1. Haitians in the Dominican Republic Priscilla Mundo and Katie Schrimsher

2. ► Haitian Exploitation in the Dominican Republic Haitian Exploitation in the Dominican Republic Haitian Exploitation in the Dominican Republic

4. Haiti ► A long history of conflicts and unrest… ► 1821: President Boyer invades Santo Domingo (following the DR’s declaration of independence from Spain). The entire island was controlled by Haiti until 1844. ► 1838: Haiti receives independence from France by an indemnity of 150 million francs ► 1867: Constitution, economic and political stability, until… ► 1911-2004: Revolutions, dictatorships, coups with brief intermittent periods of economic stability

5. Dominican Republic ► 1822-1844: Controlled by Haiti ► 1916-1924: US occupied DR and recruited Haitians to work in sugar cane industry ► 1930: Rafael Trujillo came to power- efforts toward “Dominicanization” ► 1952- DR began importing Haitian laborers ► 1986- civil liberties given to Haitians: labor contracts, human rights, max. work hours, and housing

6. The Borderlands ► Border was an inconsequential political structure ► People went back and forth for different purposes on a daily basis. ► Not many were “pure Dominicans” as they intermarried ► Many residents spoke both Spanish and Haitian Creole, or a blend of the two. ► Transnational region: no clear hierarchy existed, just cultural, religious, and linguistic distinctions  UNTIL…

7. Rafael L. Trujillo: Antihaitianismo ► President of the Dominican Republic from 1930 to 1938, Dictator through 1961 ► Open-door policy which favored Caucasians in order to “whiten” the nation ► “Dominicanization”: standard Spanish in schools, names of towns, rivers, etc. changed to Spanish ones, official border, “colonies” dispossessed many Haitians ► “Parsley Massacre” of 1937: killed or expelled about 15,000 Haitians, used pronunciation of perejil to determine identity ► Anti-Haitian propaganda through speeches, the media, books, and historical texts, deploring their “Africanness,” language, and Vodou practices

8. What do you think? What factors in the island’s history impacted the status of Haitians in the DR?

9. Today ► About 500,000 Haitians live in the Dominican Republic today ► Many migrated (often illegally) to work in the sugar cane industry, taking jobs that Dominicans were reluctant to do ► Lighter complexion associated with higher status ► Work in the cane fields is looked down upon ► Derogatory slurs are common in social and political domains ► Spanish heritage is emphasized ► Only Spanish language is used in marketplace, media, education, and government domains (not Haitian Creole)

10. What do you think? What could be done to improve the status of Haitians in the Dominican Republic today? What could be done to improve the status of Haitians in the Dominican Republic today?

11. What do you think? How do you think the lower status of Haitians affects intergroup relations (marriage, work, education)?

12. Resources ► http://www.student.britannica.com/eb/art/print?id=52624 &articleTypeId=0 http://www.student.britannica.com/eb/art/print?id=52624 &articleTypeId=0 http://www.student.britannica.com/eb/art/print?id=52624 &articleTypeId=0 ► http://www.travelinghaiti.com/history.asp http://www.travelinghaiti.com/history.asp ► http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Haiti http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Haiti ► Howard, David. (2001). Coloring the Nation. Hemisphere: A Magazine of the Americas, 9 (3), 21-23. ► Morgan, N.T. (1987). Language maintenance and shift among Haitians in the Dominican Republic. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Dissertation Services. ► Turits, Richard Lee. (2002) A World Destroyed, A Nation Imposed: The 1937 Haitian Massacre in the Dominican Republic. Hispanic American Historical Review, 82 (3), 589- 635.