Has the influx of Haitians into the DR ever lighten up? Um, no.
I guess they learned that its easier to come "on the low" rather than parading with bayonets like they did in past centuries.
It also has to do with the extremely relax attitude the DR government has towards this problem, a problem that will cost us in the long shot monetarily and loss in economic advancement. I'm saying that because most Haitians aggregate the problems in the DR, demanding the DR to take care of Dominican poor and Haitian poor, further straining whatever resources are available here.
The public hospitals are in shambles, but they probably would not have been if the Hospitals were to attend Dominicans. Nowadays, Haitians outnumber Dominicans in many hospital and by the time a Dominican makes it to the hospital, all the medicines have been used up and the beds are taken. Its not like if things will be perfect without the Haitian problem, but it would be alot better than before.
The school are now overcrowded. Schools have always been underfunded to begin with, the allowance of Haitians to attend Dominican schools just puts more unnecessary strains on the system and puts the Dominicans (for who the schools were built for to begin with) at a disadvantage with less spending per pupil.
The slums are expanding like water. In 2000, the census reported that 95% of all slum dwellers in the DR were Haitians. Now its probably up more and the slums have spread. This is unacceptable. All these Haitians living in hovels on the outskirts of SDQ. Its ridiculous. Again, its not that without the Haitians the slums would disappear, but they would be a lot smaller and not in places like Arroyo Hondo which recently developed a slum area!
Tourists are complaining even more about the hassles and aggresiveness of many beggars in the streets of the DR. It just turns out that most beggars are either Haitians or Haitian kids. They beg and beg and if you don't give them something, they send you to hell. What is that all about? If the tourist decide that is a reason to stop coming to the DR, then the Haitians are going to cost us our biggest and most important industry.
And the worst part is that the rest of the world is taking some aspect of Haitian culture and branding them as Dominican! Many Haitian Bateyes conduct vodoo ceremonies and they are considered to be Dominican vodoo ceremony, despite most participants being Haitians. Palo music has taken root in some parts of the country, Palo music is Compas in Spanish, a Haitian music now being considered as Dominican.
Also, ever since Trujillo was killed, the influx of Haitians has increase with the last four years of Hipomania being the zenith of such influxes. One noticeable thing is that the average human on the streets in the DR everyday appears to be darker and darker. Obviously, most are Haitians starting to intermingle with the population and others are Haitians passing themselves as Dominicans. Though, colorwise its not important, it is indicative of the Haitian presence in the country and how they are changing the face of the country everyday that passes.
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