Anti-Haitian Rooted in Dominican History – Haiti News

Haitian News

“Dominicans define themselves in terms of who they are not,” said Tamar Thompson, project coordinator of the New York-based National Coalition for Haitian Rights. “Globally speaking, there is no place where you score points for being darker.”

Thompson’s words are reflected in the way citizens of the Dominican Republic describe their racial identities: “oscuro” for the darkest skinned, “canela” for those of medium hue, and “claro” for those with the lightest complexions. All are referred to as “Indians.” None are referred to as “black.” That word is only used to describe persons from the nation occupying the western one-third of Hispaniola, their shared Caribbean island.

Much of Dominican self-identity is rooted in the Republic’s long-standing rivalry with neighboring Haiti. Although Dominicans most closely identify with their former Spanish colonizers, their Independence Day, Feb. 27, celebrates the country’s victory over Haiti in 1844. Antecedently, Haiti had ruled the Dominican Republic for 22 years. Although the two countries have not fought any wars since then, this period of subjugation has remained in Dominicans’ collective consciousnesses.

Historical Prejudice Against Haitians

“There is a historical anti-Haitian feeling [among Dominicans]. They see Haitians as the enemy; as the people who can eventually take the whole island,” says Dr. Miguel Anibal Perdomo, professor of Dominican Identity and Literature at Hunter College in New York City. Added to this collective bias is the view among many Dominicans that Haitians are culturally, economically, and socially inferior. Such stereotyping is characterized by the general distain for Haitian religious and cultural practices – referred to as “voodoo” – and for the recent election-related violence, joining the international perception of Haiti as a nation spinning out of control.

Source:  WordPress

• The Entrepreneur Fund: One Year of Projected Expenses As debt freedom moves closer to reality in the Frugal household, my dreams have again turned to the idea of venturing out on my own. I’ve been fortunate to enjoy some growth around here these last couple years, and my combined earnings from all freelancing ventures are enough to support......
• Do Rich Nations Owe Poor Ones a Climate Debt? [/caption] By BRYAN WALSH Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 In two decades of climate-change negotiations, a deep divide has remained between wealthy nations and developing ones, each side insisting the other move first to lower carbon emissions and curb the effects of global warming. But this year there was an uncommon......
• Consider Lifetime Subscriptions for Sirius XM, TiVo, National Geographic, or Zoos & Musuems Subscriptions wind up being a large portion of a lot of people's bills. What kinds of subscriptions do people have? Cable TV, Internet, Cell Phones, Magazines, DVD rental services, Satellite radio, etc. At what point does it become more prudent to buy a lifetime or annual subscription for these services?......
• US Open Facts and Figures Lets take a look at some of the pertinent facts and figures for the upcoming US Open tennis championship tournament: What: This is the final major championship tournament for the pro tennis season. When: Play will continue for two weeks, with the women's singles finals to be held on September......
• National Save for Retirement Week I hesitate to even mention "National Save for Retirement Week" for several reasons. First, every week should be save for retirement week. Second, some of the materials I've seen published in recognition of the week have been questionable in their accuracy. Let's take a quick look at the official National......