Ok first of all one of the classes I am taking is Dominican Haitian Relations. Although it hasn’t turned out to be as good of a class as I had hoped, I have learned a lot about the history of this island and the two countries that share it. This is in hopes that I can try to even begin to understand to unique situation of two drastically different cultures and countries sharing such a small island. It has been explained to us that we will not understand but this is the best way to start.
A frequent topic of discussion is the idea of race and skin color in this country. Officially the country does not identify different races (and therefore cannot have problems with racism). However the do very clearly identify skin color. There has been a history of leaders, namely Trujillo, trying the “whiten” the Dominican race. There is clearly a preference to lighter skin colors. Especially with the rich white image of North Americans. Well maybe not so clear. The Dominicans deny that this is true. The students in this class (majority from the states), me included have a hard time believing this. It seems that we are more sensitive to discrimination because of looks or background, probably because it has been beaten into us in the education system because of our history.
The UN began investigating the claims of racism in the country this last weekend. I had a really good conversation with my host parents the other night after seeing this on the news. It seems so obvious to me that it exists here and there is a problem. There were several girls in my group with dark skin, that have been denied into clubs until a white or someone with lighter skin entered with they and it was clear that they were from the US. My host parents flat out do not believe that racism is a problem here. It seems so black and white but is there a way that we can both be partly right?
Maybe it is the word ‘racism’. It seems sometimes that we use it interchangeable for discrimination, sometimes based on race or culture or even a unique situation. They can’t deny that there is discrimination against Haitians here, but they think that it is racism but because of the situation. I think racism to them is the situation of African American slaves in the US after slavery was abolished. The slaves came to the New World and US by force not by choice. ‘Racism’ is what ensued after that, the assimilation of the freed slaves into the culture. I can’t explain it much more than that because I don’t really understand it. Only that the situation is different now, and here. What I don’t think they understand is that racism has evolved with the times. The US definitely still has its problems with racism but not in the same way as during the civil rights movement or before. Now the major problem is with immigrants, a trickier situation. Without really getting into illegal immigration, I consider the generalizations that are made about all Hispanics or all the Mexicans come to this country illegally and deal drugs and create violence and take our jobs, racism. They felt it living in the NY for 10 years legally. I’m not equating it as the same but a similar situation here in the island of Hispaniola, they consider is not racism. The Haitians don’t respect the Dominican culture and they take jobs and just are looking for health care. I can understand the frustration when you lemon tree gets damaged because someone doesn’t know the proper way to pick a lemon. I can understand that the DR shouldn’t have the responsibility to take care of the neighboring country in drastically worse conditions than it’s self. But what I can’t understand are the other generalizations that I hear, even from my host parents in this conversation that the Haitians are all poor, smell, are hungry, don’t have homes, or jobs. My host dad even repeatedly used the work animal to describe them (granted both his wife and I let him have it for that one). There probably are people in the US that think that is the same as the DR. There is a lot of poverty here, many people are hungry and live without homes or jobs. Well I could go on. It was an interesting and insightful conversation and I was really pleased with my ability to get my point across in Spanish. Unfortunately not a resolvable topic.
These are my thoughts. I have been confronted with so many US cultural things here that I have to take a step back and really look at why I think I am right or my way is better, because sometimes I am wrong. Maybe the language is not right or the fact that their culture is more upfront and blunt, maybe it is the tricky situation, but there is evident violence and discrimination in this country that needs to be examined.
They side note is that last Friday I went a huge market at the Haitian boarder with this class, a location of many UN peacekeeping troops; and where the UN investigation began. They open the border every Monday and Friday for this market in Dajabon, the Dominican city. Lots of Haitians cross the boarder to buy and cell goods, things from new and used clothes, shoes, bags, toiletries, tupperware and dishes. There are Dominican vendors too but the merchandise is generally different. They usually cell food, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, flour, rice beans, and bulk packaged juices, milk, and crackers. The physical border between Dominican and Haitians.
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