Africa,DR , Haiti and Pena Gomez

What I am about to say is not intended as racist.Its not intended as a joke but as a serious discussion on an extremely delicate subject. Its intent is to talk a little about something peculiar within the DR and Haiti.

This is another interesting nuance about the DR and Haiti.Its funny how so many Dominicans revile, complain and wish death upon their neighbor.Yet the vast majority of Dominicans have haitian blood.Its also funny how if you ask most Dominicans what they are, they will minimize their African heritage which is more predominant than their Spanish influence.

The DR is a mulatto country yet the word mulatto is in itself trying to hide their African reality.Why is this?

I remember once I was with my grandfather in Boca Chica.The locals thought we were tourists cause we are white.I'm not saying white by Dominican standards which is a whole thread to itself but by European standards.Of course when we opened our mouths they said " A peo ellos son cibaenos."This was the first time I came into contact with purely black Dominicans.While we were talking about directions ,one of the guys cedula(I.D. card) fell on the floor and I picked it up.This guy was clearly of African origin yet his card said Indian.My gramps explained to me that most people in the DR have that designation.
Why is there this desire to repress their African origin? Its plainly obvious to all that the DR is more African than Spanish.

A guy like Pena Gomez who was of African extraction yet was ridiculed as such by people who in themselves are black though of a lighter shade.Most people downplay this side.

Amongst latinos there is a joke that seems to be offensive.There are 3 things that will never occur.1 ACuban that doesn't talk split 2A Puertorican that works 3A white Dominican
Offensive as it seems it tells you the perception that people have of the DR which is true.

School education minimizes this. It goes so far to state an erroneous fact that the ancestors of the DR people were the Taino Indians.All of this in an effort to extricate the truth that the present day people are descendants of African slaves with minimal Spanish blood mingled in them.

What I am about to offer is a simplistic solution to complex cultural and linguistic problems.

1) Dominicans must realize their true origin as descendants of Haitians and Africans.This would be accomplished by changing the school curriculum and gov't intervention with the help of the media.

2)They must understand they have much more in common with their neighbor than with Spain or Latin America.

3)Using this foundation, begin a process towards national reconciliation which would strenghten both countries.This would be based on understanding and not on suscipicion.

4)Begin a process of unification between both sides and hopefully end up one day as one island nation with one common gov't and economy.

This was Pena Gomez's dream and it was a beautiful idea.That two groups of people who have much more in common could share instead of hate.It truly saddens me that his life was cut short

Being cut short by that cancerous demon.Being cut short by repulsive rascist elements within the DR that ridiculed this genius for his skin color.These same morons not realizing they are of the same stock.

I know with total certainty as the world desires to become closer in every sense of the word that Pena Gomez dream will one day become a reality.

Well, for about 30 years, Dr was occupied by Haitians, which might explain as well, the african part of the dominicans... But I insist on the fact than dominican culture is closer to venezuela's than to Haiti... I live in DR and travel to Haiti very often, speak creole and spanish fluently, and let me tell you, it ain't the same culture... Now they have common ground, like brujeria and voodoo, cockfights, music... Ok, it's a mix...
By the way, I never was a big fan of Pena Gomez...

How can you say that? They share the same island. They must find a way to become closer.If they don't in the future it will create serious problems for the DR.Assimilation is beautiful. I know it seems far-fetched but as Pena Gomez stated and he cited Dr. King's words" I have a dream......"The DR has the incredible ability to absorb and mix freely the races and origins.If Hispaniola wre one people it would be for the betterment of all.Venezuela is far and away.Besides the DR is more African than Spanish.

If you have any conections among the Alvarez, you will find out the Pena comez is a Haitian, I got this information from my mother who used to have a closed relationship with them before pena-gomez became involved in the public arena. This was created to place one that appears to have no connections with them in a powerful position.
You can also ask, why did Trujillo tried to kill Pena Gomez? He was accused of theft, and escaped by the skin of his teeth, go ask an old man called Comandante as you enter Los Alcarizos In Santo Domingo the small pullperia.

That doesn't change the facts. Despite being hated by people who were different than himself,he was able to accomplish what others will never do.
Besides he wanted unity amongst all and not divisiveness.

You know something.I could only state this on an open forum like this cause this would get me stoned in many parts of the DR.

Then there are the Dominicans who say that their family has German Scandinavian blood.

I once had a Dominican woman show me a picture of her grandfather, a black and white photo, where she told me that her grandfather had blue eyes. Very hard to tell from a black and white photo.

I wish to state that dominican culture is much closer to the one from Puerto Rico or Cuba, than the one from Haiti. I don't say that with racism, and I, too, would think the idea of one Hispaniola would be great, but I think it wouldn't be at the advantages of the dominicans... I say that with all respect for Haiti, which I know pretty good. It's ok to admit and cultivate one's african roots, but it is a better goal to be an efficient country... And believe me, the african model isn't appropriate for the DR... Here in the DR, i have haitian friends and employees, and I try to make their life easier... I also try my best to influence dominicans not to view haitians as "second-class citizens", but the more I travel thru Haiti, the more I see that the people themselves have destroy their own land, which used to be really nice and fertile in the french days... And the worst is that so far no one has got a solution for Haiti, because the people are so ignorant and reproduce so fast, they go on destroying their environment so fast, and to build houses in slums so close to one another it's not human ! Now they have to import their charcoal from DR as a consequence of burning down all the trees, deforastation is a tragedy there, and they also fish out their sea-shore...
Let DR see further than that, and look to its latin part, let DR be educated, reforested, with a decent agriculture, a good tourism, a birth control...
Let the DR look up to Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico (even Cuba...)...
Let the DR be different from its closest neighbour, so that its closest neighbour can beneficiate from the progress in DR...
Pena Gomez is dead...

Maybe the problem is that you or your grand father don't know about the Dominican culture. When a dominican states in a Cedula (ID) that he is Indian, it doesn;t mean that he's indian (native american indian, or indu) it means that the color of his skin aproaches to the color of the indian people.

I read that it was a parent or grandparent that was born in Haiti but Pena Gomez was born in the DR. This isn't true?

I think more and more Dominicans are thinking along those lines now that he is gone. He was the President of the Socialist Democrats internationally at one time and if you listen to some of his speeches in the 60's they are incredible. I am always amazed at how 65-85+ of the population vote for left since 1978 and yet no policitical party actually implements populist policies.