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The countries of the Dominican Republic and Haiti share the same island, which has commonly been known as Hispaniola ever since its discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1492. During that time, the island was compromised of the same territory and remained that way until 1697, with the signing of the Treaty of Ryswick, Spain ceded the western part of the island to France, which was renamed Saint-Domingue.
Map of Hispaniola. From Traveling Man's Flickr and used under a Creative Commons license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/travelingman/2816126909/
This colony was gradually populated by African slaves, and who eventually rebelled against their French colonizers. It was in this manner in 1804 that Haiti was born, becoming the first independent country in Latin America. By 1822, Haiti had total control of the island and occupied Santo Domingo until February 27, 1844, when a secret society called “La Trinitaria” led by among others, Juan Pablo Duarte, was created to gain independence from Haiti and to create what is now the Dominican Republic.
Since that day, the Dominican Republic and Haiti have been two independent nations, with a different culture, beliefs, and system. Their paths of economic development has also varied greatly, with Haiti being the least developed country in the Americas and the Dominican Republic enjoys one of the largest economies in the Caribbean and Central America.
Despite these stark contrasts, it is the close proximity of these two countries that have the intertwined their own fates. A large number of Haitians cross the border on a daily basis, usually illegally, to look for work as construction workers or to work as street vendors selling fruit, candy or other small, inexpensive items. Others may be specially contracted to work on sugarcane plantations.
Haitian fruit vendor in the Dominican Republic. Photo by Caymang and used under a Creative Commons license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlakme/2903770065/
Due to the large numbers of undocumented Haitians in the Dominican Republic, a large percentage can be seen in the streets as beggars. These visible examples often leaves Dominicans with a negative stereotyped view of all Haitians. However, there is still a smaller percentage that arrive legally with intentions to study, often with scholarships, but may not be the typical profile of Haitans in the country. José Rafael Sosa introduces his readers to one of these successful students, named Gessy [es]:
Cuando uno conoce a Gessy, el esquema prejuiciado que tenemos de “los haitianos”, se va a casa del carajo. Gessy Bellerive nació en Grande Riviѐre Du Nord, cerca de la ciudad de Cabo Haitiano, y voy directo a la historia: acaba de graduarse Magna Cum Laude en la Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra. Ahora regresa a Haití a servir a su pueblo.
Despite these positive examples of Haitians excelling in their neighboring countries, many Dominicans feel that immigration is out of control. Even though most arrive out of their free will, there are others that are brought to the Dominican Republic due to human trafficking and are taken advantage of in a network of beggars. There are estimates that there are approximately 1 million undocumented Haitians in the D.R., many of which are children who are working on the streets as window washers or shoeshiners. Manuel Vólquez of Diario Digital Dominicano [es] summarizes the situation this way:
Los haitianos se desplazan por el país como hormigas y han desplazado a nuestros obreros en sectores importantes de la economía como son la construcción y los negocios informales. Han llegado tan lejos que hasta usan niños en las avenidas para mendigar, han asimilado nuestra cultura y nuestras costumbres. ¿Cosas de la transculturización y la globalización?
It is the economic impact on the Dominican State that worries many people, because of the funds destined to provide free medical care to the undocumented immigrants. There are cases where the number of beds available for patients are decreasing because they are often occupied by immigrants [es]. According to Dr. Bolívar Matos, the Health Director of the South Region, the cost to provide medical care to these immigrants in the San Juan and Elías Piña provinces [es]reached 55 million pesos (approximately 1.5 million dollars).
In the comments section of the Hoy article, many write about these increased costs. Rosado320 wonders how much the total cost on the entire island would be, since the estimates only included two provinces. Oscar Caceres thinks that taxes may need to be increased in order to meet these needs, and even suggests asking for international aid to help cover these costs. However, Davidlebron is a little more sympathetic and writes:
A nosotros los dominicanos ausentes, no se nos niega la atencion medica por estos paises tampoco…asi que estoy un poco sorprendido porque hay gente que considera que tratar a los hermanos haitianos es un problema. Claro que es costoso…pero a ninún humano se le debe negar el derecho a comer y ser atendido por probemas de salud…a muchos de nuestros niños se les atiende en hospitales del extranjero y nadie sale a relucir esto como si de algo negativo se tratara.
These topics are often at the center of the discussion about Haitians in the Dominican Republic. As a result, Dominicans are often accused internationally of racism, abuse and mistreatment against the Haitian people, especially in the sugar industry. There are also outcries about the rights of Haitians when the Dominican Republic takes sovereign actions including deportation. There are non-governmental organizations that are active in these types of campaigns, and this is a topic that will be explored in the next article.
I knew this would be a hateful article based on this title “Dominican Republic: The Financial Cost of Undocumented Haitian Immigrants”.
“…ever since its discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1492”
First of all when our histories are framed continuously in the context of European conquests and exploration, we perpetuate the idea that Indigenous, ancient communities weren’t there, that we were living in darkness in the Americas until our wonderful conquerors came to impose their religion, language, diseases, and ways upon us. I remember when I was in university taking a marketing class, and a sentence started in my textbook by saying something like, “since the beginning of time, the Greeks and the Romans have used marketing techniques….” or something along those lines. For a person of African descent, I know that my history reaches so much further back than the Greeks or the Romans. People of color are made to feel as if our histories don’t matter (granted we all come from Africa). I think it’s an issue around identity that needs to be respected.
“This colony was gradually populated by African slaves, and who eventually rebelled against their French colonizers.”
Additionally, we need to realize that the people who came over to the Americas by force were people. They were enslaved people, not slaves. This framework is important to understand.
“…two independent nations, with a different culture, beliefs, and system.. Despite these stark contrasts,”
I oppose overly dwelling on the differences of the two sides of this one island. Honestly, there are more things in common than not. There are so many opportunities to build on common ground and recognize and honor the similarities. We lose ground exacerbating and overstating the differences.
“Dominican Republic enjoys one of the largest economies in the Caribbean and Central America.”
Perhaps this statement is true. But let’s not forget that there are still millions of Dominicans living on less than $2US a day. This type of differentiating distracts the focus from the real goal, which is not proving that the DR is so much better off than Haiti, the goal is to lift the Island of Hispaniola out of poverty. Dominican Republic will not progress to its fullest potential without the progress of Haiti and vice versa Getting over the drama of years of lies and misinformation is key to working together to get things done.
“A large number of Haitians cross the border on a daily basis, usually illegally, to look for work as construction workers or to work as street vendors selling fruit, candy or other small, inexpensive items. Others may be specially contracted to work on sugarcane plantations.”
The immigration system is broken. Haitians are singled out from other foreign nations by the Dominican government and systematically treated unfairly. Like most border countries, movement of people constantly happens. Most communities on border towns have ties on both arbitrary lines “separating” nations. This continuous movement of people as with goods does occur. Is it illegal or natural?
This would lead one who has never been to the Dominican Republic or know the current situation to believe that all Haitian immigrants are “street vendors or sugarcane laborers”. However an important fact to note is that Haitians occupy a vast array of professional positions in the Dominican Republic including medicine, law, real estate, academia just to name a few.
Many Haitians are multilingual and have university education. My point is that the Haitian immigrant community is diverse.
“A large percentage [of undocumented Haitians] can be seen in the streets as beggars [which] leaves Dominicans with a negative stereotyped view of all Haitians. However, there is still a smaller percentage that arrive legally with intentions to study, often with scholarships, but may not be the typical profile of Haitans in the country.
This makes it clear that this article exacerbates the differences and dwells on the negative and downplays the positive. Many Haitians obtain or attempt to attain travel and immigration documentation to live, work and study in the Dominican Republic (DR). It’s safe to say that no Haitian goes to the DR to beg or receive social welfare. They intend to work. Most all do and contribute culturally, economically and otherwise to the Dominican society. The migrant Haitian workforce is so intertwined and fundamental to the DR that it’s also safe to say that it would be devastating to the DR’s growth if these workers were mass deported from the country as this article is alluding to.
Negative stereotypical views of entire groups and communities is dangerous territory. It sows seeds for violence and even genocide. I won’t get into the history of massacres that have taken place in the DR, based on hateful stereotypes.
What’s the typical profile of a Haitian? This to me says that there are good Haitians and bad ones. This statement carries racist tones. For eons people in power, often of European descent have picked us out and separated who’s a good black (i.e. those who follow their rules, stay in place, and emulate them) and who’s a bad black. Segmenting the “good” from the “bad” perpetuates strife in our community meanwhile their power goes unchallenged.
“Even though most arrive out of their free will, there are others that are brought to the Dominican Republic due to human trafficking and are taken advantage of in a network of beggars….There are estimates that there are approximately 1 million undocumented Haitians in the D.R., many of which are children who are working on the streets as window washers or shoe shiners.”
It’s absurd to insinuate that most of the undocumented Haitians are beggars. That’s just simply is not true. Often people born in the Dominican Republic of Haitian parents or of Haitian ancestry are considered immigrants. They are systematically denied documentation and access to schools, hospitals and social institutions. Basically, dark, “Haitian-looking” individuals are lumped into a category of foreigner, “dirty Haitian”, ugly black person and the list goes on. Dominicans should feel a little a shamed because often they’re turning their backs on fellow Dominicans begging in the streets. However, the humanity living in us all should feel a need to right the wrongs that have created situations of poverty regardless of a person’s race or nationality.
I would say that many who go to the DR are not going on their own free will. They are being forced, economically and otherwise, to leave their homes. Decisions at the highest levels are made between the Dominican and Haitian governments to fulfill the labor needs of the bateyes (sugar plantations) in the DR. Don’t blame the people. Fault the system. Then, work to change the system.
“It is the economic impact on the Dominican State that worries many people, because of the funds destined to provide free medical care to the undocumented immigrants”
I think it’s a gross exaggeration to imply that undocumented Haitians (many lumped in this group are Dominican) are bringing the DR down economically. The DR can make its life easier if they just focus on universal health care for all people and not on exclusion. I’m sure that a comparison of what these workers are contributing to the economy far outweighs what services they are occasionally accessing.
“These topics are often at the center of the discussion about Haitians in the Dominican Republic. As a result, Dominicans are often accused internationally of racism, abuse and mistreatment against the Haitian people, especially in the sugar industry.”
Dominicans aren’t accused of being racist and abusing Haitians because of heated debates. While the topic incites passionate debate, UN bodies, well respected international NGOs and religious organizations have documented over the years the violations of the human rights by the Dominican government of Haitian immigrants, Dominicans of Haitian descent and darker skinned Dominicans. That fact is not to be denied. It’s more progressive to accept what is and has happened and move on from there.
“There are also outcries about the rights of Haitians when the Dominican Republic takes sovereign actions including deportation.”
Mass deportations are often illegal, inhumane, and are ineffective in controlling the flow of people to the DR. Deportations break up families and devastate and terrorize communities and are usually unwarranted.
-70 % of the births in Pedernales, Enriquillo and Independencia are from Haitian women.
-30 % of the health’s budget in DR is spent on Haitian
-38,000 school’s arm chairs are denied to Dominican because they are used by the Haitian and their children
- More than 100,000 Haitian cross illegaly to DR every year. The net accumulation is two million Haitian in DR.
Haitian are displacing the Dominican from jobs (Haitian lower salaries), from the lands, and from the subsidies (subsidies that include education, health, feeding programs, transportation, and housing).
Haitian bring diseases (tuberculosis, HIV, and Hepatitis), poverty, contraband (weapons, drugs, rice, coffee, garlic, etc.), violence (raids, crime, robberies, beheadings, etc.), and environmental destruction (tree fellings for charcoal, garbage generation, killing of “Bubis”, etc.).
The Haitian also bring prostitution, human trafficking, and child slavery to DR.
Haiti on purpose never raise their minimum salary to force the Haitian to migrate to DR. The Haitian in DR are getting more salary and send remittances to Haiti (~$300 million dollars a year). And yet the Haitian in DR used their tendencies of “living poor” to cry “slavery” and defame DR in front of the world.
DR is not going to legalize the illegals or their children since that violate the Constitution of both countries.
I am sad to see the comment above, since this is the kind of thing that is said about immigrants in all countries – including Dominican immigrants to the United States. It’s easy to forget our common humanity in these conversations, and generalize and think badly of those who come from abroad. The flow of human beings across borders is a big challenge, but no individual is to blame for the injustice or poverty they are trying to escape.
Hola,me da un gusto, leer,tratar de comprender y al mismo tiempo agradecer a Haitianos y Dominicanos por la manera tan inteligente de pensar respecto a un problema tan seria como la situacion de los Haitianos en RD.
Claro que si, mas alla de las multiples razones que sean para un ser Humano imigrarse a otro pais siempre hay un costo a pagar en diferente punto de vista y en este caso Haitianos tiene que aceptar y tomar conciencias de que el responsable de todo eso es su propio gobierno,su gente y ellos mismos.
Hay que reflexcionar,analizar,aprender,respetar,acceptar,entender,reconocer y agradecer al pueblo y gobierno de Santo Domingo por su hospitalidad,perdonarles,ser amable con ellos,porque si Sto Domingo no existiria que hariamos.
Asi mismo Dominicanos ,sean dignos en demuestrar su madurez,su inteligencia y su honestidad al defavorisado,al necesitado Dios le bendecira mas y sea orgulloso de ser lo.
Yo como Haitiano,les agradesco, solo les pido que olvidan el pasado y que aprovechan los haitianos no se dan cuenta, la economia de RD crece, Dinero entra,el costumbre,la mentalidad y todo los demas se van para Haiti,un dia el gorbierno Haitiano sera mas Dominicano que Haitiano.
Nota: Soy Haitiano,pensar asi es aceptar la realidad y no anti-Haitiano.
Sto nos coloniza mentalmente.