The Public Archive is always happy to receive letters to the editor like the one below which, we think, provides a stark example of how history has been twisted to the cause of anti-Haitianism while providing an unadorned, even brutal, representation of the ideological context of the recent ruling of the Dominican Republic’s Constitutional Tribunal regarding its citizens of Haitian descent. Please send death threats and love letters to firstname.lastname@example.org or post your comments below.
“This antihaitianismo sees the presence of people of Haitian descent – and of people of African descent more generally – as a threat to Dominican identity.”
Since 1522, Santo Domingo (today DR) has had mulatto and negro! The 1799 census said: 11 thousands slaves, 16 thousands Spaniards decedents, and 83 thousands mulatto!!!!
DR (Santo Domingo) has had a strong African descendants population since it’s inception in 1508!!! DR has had a black President (Ulysses Hereaux from 1882 to 1899). Blacks had been, and currently are, in charge of the armed forces, own several small businesses, and they practically exercise all the sports, music, entertainment, news, and communications in DR!!!!!!
There is NO AGAINST BLACK sentiment in DR. DR is multiple times more diverse and tolerant than the US and their cousins in Europe combine!
With regards to the Haitian. Historically, Haiti militarily invaded DR (Santo Domingo) in 1801, 1805, 1844, 1845, 1849, and 1855 with the purpose of asphyxiating and extinguishing Santo Domingo and DR. During the 22 years of Haitian occupation, Boyer allowed the immigration of more than 18,000 African ex-slaves to Santo Domingo in 1822 (James Monroe was determined to kick the slave out of the US) with total disregard of the opinions of the local inhabitants.
Then, after DR defeated the Haitian in 1859, Haiti decided to switch tactics to annex DR by peaceful means that included high birthing rate, open border, and illegally sending thousands of them to DR.
This plan was catalyzed by the US when the US invaded both Haiti (1914) and DR (1915). The US relocated thousands of Haitian youth to the sugar fields in DR so a to minimize rebellions in Haiti and to enable the DR pay the its debt to its creditors (Europe/US).
While the US ran DR, the Haitian illegally occupied all the Dominican border provinces with the intention of “Haitianized” them! Thanks to Trujillo, Dajabon was rescued from the Haitian occupation in 1937.
The 1919 Dominican Constitution clearly stated that the children born to people in transit should register with the consulate/embassy of the countries where their parents are from! The Haitian Constitution clearly states (since 1809) that children of any Haitian parent is Haitian regardless where they are born!!
So both constitutionally and historically, the Haitian are illegally in DR. Now, there are 10.7 million people in Haiti (Haiti occupies 1/3 of the island) and 10 million people in DR (including the 1.3 millions Haitian in DR). The whole island has 21 million people which is far more than the 12 million people in Cuba (Cuba is twice the size of DR). Haiti has failed as a society and as a State but they continue to birth 193 thousand people every year and no one not even the UN has told them to curb their birthing since the island is finite, the resources are finite, and there is no room for their garbage! But instead YOU PUSH FOR DR TO FAIL JUST AS EQUALLY AS HAITI! DR is poor and it does not attend to its poor. Now you want DR to adopt the responsibilities of Haiti! Even Turk & Caicos (4 thousand Haitian), Bahamas (17 thousands Haitian), Jamaica (11 thousands Haitian), and Cuba (34 thousands Haitian) do not admit them!!!! They are blessed that a Sea barricades them from Haiti!
Do not misrepresent or pretend to come across as an expert to a problem that France dumped on Hispaniola back in 1697 and that has magnified since the US closed its doors to the Haitian in 1984 and Duvalier was toppled in 1986.
Image take from espacinsular.org