How This Woman Makes Time to Connect to Her Dominican Roots
How This Lifestyle Influencer Makes Time to Connect to Her Dominican Roots — and Stays 100% Glam
Rosanna Javier is what you'd call a "glass-half-full" person — positivity virtually radiates from her pores. When you look through the photos on @GlamDapper, the lifestyle blog she runs with her husband, Winston, almost every shot features her bright smile, especially when she's being playful with her daughter Chanell. "Glam Dapper started as an outlet for Winston and me to express our creativity as a couple," Rosanna said. "Plus, I want to communicate to my audience a positive attitude toward life — I'm always proud of where I came from, which helps keep me grounded and be appreciative."
Both Rosanna and her husband are from the Dominican Republic — part of the ethos behind Glam Dapper is celebrating their shared heritage and finding ways to connect to their roots while living in New York City. The uptown neighborhood of Washington Heights is Rosanna's go-to for a dose of her home country. "I love to dance and to listen to some Bachata or Merengue music," she said. "It's about just talking to Dominican people in general — I can always find a person from DR somewhere in the city."
"Food plays a big role in my connection with my Dominican roots — when I find Dominican dishes, it makes me feel like I have a part of my country here in the city."
Anytime Rosanna tastes foods from the small rural town where she grew up, she finds a renewed sense of kinship with her home country. "Food plays a big role in my connection with my Dominican roots — when I find Dominican dishes, it makes me feel like I have a part of my country here in the city," she said. "Some of my favorite foods are coconut candy 'dulce de coco,' which is easily found at any bodega shop in uptown, guava empanadas, and my beloved country club 'refresco' soda from the Dominican Republic." Her most coveted find? A "chimi" food truck serving up traditional Dominican sandwiches.
Rosanna and Winston also make it a point to bring their culture into their home and share it with their daughter, especially when it comes to food. "I love to cook with my family — especially traditional Dominican food," Rosanna said. "We tend to make this a fun activity for all of us at home . . . even though I'm not the best cook, I try!"
Rosanna and Winston want Chanell to stay connected to her heritage, so they cook dishes from their home country and speak to her in Spanish. "I bring her with me to DR when I visit my family every year, so I want her to be able to speak Spanish with her cousins," Rosanna said.
"I love to cook with my family — especially traditional Dominican food. We tend to make this a fun activity for all of us at home . . . even though I'm not the best cook, I try!"
When she's not out and about on the street shooting photos or searching for the best Dominican chimi, she's brainstorming new ways to provide content to her followers and help inspire their daily lives. From fashion to parenting to travel, Rosanna tackles it all in style.
And because Rosanna takes so much pride in her smile (and uses it so often!), she always begins and ends the day by using Pronamel® Intensive Enamel Repair toothpaste. "I trust Pronamel to protect my enamel," she said, "so I can keep smiling and enjoying my favorite Dominican foods here in NYC." Salud!
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