EXTRA, EXTRA: The Dominican Republic Bashed Haiti once again!!!

Haitians and Dominicans,

I have some questions. Does Haiti have any leaders with any kind of backbone to talk to the Dominican Republic? Also, is the Dominican President aware of all the injustice and human right violations going on in his Country? Also I wonder if Haiti does not have any pride to talk back to those foreign politicians making all kinds of discriminatory claims against Haiti and its people... Indeed, the Dominican Republic once again have bashed Haiti.

Recently in Dominican News a Dominican politician "Federico Antun Batlle" stated that: "hoy que Haití es el principal problema que tiene la República Dominicana como nación." Meaning or he is saying that Haiti/ Haitians are the ones to blame for the problems they face in DR. Yet, Preval had said nothing back to repudiated this divisive statement. He does nothing and not even a direct public announcement to address this issue or to even try to engage with DR into some sort of a forum talk of any kind. No wonder why it seems that Haitians do not get any respect around the world, because it is clear that they do not have any representation to stand for them when statements like those make the news and came from especially the Dominican Republic. At least other Countries are far away and do not share the same Island with Haiti. Thus I could understand how feasible it might be to simply ignore them, but DR is right next door to Haiti. Dominicans, Haitians, what do you all think about that? Your comments, please.

Haiti should hold the Dominican Republic accountable and responsible for this divisive offensive slur of incitement that the Dominican Government and its politicians are creating for the people of both Nations who happens to share this Island together. Statement like this only create more social problems. Why does Haiti even have a leader if he will not stand up for Haiti? It is a darn shame! You know what kills me the most... Both Dominicans and Haitians are allowing themselves to buy into the false notions and differences that White Europeans have succeeded at implanting in their minds.

What makes a Dominican?

A Dominican is simply a mulatto. Which means, a mixture of a former African slave and a White European. The romanticize notion that they want to claim Taino Natives in the equation is simply an illusion to demeaning their African side of ancestry. By saying White Europeans, that goes for France, Spain, Great Britain and Portugal and many more other countries on the European continent and its region. The Tainos habited the entire Island of first originally named Ayiti, Quisqueya or Boyo. There is nowhere that I see it says Hispanola if not until came Christopher Columbus who, as history to tell you,massacred the Taino natives close to extinction by having killed 98% of the race. Thus any of them whom might have survived to repopulated, by today this blood would have fading and decimated; meaning indeed to a percentage closer to being non-existent of a mixture. Now the Island was renamed or given a new name, "Hispanola." If Dominicans want to claim anything else that would mention Tainos, basically they are saying they are Ayitianos, Quesqueyans, or Bohioans (Boyo) thus would contradict their hatred for Haitians. So let us say the whole Island is called Hispanola, thus that would make of the habitants of the Island Hispanolanos, would it not?

Of course yes. Because let us take Israel and Palestine for example. Can either of them denounce or claim not being both Middle Eastern or Mediterrainians despite their differences? Of Course not. So now ask a Dominican what is a Haitian see what the answer is going to be.

What is a Haitian?

Deny and accept it or not, a Haitian is an Afro-Latino, much like how you have Afro-American. Why? Well the region is called what... Yes, Latin-America. The Island is called what... Oh yeah, Hispanola which before anything else it was called Ayiti, Quisqueya or Bohio (Boyo). It is funny how an Island in whole in the very same region with the same general name can be so divided to absurdly have one side being called or consider themselves to be one thing and the other is being denied with so much bias that same right because of racial background, created differences and historical resentments. As though Christopher Columbus had discovered them both separately on different separate occasion of some kind. Yet, it is said as a fact many times and once again that Haitians are Afro=Latinos mostly because Afro is due to the African ancestry and Latino given:

1) The region.
2) The language.
3) The linked history.

In addition to the culture of the Island itself of both Nations. However, I know a lot of Dominicans and Haitians do not like to read to even check out this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-Latin_American There are those languages that constitute one to be latino as it states they are called the languages of Romance. No, not as in Romantic, but as of in Rome because they spoke Latin. Those language are French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Creole or any dialects derived from any of those above specific strong latin derivatives

Anyways, the divisive differences that exist between the two nations and their peoples are due to strong past resentments given the History of their histories which race has always played a major role in.

The Dominican Republic even after the Haitian two ruling occupations and several attempts after that was ruled by two Haitian Decent Presidents known in their Country's presidential history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulises_Heureaux He was born in Puerto Plata, but his father was Haitian and his mother was from St. Thomas. He served 3 presidential terms. Obviously he was assassinated. Uhmm, I wonder why...? Then also, there was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Santana who was born in Hincha, now Hinche,Haiti which makes him Haitian. He, too, served three presidential terms. He was known as the best military strategist for Dominican Republic. Also believe if or not, he was the first constitutional elected President of the Dominican Republic and the only to have successfully separate the Dominican Republic from Haiti.

PS: I am Dominican-Haitian-Jewish and sometimes or at times, I often wish I did not carry the blood of neither Countries. Yet there are times, when I look at the rich culture, the humanity (Although lack there of) and the history of the whole Island I realize that I am part of two remarkable outstanding Worlds that could have done way a lot better to co-exist with one another respectfully and I hate myself for it that I can not get through neither one of them. That is the saddest bitter-sweet reality anyone should have to live with.

Please, remember to visit my blog at http://HispanolanoYoSoy.skyrock.com/ Read my blogs, check out the videos and place your opinion on my articles.

HISPANOLANOS AHORA JUNTOS: CODIGO 2020.
H.A.J: CODE 2020 - IT IS A REVOLUTION FOR PEACE.

Mr. Hispanolano, check this site out:

http://surtidordeespejos.blogspot.com/2006/09/negros-de-mentira-y-blancos-de-verdad.html

It won't make you like the DR any better, but at least it will help you understand the basic differences between the historical development between both nations of the island, specially the different economic systems that would be applied in both (plantation economy in the west vs. cattle ranching economy in the east).

Saludos

I just simple think that Dominican Republic should stay away from Haiti and Haiti away from us!, that will end this conflict, other thing
What defines some ethnic background is not there race is there nationality

example: a Japanese had a kid in D.R, that child is not Japanese he is Dominican!

Like you said in your example: "A Japanese had a kid in D.R, that child is not Japanese he is Dominican" Yes, since this is the native land he or she is first seeing as the place being their "Natif Natal" land of birth place.

My point is exactly this. If someone is born on a territory, they are of nationality of the first land they are born onto and touch, not the land where their parents are from. That can only be considered as ancestral backgroundsince indeed that child's parent are from there, but not his or her nationality. A nationality is of the land that yu are physically born onto.

Then, so why is it that DR do not granted Dominican Birth cirtificates to only Haitians, when they are giving Birth Cirtificates to the children of tourists who has not even claim DR citizenships?

My dear friend,

It is always a pleasure talking with you on this subject. Once and for all I must say to you that I do not hate DR, in fact I love it just as much I love Haiti. That is my weakness. I go to both nations quite often. Given the ambiance and high tourism reception in DR, I will truthfully say that as a guy, I have had the most fun in DR than I would have had in Haiti.

Remember, I am both Dominican and Haitian. I can not claim much of being Jewish simply because I have not known nor remember much of being Jewish. So I embrace my Afro-Latino ancestry more and I feel more grounded. I iked the article you have sent me, it has a lot of factua analysis in it that made quite a lot of sense. It opens in view, better approaches for dialogue between Haitians and Dominicans; but of course, as you and I know, the common Haitian or Dominican Joe does not know all that much information nor have them to share as well as they both lack the mental patience and capacity to use these facts as channels to open up to a whole new world of Hispanola.

Let us say even if we had greater differences, that is still of no excuse why we can not co-exist. Leave alone our differences are not that great and both of us can agree that those slight differences or even if they were great ones yet thier aspects are still considerably are racial in motive, and nature.

We can move mountaints for a new Hispaniola!!!

Hispanolanos Ahora Juntos,

Columbus must have had a hell of a lot of time on his hands to eliminate 98% of the Tainos. That was a process that took several centuries. And even as late as the beginning of the 19th century there were still towns where the majority of the people living there were Tainos and still spoke the Arawakan dialect. Those towns were labeled "indianeras" by the Spanish census takers.

Regards...

For the same reason that France does not grant birth certificates to the children of residents from African and Muslim countries. Most of the people who are denied birth certificates are either illegal or can't prove their legal status in the country.

Granting birth certificates to the children of people who have already broken the law by getting into a country illegally will only encourage others to follow their example.

You would do well to have someone translate this for you:

http://surtidordeespejos.blogspot.com/2006/09/negros-de-mentira-y-blancos-de-verdad.html

It is the link already provided above. You will quite frankly and quickly see the very real differences between Dominicans and Haitians. I will even posit that those differences manifest themselves even in the soil. There are real cultural reasons why the Dominican Republic is an essentially green and fertile land to this day and why Haiti ceased to be so many, many decades ago. I understand the need for Haitians to downplay the differences between them and Dominicans. If you were in that position, woulnd't you? Wouldn't anybody?

Look, Hispaniola is not the only island divided between two different ethnic groups. You have the example of Cyprus, which is divided between Greeks and Turks. Not only are they both the same race, indeed the Turks are by and large descended from ancient Greeks. But because of historical consequences, they now practice a different religion, speak a different language and have a different culture from the Greek Cypriots.

You also have Ireland. It is divided into Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. They are not only the same race, but belong to the same ethnic group, the Celtic Gaels, and speak the same language. They are divided merely by religion and allegiance to the British Crown. Yet they are violently antagonistic toward each other and have bombed one another repeatedly. Often bombing each other in the same towns where they live side by side.

You have Timor. They belong to one main racial group and speak Malayo-Indonesian dialects...although they are divided into various tribal divisions. Their main division is religious. East Timor is predominantly Roman Catholic because of Portuguese colonization. It also has a more European perspective than the western side of the island. On that island, the western side recently tried to exterminate the East Timorese when they declared independence. Often setting clan member against clan member, family member against family member.

You have the example of Sri Lanka. The same race of people, BUT with different languages and religions. The Sinhalese, who are the majority, are buddhists and speak an Indo-European language. The Tamils are Hindu and speak a Dravidian language. The majority Sinhalese government is determined to exterminate the Tamils. The Tamils are determined to create a new Tamil country on the eastern side of Sri Lanka, even though the Tamils are not native to Sri Lanka. The overwhelming majority of them arrived from India across the Palk Straight over successive generations. Their dynamics most closely mirrors the situation on the Island of Hispaniola.

And you have the Dominican Republic and Haiti. We don't have a common language, we don't share a common religious tradition since voudoun is the de facto majority belief in Haiti, even while Catholicism gets official recognition as the majority religion. We don't have a common culture since the foundation of our culture is derived from the Iberian peninsula and the foundations of Haitian culture are derived from France and Africa. And while we do have similar racial components, Dominicans (like all Latin Americans of Iberian extraction), make it a point to point out that the precentages of white, black, and mixed are very different on our side. While this may seem trivial, even backward to you...keep in mind that a people's view of itself is the heart and soul of its cultural distinctiveness. All cultures are arbitrary ideas. But a people's arbitrary definition of its culture is what makes it distinctive from all others.

To brush off Dominicans' sense of who and what they are in an attempt to roll them up in a "Hispaniolan" empanada is disrespectful to Dominicans and their cultural identity. And it is one empanada that ultimately no true Dominican will ever be forced to swallow. You are also taking a very liberal view of history. And to be correct, culturally the term "Hispaniolan" indentifies only those people who are culturally descended from the original Spanish colony of Hispaniola. Haiti as a cultural and political entity was a much later French construction. "Hispaniolan" today has no cultural meaning. It is merely a geographic term similar to saying European, African, or Asian. All it serves for today is to describe those things that are found on the island of Hispaniola, regardless of how different they may be.

You are talking about the most explosive topic in human history. The Nazi Germans set about to eliminate fellow Germans based entirely on their foreignness. That foreignness they ascribed to one single, solitary fact...that they practiced a slightly different relgion. Most Germans didn't view Jewish Germans as culturally foreign. But the German National Socialist Party (the Nazis) embarked on a campaign to paint German Jews as a "foreign element" over several decades. We all know the aftermath. Nearly the entire Jewish population of not only Germany, but Poland, Austria, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Holland, Belgium and Denmark, were wiped out.

I can see Hispanoyosoy that you don’t feel proud to be a Haitian… we Dominicans feel proud to be DOMINICANOS, that’s why we did not accept to be a colony of Spain nor a Haitian, France neither a country control by USA (1916-1925, intervencion del 1965).

So we have fought many times to maintain our identity, nationality, our DOMINICANIDAD… Since I read your first comment I decided not to comment because I noticed that you are not looking for a solution just want to impose an idea that we Dominicans will never accept.

So focus yourself in finding a solution that would no be a weight for Dominicans… When you find it let me know I will help you to save your country because I have two friends from Haiti and one of them is like my brother.

Muchacho welcome aboard,

Well let me interject and say that why in the hell would haitians want or need to prove the obvious similarities between dominicans. Of course there are differences in culture and language but in my opinion the two cultures have co-existed with influence by each other. It's ironic to here dominicans running the other way but go out of their way to compare the similarities between Puerto Ricans. Listen personally I don't think neither country has anything to prove rather some type of understanding has to be manifested for a better island. There is no difference on the island and you saying that it is simply your lack of knowledge of the island or either you simply denying to distinguish yourself as much as possible from Haiti and Haitians. There isn't any place in the DR where a dominican speak the taino/arawak language. That is just outrageous and wishful thinking of the parts of some dominicans.

Now regarding the article, I think although some points are valid but the article main objective is to depict how the haitian negro & dominican negro are so so different. Yes, they both speak different languages and many haitians at that time where indeed born somewhere in western africa and many dominicans negros thru out time where born in the dominican republic well (santo domingo). Ok, so what is the big difference. A negro from x country will always be a negro. This was a blatant stretch to distinguish haitians & dominicans. Still negros to me. Well, I guess it is just to say that dominican children born anywhere x country aren't really dominicans. Indeed haitian slaves endured more than dominican slaves but the common donominator is SLAVE. They both were not in control of there destiny and toiled the soil for the benefit of the europeans which they were not compensated for. What's the big difference there? I field negro & a house negro still negros to me and both had no control of their destiny.

And the dual identity which he states haitian blacks have and dominican black doesn't suffer from is basically DENIAL, IMO on the dominican negros part. In 2008 all haitians (of all hue) pay hommage our african ancestors while majority of dominicans prefer to surpress it under a rug or show the other part of dominican culture. Again this isn't to say that there aren't dominicans who recognize there african lineage as you have written in your post but there is a idolisation of tainos. You mentioning that there language is still spoken by dominicans TODAY demonstrate that romanticism. For neutrality lets say that there are many tainos culture that is fused into the dominican culture but wait a minute so are the tainos in the haitian culture. Actually I would say we honoured the country to remember them since Haiti is from the arawak/taino language while dominican republic is not. Lautaro, can you please explain the origin of the DR? I am not quite sure I know it is religious but dont have too much knowledge of it's conception although I've heard many things. So for arguing sake I can say that haitians are more in tune with there taino ancestry than dominicans? Now we can argue to the pigs come home but I prefer to say let's respect each others opinion and find a COMMON GROUND. It appears that there is a fear of accepting the negro aspect in the DR culture because it some how links dominicans to haitians. I personally think this is the biggest hurdle for many dominicans. How to accept my negritude without confessing I have things in common with Haitians. Some time a get a laugh out of it and other time I get sad but I personally think to each his own.

Regarding how antihaitianismo derived has some just because DR did get its independence from Haiti. BTW, many haitians were co-conspirators of dominican independence as well. I want to say that Trujillo was the one who institutionalised the antihaitianismo which trancsended into dominican folklore. There is a fear of el cuco always out to get them which can be applied to haitians. Africanization is evil and hispanisation is idolised (mejor la raza). I personally think dominicans are part of the hispanohablantes and undeniallably caribbean/antillean influence. DR is far from being Argentina,Uruguay,Chile,Bolivia, Mexico,Peru,Ecuador, Paraguay, Colombia. Now this doesn't take away its hispanic culture. Besides, dominicans and haitians are evolving with large parts of there population abroad also adding another flavor into the mix of each respective country. I will discuss the other part of his article on how haiti became poor later. I hope you are up to a positive dialogue with respect.