live here, we must also be proud of our rich culture and heritage that we have inherited from our forefathers."

Jose Breseta, 14, said he thought the posting of the new street signs meant ''Americans like us."

Breseta, along with a group of boys his age, listened to the speeches while holding Dominican flags. ''It means a lot," he said.

Juan Pablo Duarte was a 19th-century lawyer who helped lead the Dominican fight for independence from Haiti. After losing power to a military dictator, Duarte was exiled to Venezuela, where he died in 1876. For many of his countrymen who lived in the United States, Duarte is seen as the Dominican George Washington.

According to the 2000 Census, Latinos make up nearly 70 percent of Lawrence's 72,000 residents. And the Latino population is almost evenly split between Puerto Ricans and Dominicans.

In recent years, Dominicans in Lawrence have become more politically active, winning a number of seats on the City Council and School Committee. Some Dominican residents also remain active in the political scene back in the Dominican Republic, which prompts occasional visits by politicians from the island.

During Sunday's event, the Do-

minican Republic's secretary of education, Alejandrina German, was on stage with Lawrence officials to witness the unveiling of the Duarte signs.

To hear a report by Russell Contreras on the unveiling of the Duarte street signs, visit boston.com/globe/northwest.

The Rev. Victor Jarvis of Iglesia Cristiana Ebenezer said the Duarte street signs represented a victory not just for Dominican residents in Lawrence but for all Latinos. ''This is not just putting a name on a street," Jarvis said in Spanish. ''It's also a recognition of hard work Latinos have done for the city."

City Councilor Nunzio Dimarca agreed. ''It signifies and demonstrates the essence of the Immigrant City," he said.

Dimarca said, however, that he was bothered that the new signs aren't directly under the Broadway signs and instead are off to the side on separate poles.

Dimarca, who supported the new signs, said he believes the separate signs would confuse motorists. ''I hope this is just for show today and that it will be corrected," said Dimarca. ''I feel a little bit uncomfortable."

Russell Contreras can be reached at rcontreras@globe.com.