An island divided: Haitian immigrants deported from the Dominican Republic

There are some details missing. Haiti contitituion says that a haiti y haitin y mother or father are haitian no matter where they are born. I could be wrong about this. They current president said this in an interview. Still they are mistreated and sometimes abuse.

There are some details missing. Haiti contitituion says that a haiti y haitin y mother or father are haitian no matter where they are born. I could be wrong about this. They current president said this in an interview. Still they are mistreated and sometimes abuse.

I’m a new and enthusiastic NTK watcher, so maybe I’ve missed an earlier piece. But please do a parallel piece on exactly the same issue (including population living in fear, etc) on US immigration policy. Is there a human rights investigation going on re US immigration policy? Please look into it the same way.

I would like to congratulate the correspondent and the producers on this well manipulated documentary video of the Dominican-Haitian situation. But I would like to ask some questions; Why is the Dominican Republic responsible on taking and solving Haitians calamities when can’t resollve its own???? Where are the billions of dollars that the whole world donated after the disastrous earthquake????? With all that money it would be enough to build another Haiti. I would like to know where is the correspondent from?????? And if she is so interested in the haitians problem solution, why does not she also comment on the way the haitians are deported from the United States????? Dominican Republic, other countries in the world, has the right to put in place immigration policies for the safety of its people and the country. On the video the correspondent is trying in so many ways to instigate in the haitians the idea that they have the right to live in the Dominican Republic illegally and that they live in fear of deportation. Everybody that is illegal feel that way or what the correspondent think every illegal in the United States feels like????? You can’t go to Dominican Republic preaching on something that you don’t do in your country!!!!!! The day that a person could freely live illegally in the United States, then, that day I will agree that the haitians can do the same in the Dominican Republic!!!!!!!!!!!

Me gustaria felicitar al corresponsal y a los productores de este bien manipulado video-documental acerca de la situacion Dominico-Haitiana. Pero me gustaria hacer unas cuantas preguntas; Porque la Republica Dominicana es responsable de aduenarse y resolver la calamidad del pueblo haitiano cuando no puede resolver la propia??? Donde estan los billones de dolares que todo el mundo dono despues del desastroso terremoto?????? Con todo ese dinero, seria suficiente para construir otro Haiti. Me gustaria saber que nacionalidad es la corresponsal. Y si ella esta tan interesada en la solucion de los problemas haitianos, por que ella no comenta en la forma en que los haitianos tambien son deportados de los Estados Unidos?????? La Republica Dominicana, como otras naciones del mundo, tienen el derecho de hacer cumplir las leyes de immigracion por la seguridad de su pueblo y el pais. En el video, la corresponsal trata de muchas formas de instigar en los haitianos, la idea de que ellos tienen todo el derecho de vivir ilegalles en la Republica Dominicana y que estos viven en peligro y con miedo de ser deportados. Todo el mundo que vive ilegal, se siente de esa manera, o como se cree la corresponsal que cada ilegal se siente viviendo ilegal en los Estados Unidos????? Ustedes no pueden ir a Republica Dominicana a predicar algo que ustedes no hacen en su pais!!!!!!!!!! El dia que una persona pueda vivir libremente vivir ilegal en los Estados Unidos, entonces, yo estare de acuerdo en que los haitianos puedan hacer lo mismo en la Republica Dominicana!!!!!!!!!!!

Anne, thanks for that comment!!!! Please read mine where I have the same questions!!! Best Wishes!!

TODOS LOS PAISES TIENEN EL DIGNO DERECHO DE HACER VALER SUS LEYES MIGRATORIAS, INCLUYENDO LOS HAITIANOS QUE NOS ZUMBA A LOS DOMINICANOS PARA ACA LUEGO DE MATARLOS A PALOS COMO HICIERON CON LOS DOMINICANOS AGRICULTORES Y PEQUEÑOS GANADEROS QUE FUERON A BUSCAR SUS RESES QUE LOS HAITIANOS LE ROBERON NO LOS REPATRIARON A PATADAS LOS SACARON …. ESPERO QUE NUESTRO GOBIERNO SE PONGA LOS PANTALONES Y NO ES DEPORTARLOS ES R E P A T R I A R L O S PORQUE SI SON ILEGALES NO ES DEPORTACION GRACIAS.

For those D.R.s comparing illegal immigration between the U.S. and the DR, I have never heard of mobs of machete wielding Americans beheading illegals.

Hola, Gracias por sus comentarios. Thank you for your comments. Let me address some of your questions….

I am going to address some of Ricardo’s questions.
1)Why is the Dominican Republic responsible on taking and solving Haitians calamities when can’t resolve its own? In this piece, the director of immigration does a good job making his case how Dominican Republic cannot resolve the Haitian issue. But what we found on the ground was the way in which the Dominican government goes about rounding up Haitians is a violation of their human rights. There is a 1999 protocol signed by the Dominican and Haitian government that states families cannot separated. And we met so many Haitians who were. The government says that are not taking away “established” Haitians. But we found that not to be true either.

The real issue here is about how Haitians are treated in the Dominican Republic. They are victims of constant discrimination because the color of their skin, even when Dominicans themselves are black.

The government has to address the anti-Haitian sentiment that exists in the Dominican Republic. Weeks after we shot our story, one of the human rights groups we worked with told us the Santiago Court House asked his organization to teach the workers Creole. That is a good step in the right direction. Because even for some of those Haitians living “legally” in the Dominican Republic, basic things like getting a bank account is hard for them.

Also I would like to address Ricardo’s question about the United States deportations of Haitians. The US is deporting Haitians with a criminal record. And also sending them back to a country they do not know. It was funny, because time and time again, we heard from Dominicans who said “Well look at what the United States is doing”. This week in the United States, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency formalized its Haitian deportation policy. ICE claims it will consider medical and humanitarian factors when deciding whether to deport someone to Haiti.

You raise good points. However, the concept of illegal in any country is just that illegal! In the DR, Haiti, and U.S. there can be no distinction of “illegal. It takes the power of independent media around the globe to expose atrocities in whatever country. Now a case can be made for Mexico and Haiti for not providing opportunities for their people, that will not lead to mass migration. Where are the billion of dollars donated for Haiti and how are they being spent!!

Anne and Ricardo I’ll tell you where you can find some of the donations made to Haiti. HATIANS ARE IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SELLING THEIR RECEIVED DOTATIONS AT FAIRS or standing at a corner. In fact I PURCHASED A SAKS FIFTH AVENUE pair of shoes brand new tagged at 342.00 USA dollars for the lovely price of $3.00 USA dollars!!! .

This documentary seems taken out of content. Obviously the reporter is delivering a well manipulated documentary video. As we all know Dominican Republic is an independant country from Haiti with different language, religious, socio and economic development. The Dominican Republic’s constitution is similar to USA constitution. There are existing laws in place wether the illegal immigrant is hatian or not deportation laws should be implemented resulting in a deportation process. The Dominican Republic is responsible for a better future for the People of the Dominican Republic by creating strong alliances with developed countries and Haiti should take the Dominican Republic as a great example and take responsiblitity for their own problems and try to resolve them on their own. Invading Dominican Republic is not the solution to Haiti’s corrupted government who is holding back millions of dollars in donations that can be use to fix their devastating situation. With all respect Hatians illegal immigrations is a huge socio economic problem for the Dominican Republic. Hatians are being returned to their country of origin because they are illegal, not because of their skin color. Dominicans also have dark skin by 80%. If Haiti has a devastating situation it is not because of Dominicans. 650 people were infected with colera and 7 dominicans died because of the illegal immigrants brought colera which is not fair to the dominican communities. The stealing, the labor takeover, vowel movements on the streets at daylight, the unemployment, the ignorance shown when the dissapearance of dominican children and the appearance of those bones in vudoo rituals occurs? Bateyes where in existance since I was born and they never had water and light. In fact my granma’s house didnt have electricity nor a water and sewer system until the early 80′s and she is dominican from spanish french decendants. There are areas in Dominican Republic with no light or sewer system. Switzwerland’s contitituion says that a swidish of a mother or father are swedish no matter where they are born so does the Dominican constitution. This documentary is way out of content I suggest you research and film it again in a more objective way.

In this piece, the director of immigration does a good job making his case how Dominican Republic cannot resolve the Haitian issue. TRUE, THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC CANNOT RESOLVE HAITI’S SITUATION. But what we found on the ground was the way in which the Dominican government goes about rounding up Haitians is a violation of their human rights. THE GOVERNMENT IS PICKING UP ILLEGAL ALLIENS. THE PROCESS IS NOT EASY FOR BOTH SIDES AND WILL NEVER BE FAIR TO EITHER SIDE BECAUSE “THE LAW IS ABSOLUTE, NOT MADE FOR AN SPECIFIC GROUP FOR A GOOD CAUSE”. There is a 1999 protocol signed by the Dominican and Haitian government that states families cannot separated. WHICH IN THIS CASE THE LAW PASSED WHERE THE CHILD IS NOT DOMINICAN BECAUSE OF PARENTS BEING FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY WORKS TOWARDS THEIR FAVOR WHEN BEING DEPORTED. NO SEPARATION WILL OCCUR. And we met so many Haitians who were. The government says that are not taking away “established” Haitians. But we found that not to be true either. IF THEY PROVIDE SUBSTANCIAL PROOF OR EVIDENCE THEY WILL NOT BE DEPORTED WHICH HASNT BEEN PROVIDED CAUSING THE DEPORTATION.

The real issue here is about how Haitians are treated in the Dominican Republic. HOW ARE HAITIANS TREATING DOMINICANS WHEN THEY DONT WORK, CRIME (STEALING) HAS GONE UP TREMENDOUSLY, COLERA HATIANS BROUGHT INTO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC INFECTED 650 PEOPLE AND KILLED 7 PEOPLE They are victims of constant discrimination because the color of their skin , even when Dominicans themselves are black. DOMINICANS ARE UPSET AT THEY WAY HAITIANS LIVE AND ARE TRYING TO TAKE OVER BY FORCE. HOW THEY ARE BEING ROBBED THEIR LAND, CAWS, JOBS BELONGING ETC. YOUR DOCUMENTARY ONLY SHOWS ONE SIDE OF THE COIN. SHOW US THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN.

The government has to address the anti-Haitian sentiment that exists in the Dominican Republic. Weeks after we shot our story, one of the human rights groups we worked with told us the Santiago Court House asked his organization to teach the workers Creole. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ALSO ENCOURAGED STUDENTS TO LEARN ENGLISH FRENCH ETC. That is a good step in the right direction. Because even for some of those Haitians living “legally” in the Dominican Republic, basic things like getting a bank account is hard for them. IT IS HARD WHEN THE ENTIRE NATION GETS PAY PENNIES OF A DOLLAR REGARDLESS OF BEING DOMINICAN OR NOT.

Also I would like to address Ricardo’s question about the United States deportations of Haitians. The US is deporting Haitians with a criminal record. USA IS DEPORTING BOTH HAITIANS WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS AS WELL AS ILLEGAL HAITIANS OR ANY OTHER RACE WITH OR WITHOUT CRIMINAL RECORD WITH NO STATUS OR ILLEGAL And also sending them back to a country they do not know. It was funny, because time and time again, we heard from Dominicans who said “Well look at what the United States is doing”. This week in the United States, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency formalized its Haitian deportation policy. ICE claims it will consider medical and humanitarian factors when deciding whether to deport someone to Haiti.

TMR…..thanks for referring to my comment. Everybody knows that video i very well manipulated by the economic power of the world!!! Completely out of context. I would like to know where is the correspondent from!!! She looks dominican, which for me would be a disgrace!!!!

Jackeline Pou….I thank you for your reply, but you are showing the wrong side of the picture, in a well manipulated documentary. Are you from dominican descent???? thanks again.

Codejam….thanks for your comment…….Everybody is asking the same question about all the money donated to Haiti. Which big power has it in their hands?????

Jackeline….is that all you have to say?????

Jackeline Pou…..Please give a more detailed comment to my questions, I expect a better answer from you. txs

Surprisingly, Need to Know accuses Dominicans of racism for restarting deportations after one year of uncontrollable influx of undocumented Haitians, even though the DR, unlike the USA, lacks a border wall, automatic surveillance planes and a well paid military force with additional vigilantes securing the border. Very conveniently, the reporter failed to present the economic crisis of the Dominican Republic, the violence brought about by drug traffickers that use the country for transit because of an American addiction to drugs and the incapacity of the economy to generate formal employment, thereby increasing unemployment.

The use of Haitian workers in the main branches of the DR economy has lowered wages and displaced Dominican labor. In violation of Dominican laws, requiring that at least 80% of labor should be national, Haitian workers are now the main labor force in agriculture, construction, and the tourism industry. Manual labor for Dominicans is now confined to transporting passengers on motorcycles, beauty salons, public services, and the informal economy (over half of jobs).

There would be a civil war in America if their workers were substituted by immigrants in their own homeland. Recently, Italy had an “Immigrant crisis” when 22,000 refugees from Middle Eastern countries came to their shores, calling “selfish” the 27 EU countries for not sharing the burden. The number of illegal Haitians crossing the border after the earthquake is estimated at 200,000 people. This is equivalent to 6,200,000 people crossing the USA border in one year.

Esta señorita o señora necesita leer bien la historia Dominicana, pero bien quiere decir, que se lea un libro de la pagina 1 hasta las 200 y que se instruya bien antes de emitir juicio sin fundamento. Por qué no le dice a Bill Clinton que unifique a USA con Mexico? o por qué no unifican a USA con Oriente Medio que tanto os gusta a los americanos estas tierras! Somos un pais, una República libre, soberana e independiente de toda potencia extranjera, y el al que no le guste, que le ponga flores para que le termine gustando!

“The real issue here is about how Haitians are treated in the Dominican Republic. They are victims of constant discrimination because the color of their skin, even when Dominicans themselves are black.” This is a contradiction. Let us avoid generalizations.

The Dominican population is facing a massive influx of people from a failed state. This is today one of the most important issues in the world due to climate change and the predicted increase of ecological refugees. Articles in Scientific American predict wars between nations because of failed states and ecological refugees trying to survive.

Please read the work of Lester Brown, who asserts: “We are facing issues of near-overwhelming complexity and unprecedented urgency. Our challenge is to think globally and develop policies to counteract environmental decline and economic collapse. The question is: Can we change direction before we go over the edge?” In a recent documentary entitled Journey to Planet Earth, on channel 2, WPBT, Laser Brown speaks of climate change and the threat to world peace due to failed states. Which countries do he chooses to illustrate the problem of failed states? Only one, Haiti.

You certainly oversimplified the issue of a failed state massive migration, plus national feelings based on different languages, culture and historical conflicts in the history of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. I assure you, there is no other people on earth that would like to see Haiti prosper than the Dominican people. My heart goes out to the Haitian people in the tragedy they have had to endure due to poor governance. But the rest of the world must not forget Haiti as it seems they have.

Please read the WikiLeaks cables of the American Government for 2009. They request that the UN Army remains in Haiti until 2013 so that Haitians do not come to Florida; and they have not accepted refugees after the earthquake.

Today, all those students that were denied visas to study in Canada, France and the USA, are studying in Dominican universities, over 4,000 of them. I am proud of that. In a meeting with the press, they were asked if they suffered discrimination. They denied it, with the exception of one student that was requested to show his visa permit, and the police refer to him as “Haitian.” Some have been provided with help that Dominicans do not get.

If you want to advance Haiti’s cause, go to Haiti and research the reasons why Haitians can’t live in Haiti, even though Haiti has received international donations, pledges of billions of dollars, hundreds of NGOs constantly asking people from different countries for money for Haiti, and a long presence of the UN peace keeping Force. I will be looking forward to see the follow up.

Argelia Tejada Yanguela

You probably heard that posted in the New York Times. If that were true, millions of Haitians would not want to come to the DR. Of course, in Arizona they do not have to use machetes, they use the police and vigilantes with guns at the border. They have a wall, robot planes, cameras and pointed weapons at those attempting to cross the border. But with Cubans, it is a different story.

The producer brought Trujillo to the picture after 50 years of his death. He was the product of the 1916-1924 invasion of the Unioted States, that also invaded Haiti from 1915-1934. They change the land laws in the DR to take fertile flat land from the peasantry and start 16 sugar cane mills. The peasants run to the mountains and they brought Haitians and Caribbeans from English spiaking islands. In 1937, there were “no mobs of machete wielding [Dominicans} beheading illegals.’”

There was a tirant, that took criminals from prisons to get Haitians to leave the country. According to American sources of the time, there were several hundred people killed. As time pases, historian Bernardo Vegas documents how the number has been inflated in directed proportion to the length of time from the event, and without any evidence to justify the estimation. By the end of centruy, exptect a million estimate. The producer, with a bias intentionallity quoted the number as a fact. She should have quoted the 8 years of Haitian invations with an Army of 30,000 soldiers, and their killing of 500 women and children and a priest that were taking refuge at a Church in the city of Moca. The DR never have invaded Haiti, is the other way around.

Trujillo paid compensation to the Haitian government and built two towns for refugees in Haiti. They did not wait one year to abandon the towns and return to the DR. They have mostly been afraid of their own tirants, supported by USA.

Dominicans that knew about it protected and hide Haitians, as this took place from one to two weeks on sites closed to the border. One of the children left behind was adopted by a Dominican family, Francisco Peña Gomez. He fought with Dominicans the US invasion of 1965 and the PRD party send him to France to study. He became for many years the leader of that party, its candidate for national elections and the mayor of Santo Domingo City. That is how racist and anti-Hatians Dominicans are.

Aditionally, Trujillo killed thousands of Dominicans. When I was a teenager he burnt our house when we were sleeping. Luckily my brother woke up before we were burnt. My father, brother, sister, borther in law, and other relatives were taken to prison for conspiring against him. I was saved because my father hid me at 17. Please do not compared an impossed criminal to the Dopminican population. Most Americans do not know their History, or they would not be repeating how great they are.

The reason Trujillo lasted 31 years in power was because he was supported by the United States and the Catholic Church. He was trained as a military by the US Army when trhey occupied trhe Dominican Republic in 1916-1924 to establish sugar mills for American Corporations. Today, the larger sugarmill and Touristic corporation belongs to the Franjul Brothers, from Florida; perhaps would be go to ask them to sponsor refugees from Haiti, given the profits they make in the DR with their labor.

The Catholic Church did not say one word when the Haitians were killed by Trujiollo.

Haiti was born out of a slave revolt. They killed the whites and burnt the sugar fields. In their Constitution, they established the juis sanguinis principle, not jus solis like in the rest of Latin America and the USA. Jus sanguinis means that you are a citizen not by where you are born, but by blood. If your parents are Haitians, you are automatically a Haitian. I think that is why most Haitians in Haiti lack birth certificates. If you are a Dom inican born in Haiti, that does not make you a Haitian. You have to go to a Dominican consulate to get your birth certificate.

Jackeline…..how are the haitians and other immigrants treated when they are illegaly in the US???? Immigrations don’t take them and deport them or they are given a green card??? Can they work in the US illegaly?? Or are they deported because the color of their skin??? I expect an answer from you. txs in advance.

@ Jackeline Pou: You can see this on El DiarioLibre.com (a story that you did not show on your video)
En Santiago, haitianos tienen sexo en público
Migración deportó ahí a 300 haitianos, donde alegan hay más de 100 mil hacinados
SD. Los moradores de unos 42 barrios de la zona sur de Santiago se quejaron de que los inmigrantes haitianos que han invadido la zona, que suman más de 100 mil, organizan unas “fiestas de gallo” que consisten en que una pareja tenga sexo frente a un grupo de personas que hacen un gran escándalo, vociferando y escuchando música a un alto volumen.

Además, el presidente de la Coordinadora de Organizaciones Comunitarias de esa zona, Pedro Paulino, expresó que los haitianos tienen costumbres muy diferentes a las nuestras, viven hacinados y al no tener baños para hacer sus necesidades fisiológicas envuelven en fundas plásticas sus excrementos y los tiran en los techos de casas y escuelas. Las violaciones y la delincuencia, también son frecuentes.

Los dirigentes comunitarios de Santiago esperan lograr su tranquilidad y que por eso quieren que las autoridades realicen su trabajo porque saben que ellos no tienen calidad para hacer cumplir la ley.

Los dirigentes comunitarios se reunieron ayer con el director General de Migración, José Ricardo Taveras, y con Cy Winter, representante de la Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM).

Taveras informó que en 5 operativos que ha hecho en las últimas 3 semanas ha repatriado unos 300 haitianos de esa zona. Hasta ayer se habían repatriado más de mil haitianos. Esperan contar con el apoyo de la justicia y de la OIM, que pedirá apoyo de la comunidad internacional.

You all raise valid points, and we welcome this type of exchange on a very important issue. This topic certainly deserves a follow-up. Whether it be on the web or the broadcast, we will continue to investigate the Haitian deportations in the Dominican Republic, and report more on immigration issues in the United States.

Jackeline,
for sure it deserves a follow up, where you can show the reality of what’s going on with this situation. You haven’t answered most of my question. I believe we deserve a more ample and open response from you.

Jackeline and Maria…….your lack of response is a thermometer of how well you know about the Dominican Republic history!!!! For what I see, you were used to make this video by people who represent other interests. And what is worse in all of this is that you both look from dominican descent because of your last names. I have asked many times about where you come from, and you, as a courtesy to your readers, haven’t respond. I still expect an answer. Best Regards.

He visto con asombro la complicidad de los militares en los puestos fronterizos, especialmente en el cruce de Guayubin, estos militares tienen un peaje en este lugar, cobran altas sumas a los ilegales y personalmente se encargan de indicarles las rutas de acceso a las diferentes comunidades donde prestan sus servicios en plantaciones bananeras por tan solo 180 pesos el dia de trabajo. Esta es la realidad de nuestras zonas fronterizas, vivo en esta zona y conozco perfectamente lo que ocurre, este trafico consentido tiene muchos años que alimenta los bolsillos de alguien, por lo que a nadie le interesa regularizar esta desagradable situacion

Francia que le devuelva al pueblo haitiano todo lo que nos han robado, a los dominicanos gracias por su ayuda desde el dia del terremoto y hasta hoy, por cargar con lo que nuestros politicos por años de robos y desfalcos a las arcas del estado han provocado.

Sobre el dinero donado… sabian que mas del 40% del dinero recaudado por las ong va para el pago de sus empleados y logistica.

Que del 60 restante otro 40% se lo quedan los intermediarios incluidos los gobiernos de los estados a los que van las ayudas. y que bastante menos del 10% puede llegar “gratis” a alguien que lo necesita.

La comunidad internacional, los desfalcadores Francia, EEUU y demas son los responsables de esta desgracia, asi como nosotros los haitianos, que no apoyamos los buenos candidatos, si no los populares, Martelli tampoco tiene la capacidad aunque tenga la intención, es un cantante popular que jamas podrá realmente ayudar ni sacarnos de esta desgracia.

Mientras mas tiempo pasa, mas dinero gastan estas ONG cuyo salario minimo de empleado es de US$ 4,800 mientras mi pueblo muere de hanbre!

Hello Jackeline,

I think this report was very interesting. It sheds light on an isse as old as the 2 countries. However, I’d like to disagree with your comment that the US only deports ppl with criminal backgrounds. Under this current administration “criminal background” is used very broadly, Thus, there are cases where people who have minor misdemeanors or who have long since served their time and moved on, have been subjected to deportation. under ICE, deportations have become cruel and systematic to meet “quotas”. More people have been deported under this administration than any other. Although I find the DR’s policies to be cruel and fueled by the “antihaitianismo” that has become ingrained in their ironic culture of white supremacy, I’d encourage you to visit Chrome detention center in Florida to truly understand the impact of deportation in the US. The US is no better and its discriminatory immigration system shouldn’t be treated as such. Ask any student lobbying for the DREAM Act so they can remain in the US and receive an education about their “criminal background”

This type of historical revisionism that the DR constantly teaches its youth is frightening. Trujillo did murder thousands of Haitians and darker Dominicans. This massacre is not to be whitewashed lest the lessons of history be forgotten. Trujillos cruelty towards darker people was codified in his laws to “whiten” the nation and push Haitians out with a systematic policy of “antihatianismo” that became ingrained in the Dominican narrative. Even today, the DR celebrates its independence not from the Spanish that enslaved them but from Haiti, as if nothing happened in its history before then. Also, There is no word for blacks on the DR census, instead the term “indio” is used to negate the fact that most Dominicans are of African descent. Instead, the revisionist narrative claims that Dominicans are dark because the are the ancestors of the very same Indians who, after being systematically wiped-out by the Spanish, their actual ancestors were brought from African to replace. The historical roots of this present day issues shouldn’t be ignored.

Haitian citizenship is only granted to people born in Haiti. Thus, a child of Haitians in the DR or the US can not hold a Haitian passport and is currently considered the citizen of the state they were born in. Combined with DR’s law to strip citizenship from people born in the country, this is the reason Haitians in the DR are considered stateless

Reducing the haitian inmigration problem in DR to a racist kind of phenomenon betrays the utter ignorance on the matter of those who make such claims.In all of this the racist element(not gonna deny its presence,though its weight on the whole subject is meaningless)has no standing whatsoever.Whats going on in some neighborhoods in santiago is a sort of cultural clash:the dominican,low to middle class way(a people with a definite progressive standpoint)and the haitians that come and behave as fit their level:a culture of mere survival.You want to talk about racism?check out haitian history and the ongoing tensions over there between blacks and mulattos.

One other thing:theres lots of haitians where I live and work and I have seen some of them struggle and integrate to dominican society and,this is what I have pèrsonally witnessed,in those cases theres always some individuals or dominican families helping them out.Couple of years ago a haitian girl with serious mental problems gave birth on the street,it was a baby girl,wich,being on duty,i recieived in the ER.Inmediately a local family adopted the baby girl and took care of her(still is)…..I guess you dont see a lot of similar cases in the US,land of the tolerant and of those who feel they need to tell the world how to behave.This anecdote,bear with me,exemplifies the general attitude of the dominican people toward our neighbors:I havent seen a single case of a haitian trying to integrate in dominican society and not being helped by us dominicans.Now,this cysts,this subhumans ghettos which constitute a threath to public health….well,no inmigrant nowhere in the world is allowed to break the laws of the country he has migrated to.Same here….only our authorities are so scared of American public opinion and so on and they just dont dare do anything,except for these brave souls in santiago that just HAD IT.Imagine someone coming to your neighborhood and throwing bags full of feces to your roof…como on!!!

please stop brushing DR’s race issues under the table. The aftermath of colonialism has a continuous presence in a country that rewrote its history books to claim no people of African descent ever lived there :/
The idea that the Haitian immigrants’ culture threaten the “progressive standpoint” of the Dominicans could not be more racist and xenophobic. There is very little difference between the needs of poor and middle class people in any developing nation. Foremost, both Haitians and Dominicans are concerned with securing a better life for themselves and their family, educating their children, health care,and freedom. You do yourself and your people no favors by pretending the truths are not universal.
issues of class exist in Haiti but not of racism. Mulattos are not a recent phenomenon or a distinct race of people. You can be Haitian of African. Arab, European descent. Since Dessalines in the 1800s, there has been no campaign against anyone in Haiti based solely on skin color. In contrast, There has been several examples of active racism, violence, and legalized prejudice in the DR against darker people in a nation filled with dark people :/ you’re black. Get over it.

Jackeline, you seem to have selective reading ability when interpreting these comments. You just do not get it! You should come to Florida, I can give you results on how undocumented farm workers are mistreated here! The issue is not an island divided, but how two different nations evolved on an island colonized by two European superpowers. What about a planet divided and dominated by one superpower!

Gracias Masdame 79. He conocido muchísimos haitianos en RD agradecidos del pais. Gracdias por expresar las inquietudes que los dominicanos tenemos de ocultar lo que sucede en Haití y culpar a la RD. Este es un pais pobre que no alcanza para tanto.

I google. Por su foto ella aparenta ser mulata. La información indica que ella no tiene ninguna preparación en Ciencias Sociales y no está calificada ni entrenada para realizar este tipo de investigación. Además casi no tiene experiencia laboral. Aquí está la información
pública sobre ella que encontré, Su educación se limita a la Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 1996 – 2001

Jackeline Pou
Multimedia Producer at Need To Know

Location
Greater New York City Area
Industry
Media Production
Jackeline Pou’s Overview
Current •Multimedia Producer at Need To Know
Past •Associate Producer at The Dr. Oz Show
•Producer at ABC News
Education •Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Connections 79 connections
Jackeline Pou’s Summary
I am a digital producer and journalist. I shoot, edit, and write and have minimal on-air experience. I am also fluent in Spanish.

SpecialtiesI have a special interest in health, Latin America, and pop culture.

Jackeline Pou’s Experience
Multimedia Producer Need To Know
Nonprofit; Media Production industry

March 2010 – Present (1 year 2 months)

Associate Producer The Dr. Oz Show
Partnership; Media Production industry

July 2009 – January 2010 (7 months)

Producer ABC News
Public Company; DIS; Broadcast Media industry

May 2001 – February 2009 (7 years 10 months)

Jackeline Pou’s Education
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 1996 – 2001

Jackeline Pou’s Contact Settings
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La verdad es que el problema de HAITI tiene que ser resuelto por su Gabierno no por nosotros los Dominicanos, es muy pesada la carga, DONDE ESTAN TODAS LAS DONACIONES QUE EL MUNDO ENTREGO PARA AYUDA DEL PUEBLO HAITIANO?
asi es que HAITI PARA LOS HAITIANOS Y DEJENNOS EN PAZ A NOSOTROS LOS DOMINICANOS, que bastantes problemas economicos tenenmos.

Los dominicanos deben dejar de permitir que sus políticos a utilizar los haitianos como una excusa para no promover polcies que beneficien a la mayoría pobre, negro. mientras que siguen creyendo que los migrantes pobres son su enemigo en vez de la elite que siguen para oprimir, usted tendrá futuro nore. Atentamente, una Haitiana

Does anyone know the status of the campaign for redevelopment in Haiti that Clinton and his colleagues were working on? There was so much coverage,most of it before the quake, but it seems to have died out now.

It is a bit unsettling to watch. I have read lots of comments and many people have feelings of indignity by the way in which the information has been presented. Many of it is true; there is racism back in the DR. just like in any other country in which you have diverse groups of people. As mentioned before Haitians do perform the worse labors and they receive very low wages. It is just like in the US. Hence, many people are upset; they ask for the reporter’s accountability.
Haitians situation is very sad; I remember it has always been like that. The relationship between Dominicans and Haitians has never been a good one. Growing up you hear the stories of the many different types of Haitians violations on the Dominican soil. My family owns land and cattle. Often stolen cattle are attributed to the Haitians. Many Dominicans fear that they will be robbed, the woman and children violated by Haitians. The Dominican sentiment is understandable to a certain extent. Unfortunately, our brains are more responsive to negative stereotypes. There are Haitians that are honest and good workers. But this is true in all countries. There are two sides to a coin. The question is why are the Haitians still in this situation? Why are the Dominicans expected to take responsibility or be the ones to help? Are France, The USA, and other larger countries going to provide refuge for this people as well?
I do feel that DR does not have the capability to take on the Haitians problems though. If the real interest of the reporter was to help the Haitian community; she should have placed a bit more emphasis on what other countries should be doing to alleviate the burden DR is facing at the moment. It would be very appropriate for the larger powers to share the responsibility of helping. May be if the Dominican government was getting some help, they would not have to deport illegal Haitians in this time of crisis. The reporter should have placed more importance on the type of help needed; how are donations being used and help implemented in Haiti. Yes, Haitians human rights are being violated by the lack of help that they are receiving, not solely due to the fact that they are being deported from DR. because of their skin color.
I think that being the small country that the DR is, they have done a lot to help. Again, it does not justify the mistreatment of other human beings. The right to deport is just that a right; the time to do so not the best. However, not the best time to take in a responsibility that could imperil the national population either. It is a tough situation to say the least.
However, if other countries are going to intervene, I would like to see them share the responsibility with the Dominican Republic.

@Frenchie

Do you not remember between 1791 and 1804 a very violent revolt in Haiti? “Coupe tete, brule cayes” White plantation owners where slaughtered. Sure a few petit-blancs escaped retribution, but the history of the island is steeped in racial animosity. Don’t paint Haiti to be some racially harmonious shangri-la. Racism and classism exist in Haiti, but it is more complicated and nuanced (neg rich se blan, blan pauvre, se neg). White superiority is still ingrained in the fabric of society whether you like it or not. It’s a shame, but it’s true. As for saying that Dominican’s are “black. get over it.” That’s an over simplification. There are plenty of Dominican’s who immigrated from Spain, Hungary, Germany, etc… (thanks to Trujillo) that never inter-married.

@Kpinedat
I’ve got one word for you…Trujillo. I agree with you that the immigration issue in the DR is a tough one, but to deny that it is party race-based is naive. Imagine if the entire population in Haiti were poor whites (let’s say Albanians or something). If you say that the tactics of immigration patrol would be the same (meaning, they would round people up on sight and then sort it out later) then I believe your claim. However, the fact that they use skin color as a primary way to sort out who is local and not means that race plays into it.

Bottom line, the Haitian “problem” for the DR is just like the Mexican “problem” for the US. It’s about supply and demand. As long as there are jobs, people will go to fill them and these immigration politics are a smokescreen for what’s really going on. If you start fining employers for hiring illegal immigrants, you will see things change 180 degrees over night. These people are not crossing the border for kicks.

The DR is not alone in it’s treatment of foreign born people on it’s soil as non-citizens. In fact, the US might want to consider adopting a policy as well to discourage migrants from having children born in the States automatically becoming US citizens.

I doubt that my comment would be scene as painting Haiti as being “harmonious” however it is important to fully acknowledge and understand the different perception of race and how it effects the politics and culture of one half of an island founded on Black Nationalism and the other entrenched in white supremacy. If you’ve paid attention to Haitian history AFTER 1800s, you’d realize that you dont have to be white or of white descent to become the victim of “coupe tet, boule caye”. Racial animosity, as you put it, has taken a backseat to the more pertinent issues Haiti is facing. The Haitian proverb you quoted shows the fluidity of race in Haiti. There are no records of race based violence in Haiti since Dessalines. However, there are many disturbing accounts of racial violence and racist legislation in the DR’s recent history.
It’s important to note that ALL former colonies carry the weight of colonialism’s institutionalized racism and colorism to some extent. No need to whitewash the truth with immigrants from Spain, Hungary, Germany, etc like Trujillo tried to do.

It is not. Mexico is not a failed state. Mexico does not have the same population size as the USA.. Mexico does not have 200 years of poor government. Mexico does have public schoosl, public hospitals, transportation systems, and have not destroyed their environment. If Mexico were in the conditions that Haiti is today, the USA would add a few meters to the wall they now have, more robot airplaines, and bring back the military from Iraq to send them to the border. The WikeaLeaks cable from 2009, show the USA government asking for the Minutash to remain in Haiti until 2013, as the only way to keep Haitians away from Florida. They are pressing the DR and trying to create public opinion to get as many Haitians as possible over the border. Notice that no other country have taken Haitians. There are over 4,000 Haitians students from Haiti in the DR, that were denied visas in the USA, Canada and France, Haiti’s “friends.”

El señor Frenchie debería estudiar más y mejor la historia de haití, sobre todo, la reciente. ¿No sabía usted que papa Doc basó su prestigio político y se basó en una versión “haitianizada” de la llamada Negritude? ¿No sabe que persiguió a la minoría mulata que antes había tenido siempre influencia en la política haitiana? Negar el “racismo” haitiano es una pura…ignorancia, y más cerca el gran líder de masas .o peor, una cuestión de mala fe. Lo primero, se cura estudiando e informándose, lo segundo, sólo lo cura ser una persona recta y honrada…Ojalá esa sea la verdadera intención de este señor Franchi del comentario, pero mientras, lo dudo. Hay quienes quieren meterse en tu casa, hacer lo que les venga en ganas, y cuando tu dices que ya basta, que no cabemos todos en ella, te acusan de racista. Vaya gente…ahora bien, los dominicanos se lo tienen bien ganado por ser los únicos en toda América que permiten que las fronteras sean prácticamente inexistentes.En Cuba, en PR para hablar de los vecinos de RD, no se permite que cualquiera entre como le de la gana y encima quiera imponer su “DERECHO” a ello. Están, con esa actitud, preparando el campo para un conflicto abierto con las autoridades haitianas por irresponsables, ineficientes y ladrones de su propio pueblo.

Perhaps Frenchie you should call on the Great French Republic to make amends for all the suffering and greed its Empire extracted from the ex-slave colony. Calling on a poor developing nation to take on the responsibility of 10 million people shows the shallowness of your historical understanding of the problem in question. Read some history. How about the excellent recent work: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed is a 2005 book by Jared M. Diamond, professor of geography and physiology at University of California, Los Angeles. There’s a full chapter that compares the DR with Haiti. Why one side is viable yet the other is a failure.

This bias and one-sided documentary does not portray the reality of the challenges caused by the Haitian illegal immigration to the DR, and does a poor service to independent and responsible reporting.
The solution to Haiti’s problems is not the Dominican Republic, as the US, France and Canada want us to be, in constant fear of the exodus of Haitians to their own shores.
If this disproportionate and unrestricted immigration continues unabated, in complicity with the Dominican private and public monopolies that exploit the cheap slave-like Haitian labor, and causes Dominicans to themselves immigrate abroad in search of better opportunities, the whole island will sooner rather than later become a failed state.

DR is only successful and viable in contrast to Haiti in recent years. In any other sense, its another poor, developing country with many needs. Thus, I dont recall “calling on” DR to do anything. They can do whatever their humanitarian concern for their fellow man will allow.

Yo le aseguro que la persecución empujó adelante por los Doc fue sentida por todos los haitianos de todos los colores equally.It no se limitaba a una determinada clase, religión o color. Después de todo, ahora se quejan acerca de los haitianos mismo en su país que huyeron de la persecución que intenta tergiversar. Animo a la República Dominicana para trabajar junto con Haití, para crear un libro de historia que refleja los hechos de su historia compartida

“issues of class exist in Haiti but not of racism”

Really? then how come the elites over there are light skinned while the majority of the people from the poor population (if not all) are of pure african extraction? Please, Frenchie, stop trying to see us as pendejos, cuz’ you know as well as I do that racism is alive and well in Haiti. Now, that you choose to ignore it, is another very different matter…

a) “Trujillo did murder thousands of Haitians and darker Dominicans.” So did Dessalines murder 15,000 people from the Cibao during his campaign against the eastern side of the island during the month of March, 1805, right after he exterminated the remaining white colonial population in the newly created haitian country:

http://opiniondominicana.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/la-invasion-de-1805/

You haitians can’t claim to have the moral high ground, so cut the crap, please.

b) “Trujillos cruelty towards darker people was codified in his laws to “whiten” the nation and push Haitians out with a systematic policy of “antihatianismo” that became ingrained in the Dominican narrative.”

Oh yes, Trujillo was so racist and anti-black that he would go as far as actually granting the afram and british west indian descended peasants with land titles legalizing their plots in San Pedro de Macoris and the Samana peninsula. I challenge you to come to this country and actually see those land titles in the flesh, instead of making up BS out of thin air.

c) “Even today, the DR celebrates its independence not from the Spanish that enslaved them but from Haiti, as if nothing happened in its history before then.”

That’s because your dear Boyer invaded the newly created state of Spanish Haiti right after we declared independence from Spain. Look for the term “Independencia Efimera”, and you will be more than enlightened, sir/miss. Oh, and by the way, we celebrate we equal enthusiasm from Spain every August 16th, just look the term “Guerra de la Restauracion” (Restoration War) and you’ll get properly educated about the issue, specially since that is the date we use to proclaim the winners from any given presidential and/or congressional election that might have taken place during the year, without forgetting the carnival and the proper military parade.

d) “Also, There is no word for blacks on the DR census, instead the term “indio” is used to negate the fact that most Dominicans are of African descent.”

Tsk, tsk, such a boldfaced lie. Please, come to the DR, I can show you plenty of identity cards in which the term “negro” appears to describe the phenotype of the user. Now, the fact that we don’t use the idiotic one drop rule to determine which race a given person is represents another matter…

e) “Instead, the revisionist narrative claims that Dominicans are dark because the are the ancestors of the very same Indians who, after being systematically wiped-out by the Spanish, their actual ancestors were brought from African to replace.”

Those kind of books were replaced after Trujillo was killed. Again, visit the country and properly educate yourself about it.

f) “The historical roots of this present day issues shouldn’t be ignored.”

Agreed, but not for the reasons you think.

If the DR is so “entrenched in white supremacy”, then how come the majority of its political, military and business elites are non-white? Explain that to me if you can, Frenchie.

Y ustedes haitianos tienen que armarse de valor y luchar por sus derechos politicos y sociales EN HAITI en vez de venir aqui a reclamar derechos que por ley no le corresponden. En otras palabras, si ustedes quieren que los respetemos y los miremos de otra manera, dejen de exportar sus pobres hacia nuestro pais. Muchas gracias.

I meant “informally”.

Neither the DR have Minutemen groups infromally guarding its border, so we are even.

another attempt at revisionism. I’ve noticed a disturbing trend of indignation and shifting the blame amongst the Dominican commentators. It’s like arguing that you have black friends and thus, there can be no racism. The fact that you are incapable of even acknowledging legitimate facts and unbiased reporting shows the power of entrenched racism and xenophobia in your historical narrative.

And 1) light skin doesn’t equal elite in Haiti. plenty of light skinned people are poor 2) light skin or mulatto isn’t a race 3) referring to Dessalines cruelty 200 yrs ago doesn’t change the DR’s human rights violations today.

Es una pena que los haitianos tendrían que viajar a la República Dominicana. Doy gracias a Dios todos los días que me salvé de tanta crueldad. Sin embargo, si / cuando la República Dominicana nos necesita, Haití estarán dispuestos a tratarlo como un Chrisitan debe

DR is only better off than Haiti recently! Where have you been sleeping these past…100 plus years? DR has been better off than Haiti for over 100 years Frenchie. Read some good history and stop showing off your poor historical knowledge of the subject. Hait invaded the DR after the Haitian Revolution of 1804. It again invaded DR and ruled over the DR for close to 22 years, from 1820-1842. The DR rebelled and kicked the Haitians out. And Haiti still attempted to regain control of the DR several more times; each time it was defeated. By the end of the 1800s Haiti was already a shell of its former self and the mass misery was already showing signs of the gathering collapse it would express during the 1900s. Do yourself a favor and read some good history. The State and Nation of Haiti basically committed national suicide: its ecology destroyed by lack of good planning and administration.

Neither referring to Trujillo’s actions, which happened the last century, helps in solving the current haitian migratory woes. And no, it’s not another attempt at revisionism, cuz’ I can show you the land titles of those peasant black families anytime you want, if you ever decide to visit the DR, that is.

Besides, our national anthem doesn’t glorify Trujillo or any other mass murderer, as your very own one does (La Dessalinienne). And you can check out our celebration of independence against Spain any time you want, just come to this country any August 16th and you’ll see. Also, the main hero of that Restoration conflict (Gregorio Luperon) happened to be a black man. So there goes away your “dominican white worship” theory. Do you want me to continue schooling you about my country?

Besides, our national anthem doesn’t glorify Trujillo or any other mass murderer, as your very own one does (La Dessalinienne). And you can check out our celebration of independence against Spain any time you want, just come to this country any August 16th and you’ll see. Also, the main hero of that Restoration conflict (Gregorio Luperon) happened to be a black man. So there goes away your “dominican white worship” theory. Do you want me to continue schooling you about my country?

And lastly the indignation is well justified, because some haitians like you (as well as some foreigners) have taken upon yourselves to portray the racial troubles of Hispaniola as a one way street, when it’s more than clear for the well informed that it’s actually a two way street. You would be bullshitting full time if you say that there aren’t elements of your society (specially at the elite level) harboring a thinly veiled hatred and contempt for us “panyols”.

“The fact that you are incapable of even acknowledging legitimate facts and unbiased reporting shows the power of entrenched racism and xenophobia in your historical narrative.”

The fact that you are unwilling to acknowledge your own sins first before pointing fingers at the ones of others show how much in denial you are. As the Christ would say: “Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone”. Besides, using your own argument against you, how can we dominicans be racist against you haitians if we are all black in the first place? (roll eyes).

LOOK AT THIS REPORT FROM JAN 2011: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/jan2011/hait-j24.shtml

Now, can someone answer me my very simple question: Why can the US, being so big, rich and powerful, be able to deport Haitians RIGHT NOW; while tiny, impoverished and weak Dominican Republic is being criticized for doing the exact same thing? The US can actually absorb hundreds of thousands of Haitians, perhaps millions of them; the DR can hardly give its own people a decent standard of living, and yet the evil ones are the Dominicans for attempting to prevent the DR from becoming what Haiti is today?

This is just wrong, pathetic and not fair.

Lo mismo se puede decir de la dictadura trujillista en República Dominicana, especialmente cuando se toma en cuenta que más dominicanos perdieron sus vidas durante esa dictadura que la cantidad de haitianos que sufrieron lo mismo. Incluso, muchas familias blancas dominicanas tuvieron que salir del país en apuros debido a que se metían en problemas con Trujillo. Fíjate en el color de las Hermanas Mirabal o de los Héroes del 14 de Junio o de muchísimas personas más que fueron torturadas y matadas durante esa dictadura.

El punto de mi mensaje es que no se puede negar lo obvio, en Haití siempre ha existido el racismo. Por eso el dictador Duvalier decidió cambiar el color azul de la bandera haitiana por el color negro, para demostrar su política de negritud haitiana. Y una gran cantidad de mulatos, e incluso hasta blancos, tuvieron que salir huyendo de Haití por el simple hecho de no haber nacido 100% negros. Esto no me lo invento yo, está a disposición de todos con una simple búsqueda por la Internet, al igual que en varios libros de historia.

La verdad sigue siendo verdad, aunque se piense al revés.

Not only that, but the current Miss Dominican Republic (from the beauty pagent) is definitely not white, neither are the sports idols of Dominican youth, or the most popular Dominican musicians, the most admired Dominican artists, our most revered professionals, politicians, business leaders, so on and so forth. On some cable networks in the United States (especially in the NYC area) you can get the Spanish channel package, I suggest you try it out. Three Dominican channels are shown there and I suggest for people to open their eyes and put attention at how blacks and mulattoes outnumber whites in Dominican television. Not just that, but then compare Dominican channels with the channels of other Latin countries (especially those that have many blacks like Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, etc). You will notice what I noticed a long time ago, Dominican channels are the only one’s with a large preponderance of blacks and mulattoes. Every other channel hide their blacks, and at best includes two or three mulattoes in a sea of whites.

Some people need to make an effort to truly understand Dominican culture and not just go around repeating age old nonsense based on lies and exaggerations.

Usted se ganó mi apoyo. Quisiera ver más compatriotas de su país con esa misma actitud. Sólo así Haití volverá a ser una vez más UN GRAN PAÍS. Y no hay pueblo que les va a dar la mejor mano amiga en ayudarlos en esa osadía hacia el progreso haitiano como lo va ser el pueblo dominicano. Recuerden que nosotros los dominicanos somos el mejor amigo que Haití jamás va a conocer. La desgracia es que somos un país pobre con muchas limitaciones, y no podemos ayudarlos como quisiéramos. Por eso nos da rabia cuando vemos a países ricos criticándonos de cosas que ellos mismos hacen, y lo peor de todo es el descaro y la hipocresía. Pero amigos haitianos, no lo duden por un minuto. Los dominicanos somos su mejor amigo y siempre lo seremos, siempre y cuando no nos pinten como si siempre somos los malos y feos de la película. Cuando Haití sufrió su peor terremoto, fue República Dominicana la que se volcó por ustedes, siendo nosotros pobres. Ningún otro país le abrió sus hospitales a miles de haitianos, ni sus fronteras ni nada, sólo los dominicanos hicimos eso. Por eso no entendemos estos ataques hacia nosotros, después que hemos hecho tanto. Es como si no importa lo que hagamos, siempre nos tienen como los malos de la película y eso no es justo. Espero que nos entiendan. Un fuerte abrazo, AMIGO HAITIANO.

Of course not, illegal immigrants in the US barely number 8 million, that’s less than (more/less) 3% of the total U.S. population. Illegal immigrants in the Dominican Republic are estimated to be somewhere between 1 and 2 million, equivalent to roughly 11% of the population (low estimate) and 22% on the high end.

To that you have to add that the average person in the U.S. makes roughly US$30,000-US$40,000 a year, while in the DR is closer to US$7,000.

And let’s not forget that in the U.S. unemployment is around 9%, while in the DR is 14%.

And let’s not forget that almost everyone in the U.S. works in formal businesses, while in the DR over 50% of people work off the books because the legitimate companies only produce around 1 million jobs, while the workforce is 4 million (including the Haitian migrants).

And let’s not forget that in the US poverty affects around 12% of the population, while in the DR it’s closer to 50%.

The list goes on for quite a while, but I think you get the message.

The DR can’t handle its own population, much less anyone else’s poor. What the DR needs is more entrepreneurs, more people that will produce new jobs, not in search for jobs.

Maria Hinojosa (b. 1961, Mexico City) is a Mexican American broadcast journalist. She was (2005–2010) Senior Correspondent for the PBS news magazine, NOW on PBS.

Que tienen en comun Maria Hinojosa y Sonia Pierre? Que las dos han sido Premiadas por los kennedys

Hinojosa has won many honors and awards, including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award

Y Trujillo? Cuando los americanos invadieron la RD en 1916 no teníamos ejercito ni caña de azucar. Fueron los americanos que desalojaron a los campesinos cambiando nuestras leyes y trajeron a los haitianos para la zafra azucarera. Cuando se fueron, dejaron 16 ingenios, la mayoria americanos, otros cubanos, y la familia Italiana Vicini. El gobiernodominicano no cobraba impuestos y los ingenios directamente negociaban los inmigrantes con el gobierno haitiano, funcionaban como enclaves. Por eso los haitianos decian que eran vendidos como esclavos.

El principal ingenio fue el South Puerto Rican Sugar Company, que paso a manos de la Gulf and Western y controló el turismo en la zona. Hoy está en manos de dos cubanos de Miami, los Franjul. Trujillo fue un terror para todos los dominicanos.

El Gobierno de Ocupación Americana reclutó, entrenó, y formó el ejército Dominicano que bajo el liderato de Rafael Trujillo actuó para imponer un régimen de terror hacia el pueblo dominicano, y hacia los haitianos que residían fuera de las plantaciones cañeras y se negaban a regresar a su país. Durante 31 años el pueblo dominicano soportó atropellos inimaginables: encarcelamientos, torturas, asesinatos, exilio, expropiación de sus propiedades, y total carencia de libertad. Miembros de mi propia familia fueron encarcelados, torturados, sentenciados, exiliados, y dos veces el régimen intentó matarnos simulando un accidente en la carretera y prendiéndole fuego a nuestra residencia mientras dormíamos.

En 1937, la mayoría de la población no tenía idea que Trujillo había masacrado nacionales haitianos. Rafael Trujillo tuvo un control absoluto de la prensa y no temía a la Iglesia Católica, institución que no sólo permaneció en silencio, pero que firmó un concordato con Trujillo para obtener financiación estatal y crear una alianza para legitimar su régimen. La Misión Jesuita en la frontera, que hoy defiende los derechos humanos de los inmigrantes, escondió la masacre. Al año siguiente, cuando Trujillo designó un candidato para la presidencia y no re-elegirse en 1938 debido al escándalo internacional de la masacre, el Arzobispo de Santo Domingo escribió una carta a los sacerdotes del país pidiéndoles que motivaran a orar a los dominicanos para que Dios inspirara a Trujillo a participar en las elecciones presidenciales.

Además, el video presentó como hecho inequívoco la matanza de 30,000 haitianos. Documentos históricos, proporcionados por el historiador Bernardo Vega, muestran como las cifras han sido infladas con relación directamente proporcional a la distancia del momento de la masacre. De varios cientos de muertos estimados por personal diplomático estadounidense de la época, los estimados fueron creciendo sin evidencias que los sustenten. Independientemente de la cantidad, un solo asesinato es espantoso e injustificable. Pero, es reprochable que las corporaciones mediáticas americanas revivan viejas heridas para culpar a la población dominicana del racismo y los crímenes de Trujillo mientras ocultan la participación del gobierno americano en crear al monstruo e imponerle al pueblo dominicano un régimen de terror. Fijense que el video realizado por el profesor universitario Gates, con más educación que estas dos personas que no saben nada sobre la ciencia de investigación social, dio la cifra de los muertos en 15,000; LA MITAD.

Si hubieran leído al Historiador y economista Bernardo Vega, se hubieran dado cuenta qued las cifras son infladas de forma directamente proporcional a la distancia de la masacre. La primera fuente, los americanos diplomaticos en RD, estimaron la misma en unos cientos. Luego la maquina de rumor la fue inflando. Trujillo donó dinero para construir dos comunidades a los haitianos que abandonaron el pais. ellos abandonaron Haití y regresaron a RD. El Sr. Frenchi es un ejemplo de anti-dominicanismo; dado que Haití quiso anexarse la nacion dominicana. Muchos haitianos no perdona que la RD haya prosperado más.

Dominicans do not like being replaced by foreigners and having to take a boat to work outside of the island. They are complaining about Barrick Gold bringing Peruvians and Colombian Contractors under USAID, giving privileged positions to Colombians, or the selling of our beaches to Europeans. There are million of Dominicans of Haitian descent, those are the ones the program are accusing of being racist. Since Colonial days, slaves from the Western side have been running to the East looking for freedom. If you want to see discrimination, go to Puerto Rico and find out how Dominicans are treated.

To: Jackeline and Maria:
Noticia sacada de Telenoticias Canal 11
Una mujer acaba de dar a luz en plena vía pública. La mujer de nacionalidad haitiana dio a luz en la Av. 27 de febrero casi esquina Máximo Gómez. Aparentemente la mujer de unos 35 años padece de trastornos mentales ya que tomó el bebé e intentó lanzarlo por el elevado.
Pueden ver la foto en Twitter. Eso ustedes no lo muestan en su video!!!!

Raul, thanks for that comment!!! Really on the dot!!!

I believe every country has the right, and duty, to control immigration. To play the discrimination card is totally ubsurd. The US should follow suit in deporting illegal aliens. It has multi-millions of illegal aliens that use resources supposedly to be used by citizens. They have crashed the medical system, the schools, the welfare system, and lowered the standard of living for all lower and middle class citizens. The cheap labor lobby, the religious cults, and the government are all guilty of knowingly breaking the immigration laws and contributing to the terrible condition that the lower class is experiencing. This archaic mindset, totally non-wholistic, has brought the US to its knees.

@M-1269 Although I agree with the majority of your comment you obviously must not be familiar with The Dominican Republic’s history and politics under former President Trujillo. Trujillo allegedly did not get along with his Mom who was 1/2 Haitian and murdered thousands under his reign as well as institute a so-called casted system placing European descendants at the top, Indians in the middle and Africans at the lowest tier. To say that this has nothing with race is misinformation. I have been to The D.R. on several occassions with my wife (who is from Santo Domingo) and will tell you from first hand experience that I could sense discrimination there as well as throughout South America. There is a great documentary currently being played on PBS called Racism in South America. Check it out if you can.

Considering that Trujillo honored his mother by making her birthday a national holiday, gracing parks, streets, monuments and public buildings with her name, even went as far as creating a completely new province and named it Julia Molina (today that province is called María Trinidad Sánchez); don’t blame me for disagreeing with your comment that he didn’t get along with his mother. I don’t know who told you that or where you read it, but that is completely false. Trujillo even made his brother (nicknamed Negro which means Black, because he had the most pronounced African features and was the darkest of the entire familiy) as president, and was his most trusted person from the day Rafael Trujillo started the dictatorship in 1930 to the day he was killed in 1961. Never did Trujillo show signs of embarrasment of his darker and more African looking family members nor was he ever estranged from them. Quite the contrary. I also wonder why Trujillo didn’t killed a single Cocolo (black immigrants from the English-speaking Caribbean, of which the eastern part of the country was flooded with them and their descendants) or a single Liberto (descendants of African Americans that settled in Puerto Plata and in Samana). I also have to wonder why Trujillo ordered the guards to mention the word Perejil, considering that French/Creole speaking person would have a hard time mentioning the r as is done by native Spanish speakers. Who was Trujillo trying to protect with that measure? White Dominicans? Nooo, he was trying to protect black Dominicans from being killed in that massacre. Why? Because Trujillo’s issue was with the Haitians encroaching into Dominican territory, fearing that the government of Haiti would in the future make claims to those lands. And where did he got that wild idea from? Read into the history of the country and put particular attention to the Haitian Invasion of 1805 and the massacre of Dominicans they committed on Dominican soil. Put particular attention to the invasion of 1822 that lead to that occupation that lasted until 1844, years in which all things Dominican was under a constant attack (the Haitians prohibited the use of Spanish, closed the schools and university, encouraged many Dominicans to leave the island, confiscated vast swathe of private property, prohibited Dominicans from taking position of powers and much more). Don’t forget to put attention to the subsequent invasion attempts in 1845, 1849, 1855 and the last invasion attempt in 1856, this last one by Haitian leader Faustin Sololouque (probably misspelled his last name) who is infamous for having said that if his invasion of the Dominicans was successful, he would not leave even the chickens alive! The Dominican Republic’s leader Pedro Santana decided to offer the country to Spain in 1861 to be a part of that kingdom once again, precisely to put an end to the constant Haitian violation of Dominican sovereignty. At that moment the Haitian government got the message, but was not until 1878 that it signed an agreement to promise not to invade the Dominican Republic ever again. Of course, by the beginning of the 20th Century, Haitian territory got a little bigger since their population had practically invaded the Guava Valley (today is known as the Centre Plateu and is mostly the Haitian department of Centre with its capital city being Hinche – the original birthtown of Dominican president Pedro Santana since Hiche and all of that area was part of the DR). Due to that demographic invasion, an agreement was made that the Haitian government would keep the Guava Valley and suddenly Haiti got a little bigger and the Dominican Republic a little smaller.

Now today add the economic cost of a rampant illegal immigration flow principally from Haiti into the Dominican Republic and what we see is not pretty.

What’s my point?

This is not a matter that can be reduced to one silly argument. There are many things at work here, the invasions and suffering the Dominican people had to go through for so long at the hands of the Haitians was the beginning of such anti-Haitian feelings. The Trujillo dictatorship simply took what already existed and used it to his advantage, but he was not the reason such feeling and fear of Haiti came to existence. It was already there. Today you can add the economic fear since the DR is simply not rich enough to take good care of itself, much less two countries; and the cultural fear since an ever growing unchecked illegal immigration flow from Haiti threatens to change and abliterate the Dominican culture and character that has been in existance for centuries.

People need to dig deeper to understand this issue, its not as simple as black and white. Just scratching the surface will leave you with a severe misunderstanding of everything at work here.

True talk bro.. Many people do not know this.

Ain’t Haitians even ashamed of this ?

So what if they allow all Haitians move in to Dominican Republic ? Who dwells in Haiti then ? And How is the Domincan society going to be like with the mixture of a people who could not organize themselves ? Just imagine it . Now if Haitians think they won’t influence the Dominican society why have they not been able to organize themselves in Haiti ?

 No immigration laws are different in every country like Arizona does to Mexicans Mexico doesnt automatically grant you birth citizen status, in fact African Americans didnt get this status until after the civil War in 1865 and the 14th Amendment, Mexico ,El Salvador, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates,Japan all do not give a person automatic citizenship when your born there, If Dominican Republic were to do this the economy would fail because almost every poor citizen would simply move on the other side of the island to the Dominican Republic, then there would be no jobs for the poor, the country would be over populated, crime would explode do to no jobs, and the Dominican Economy would fail and more Dominicans and Haitians would flee to Florida where they would be sent back and Puerto Rico, Speaking of racist policies did you guys know the Obama administration after the anniversary started deporting Haitians on the anniversary of the earthquake due to a law Clinton passed into effect. Watch this video and see Haitians deported to deplorable conditions in Haiti by the USA and more than the Dominican Republic deports in a year , (DD deported 700 Haitians, the USA plans to deport 30,000 Haitians and thousands of Dominicans) despite the earthquake and cholera out break, if DR is racist for defending their immigration policy and borders than the USA and Obama administration is extremely racist as is Nigeria  who deports thousands of illegal people from Mali,Benin, &Ghana etc.

The USA is deporting more Haitians than the Dominican Republic ever could, ask yourself why this si being underreported yet why the DR deportation are over reported despite millions of Haitians living in DR!!!
Watch this video to see how the USA is deporting Haitians for minor crimes committed long ago, and look at the horrible conditions and treatment the Haitians have in Haiti.
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/03/20/world/americas/100000000733274/deportees.html?scp=2&sq=Haitain%20Deportation&st=cse

The solution to Haiti’s problems is not the Dominican Republic, as the US, France and Canada want us to be but wont even give the money they pledged (the DR ,Venezuela and Cuba have GIVEN MONEY, and the DR plans to give a University to Haiti!!! not the USA), in constant fear of the exodus of Haitians to their own shores.
If this disproportionate and unrestricted immigration continues unabated, in complicity with the Dominican private and public monopolies that exploit the cheap slave-like Haitian labor, and causes Dominicans to themselves immigrate abroad in search of better opportunities, the whole island will sooner rather than later become a failed state.

Miss Pou, have u read the Dominican Republic History? and how Dominicans were killed by Haitians for 22 years? and From whom did DR get their independence from? we are no racist cuz’ we are black people too! and we dont hate the Haitians i just that we don’t have anything in common! we are different cultures, different language, religion, culture, looks!
if they feel we are hurting them and that they feel discriminated they should go back to their country…
ar go to EE.UU or Puerto Rico!!! like Dominicans! that are being treated like garbage there to but we are no crying to human rights we just keep working!!!

Thanks Yermine, for your comment!!!!  Well said!

Thanks Yermine, for your comment!!!!  Well said!

Thanks Yermine, for your comment!!!!  Well said!

we treat u the same way u treat haitians, and north americans treat us, because people fear what they fail to understand, un abrazo fraternal

The Haitian Dominican immigration issue can never be solved if we encourage the Haitians to stay in the Dominican Republic regardless of their daily ordeals and discrimination they face.  Additionaly we will only exacerbate the problem if we blame the Dominican government for taking a tough stand on immigration for the better of their Country.  We all need to put the focus back on the Haitian Government for not looking out for their own people.  When you have a child, you need to care for them and be responsible.  You cannot force your way onto your neighbor who may appear to do better than you.  If that was the case, all minority and black people in the United-States would invade the suburbs in proximity to where they live to force their way into a white’s family house and demand that they stay there for a better opportunity.  The problem is the Haitian Government fails again and again to care for their people. 

Haitians only live in the past for their glory. They were the first black people to be free and independent as slaves.  They represented  a great agricultural country, exporting many goods as they were strong on cultivating the earth and producing natural goods. Sugar cane and coffee plantations used to be some of the top of their producing products.  But all of that is the past.  What do Haiti have now? Well, most young people in Haiti have only one dream or aspiration, their goal is to leave the country to go abroad to countries such as Dominican Republic, United States, Canada and Europe. Most of them don’t even care about school, if they do attend school then their grades fall so short of their natural ability because all they care about is the opportunity to leave the country to go elsewhere.  Part of that trend is the results the Haitian Government lack of laws/regulations and policies regarding their radio and television airways. 

Haitians litteraly worship anything foreign, they love and give values to anything that is not Haitian. It is not uncommon to hear a national Radio station diffusing or playing complete foreign music programs for the Haitians to listen.  Their national television station have so not been able to produce anything local for their national audience that they would take a complete foreign sitcom program just to slap it on their television for their viewers.  This shows a complete disregard and lack of responsibility on the part of the government to be able to do that. By doing so, they open the food gate for the Haitians to love and to want foreign programs and dislike and a non-appreciation for their own cultures.  As a result, young Haitian prefers and appreciate rap music, salsa, meringue, bachata, reggae more than their own.  Haitian prefers Spanish women especially Dominican women and white women more than their own kind.  More Young Haitian musicians would prefer to learn and play Rap music and reggae rather than embelishing their own Kompa.  The Haitian goverment with their lack of vision and forseing is producing a nation for other nations, but not to benefit their own.

The old Haitain peasants no longer stay or live in the plantation fields, they would rather flee to the Dominican republic to live in fear and in constant discrimination threats then to stay in their own plantations to produce basic food such as plantains, yams, ect… Today most of these products are imported directly from the dominican Republic with a price that most poor Haitian cannot afford.  Isn’t that a Bummer..? 

This shows how the Haitain goverment is not taking their full responsibility.  The issue here should be far away from blaming the Dominican Government for taking a tough stand on their immigrations laws and policies, it should be on the lack of initiatives and inability of the Haitian goverment to provide for their own people.  Haitians are smart, especially those who are educated but they are trapped in a country where there is not any long term vision.The government only wants to extend their hands for begging for pennies and favors without taking strong initiatives to empower their own people.  Haitians are treated like dogs where ever they go because their government would not fully care or provide for them. When will finally this happens…well at least not in my generation if ever.  I believe Haitians abroad and inside the country should protest or even have a convention to address these issues.  Haitians will always boast their past, but their present and future will always be cloudy and gloomy.

The Haitian Dominican immigration issue can never be solved if we encourage the Haitians to stay in the Dominican Republic regardless of their daily ordeals and discrimination they face.  Additionaly we will only exacerbate the problem if we blame the Dominican government for taking a tough stand on immigration for the better of their Country.  We all need to put the focus back on the Haitian Government for not looking out for their own people.  When you have a child, you need to care for them and be responsible.  You cannot force your way onto your neighbor who may appear to do better than you.  If that was the case, all minority and black people in the United-States would invade the suburbs in proximity to where they live to force their way into a white’s family house and demand that they stay there for a better opportunity.  The problem is the Haitian Government fails again and again to care for their people. 
Haitians only live in the past for their glory. They were the first black people to be free and independent as slaves.  They represented  a great agricultural country, exporting many goods as they were strong on cultivating the earth and producing natural goods. Sugar cane and coffee plantations used to be some of the top of their producing products.  But all of that is the past.  What do Haiti have now? Well, most young people in Haiti have only one dream or aspiration, their goal is to leave the country to go abroad to countries such as Dominican Republic, United States, Canada and Europe. Most of them don’t even care about school, if they do attend school then their grades fall so short of their natural ability because all they care about is the opportunity to leave the country to go elsewhere.  Part of that trend is the results the Haitian Government lack of laws/regulations and policies regarding their radio and television airways. 
Haitians litteraly worship anything foreign, they love and give values to anything that is not Haitian. It is not uncommon to hear a national Radio station diffusing or playing complete foreign music programs for the Haitians to listen.  Their national television station have so not been able to produce anything local for their national audience that they would take a complete foreign sitcom program just to slap it on their television for their viewers.  This shows a complete disregard and lack of responsibility on the part of the government to be able to do that. By doing so, they open the flood gate for the Haitians to love and to want foreign programs and dislike and a non-appreciation for their own cultures.  As a result, young Haitian prefers and appreciate rap music, salsa, meringue, bachata, reggae more than their own.  Haitian prefers Spanish women especially Dominican women and white women more than their own kind.  More Young Haitian musicians would prefer to learn and play Rap music and reggae rather than embelishing their own Kompa.  The Haitian goverment with their lack of vision and forseing is producing a nation for other nations, but not to benefit their own.
The old Haitain peasants no longer stay or live in the plantation fields, they would rather flee to the Dominican republic to live in fear and in constant discrimination threats then to stay in their own plantations to produce basic food such as plantains, yams, ect… Today most of these products are imported directly from the dominican Republic with a price that most poor Haitian cannot afford.  Isn’t that a Bummer..? 
This shows how the Haitain goverment is not taking their full responsibility.  The issue here should be far away from blaming the Dominican Government for taking a tough stand on their immigrations laws and policies, it should be on the lack of initiatives and inability of the Haitian goverment to provide for their own people.  Haitians are smart, especially those who are educated but they are trapped in a country where there is not any long term vision.The government only wants to extend their hands for begging for pennies and favors without taking strong initiatives to empower their own people.  Haitians are treated like dogs where ever they go because their government would not fully care or provide for them. When will finally this happens…well at least not in my generation if ever.  I believe Haitians abroad and inside the country should protest or even have a convention to address these issues.  Haitians will always boast their past, but their present and future will always be cloudy and gloomy.

The Haitian Dominican immigration issue can never be solved if we encourage the Haitians to stay in the Dominican Republic regardless of their daily ordeals and discrimination they face.  Additionaly we will only exacerbate the problem if we blame the Dominican government for taking a tough stand on immigration for the better of their Country.  We all need to put the focus back on the Haitian Government for not looking out for their own people.  When you have a child, you need to care for them and be responsible.  You cannot force your way onto your neighbor who may appear to do better than you.  If that was the case, all minority and black people in the United-States would invade the suburbs in proximity to where they live to force their way into a white’s family house and demand that they stay there for a better opportunity.  The problem is the Haitian Government fails again and again to care for their people. 
Haitians only live in the past for their glory. They were the first black people to be free and independent as slaves.  They represented  a great agricultural country, exporting many goods as they were strong on cultivating the earth and producing natural goods. Sugar cane and coffee plantations used to be some of the top of their producing products.  But all of that is the past.  What do Haiti have now? Well, most young people in Haiti have only one dream or aspiration, their goal is to leave the country to go abroad to countries such as Dominican Republic, United States, Canada and Europe. Most of them don’t even care about school, if they do attend school then their grades fall so short of their natural ability because all they care about is the opportunity to leave the country to go elsewhere.  Part of that trend is the results the Haitian Government lack of laws/regulations and policies regarding their radio and television airways. 
Haitians litteraly worship anything foreign, they love and give values to anything that is not Haitian. It is not uncommon to hear a national Radio station diffusing or playing complete foreign music programs for the Haitians to listen.  Their national television station have so not been able to produce anything local for their national audience that they would take a complete foreign sitcom program just to slap it on their television for their viewers.  This shows a complete disregard and lack of responsibility on the part of the government to be able to do that. By doing so, they open the flood gate for the Haitians to love and to want foreign programs and dislike and a non-appreciation for their own cultures.  As a result, young Haitian prefers and appreciate rap music, salsa, meringue, bachata, reggae more than their own.  Haitian prefers Spanish women especially Dominican women and white women more than their own kind.  More Young Haitian musicians would prefer to learn and play Rap music and reggae rather than embelishing their own Kompa.  The Haitian goverment with their lack of vision and forseing is producing a nation for other nations, but not to benefit their own.
The old Haitain peasants no longer stay or live in the plantation fields, they would rather flee to the Dominican republic to live in fear and in constant discrimination threats then to stay in their own plantations to produce basic food such as plantains, yams, ect… Today most of these products are imported directly from the dominican Republic with a price that most poor Haitian cannot afford.  Isn’t that a Bummer..? 
This shows how the Haitain goverment is not taking their full responsibility.  The issue here should be far away from blaming the Dominican Government for taking a tough stand on their immigrations laws and policies, it should be on the lack of initiatives and inability of the Haitian goverment to provide for their own people.  Haitians are smart, especially those who are educated but they are trapped in a country where there is not any long term vision.The government only wants to extend their hands for begging for pennies and favors without taking strong initiatives to empower their own people.  Haitians are treated like dogs where ever they go because their government would not fully care or provide for them. When will finally this happens…well at least not in my generation if ever.  I believe Haitians abroad and inside the country should protest or even have a convention to address these issues.  Haitians will always boast their past, but their present and future will always be cloudy and gloomy.

you probably living in the US, probably were born in the US, and you living there legal, just take one second to imagine how frustrated you would have been if they did not want to give you papers even if you eligible for them you have money to submit them and they just dont want to cause you latino? meanning you cant work cant do anything,in the country, you wont be able to understand the situation, that would have been the same thing for a lot of your love one if Romney was president, cause he was planning to do the self deportation on the latinos and im pretty sure that a couple members of your family would have been affected with their TPS,

tu ta hablando de pobreza con los haitianos en RD? pero tu no pienses que la situacion se va a poner peor si to los haitianos se van pa haiti y ambos gobierno cierran todo contacto? mira lo que paso con los huebos que el gobierno de haiti en un momento decidio que no iba a comnprar? y las contrucciones de aqui chekeala a ver cuanto dominicanos an trabajando en ella? las universidades con to eso haitiano pagando casas itbis en to lo que compran, hay una gran parte de la economia de RD que es preducido por haiti por el 90% de la produccion dominicana es son exportada hacia haiti, no habla de economia en este sentido

Republica Dominicana, un pais libre, soberano e independiente! asi dice nuestro emblema patriotico, el que no conoce la historia, le voy recomendando unos cuantos autores de buenos libros de Historia Dominicana para que dejen de estar opinando en contra y se instruyan un poquito, ya que a nuestro a pais lo que le hace falta es gente que lea:

Filiberto Cruz Sánchez
Fran Moya Pons
Joaquin Balaguer
Mu-Kien Sang
Juan Bosch
Jaime de Jesús Domínguez