Marina Maldonado’s Birthday in New York: A Family Moment

This black-and-white photograph captures a birthday celebration for Marina Maldonado as she prepares to blow out the candles on her cake. Standing to her right is her sister, Normandía Maldonado, and to her right is her young son, Eudes S. Budhai, dressed in white in front of the table. Surrounded by friends and family in a New York apartment, this intimate gathering reflects the role of food, family, and celebration in sustaining Dominican cultural life across generations and geographies.