Culture of the Dominican Republic Festival. During four days each December, independent films, shorts, and documentaries are screened. "Notes": Culture of the Dominican Republic The culture of the Dominican Republic is a diverse mixture of different influences from around the world. The Dominican people and their customs have origins consisting predominately in a European cultural basis, with both African and native Taíno influences. The Dominican Republic was the site of the first European settlement in the Western Hemisphere, namely Santo Domingo founded in 1493. As a result of over five centuries of Spanish presence in the island, the core of Dominican culture is derived from
Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic of the Independent Haitian Episcopal Church. The American Episcopal Church began missionary work in the Dominican Republic when the country was occupied by the United States Marine Corps. William Wyllie, who arrived in 1918, and Archibald Beer, who arrived in 1920, were the first missionaries. The bishops of Puerto Rico and Haiti supervised the mission territory from 1918 to 1960. The Missionary District of the Dominican Republic was established by the General Convention in 1940. Paul Axtell Kellogg became the first resident Bishop of the Dominican Republic in 1960. The Dominican Republic became a missionary diocese in 1970, and it