Article examining dominican identity

[Pib]

There IS African influence in our culture, but guess what? We (the unwashed masses) don't even know which! I couldn't care less where my ancestors came from (unless there is money involved), it adds very little to what I already am. If given the chance, with no effort, sure, I'd like to know, if only out of curiousity.

My husband was working in Africa for about a year, his company pays for my ticket to visit him and I really wanted to go see for myself, alas, it couldn't be. He was transferred. Anyways, I had more curiosity to visit Spain (mostly about food), not because I particularly identify with Spain (at least no more than I do with Mexico, or the Philippines).

Now, denying that the VAST majority of our cultural characteristics came from Spain is just plain silly. We speak the language, follow the religion and, for god's sake, actually know where Spain is in a map. Not the same with Africa. I, along with most of humanity (black people in the US included) couldn't place more than a few African countries in a map and can't tell the difference between a Mbutsi and a Tutsi (can you?)

So, what's the big deal? I will not embrace my blackness, whiteness or blueness for that matter. I am much more than a color. IMHO, YMMV and all that.

[TEHAMA]

This article explains alot of what I have observed on the island. Too many examples to even mention here. Bottom line for me: After 200 years of brainwashing, people will believe what they wish to believe...that is until they visit another country and cant put a check in the box labeled,"WHITE." LOL.
Thanks for sharing this article,
TEHAMA

[juancarlos]

"Being part of the african diaspora is the LAST thing dominicans would ever consider as part of their ancestural identity. " wrote wventura.

Frankly, I don't know of any white Latin American who identifies as part of the "Spanish, white or European Diaspora". None! The only ones who would do that would be very fringe, extremist groups of which few have heard anything about and who are influenced by a white supremacist, skinhead type of mentality. Something that is alien to this region. Similarly, it is not usual for black Latin Americans to view themselves as part of any "African Diaspora", even as they fight against prejudice and discrimination. This concept comes from the USA, from black Americans who are among the least African of blacks in the Americas, culturally speaking. On the other hand, the "Afro" influence in Latin America has reached many non-black people and is reflected in the music, every day words and religion of blacks, whites, mulatoes and mestizos and every other possible combination you can think of. This is true of Cuba, Brasil, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama but also of countries with large indigenous populations such as Peru and Ecuador, as well as overwhelmingly European nations, such as Uruguay, where blacks and mullatoes are a small minority. I would say that the same influence exists in the DR and to such an extent that it is probably taken for granted and not identified as "African" but simply as part of Dominican culture.

[NALs]

Dominicans are happy the way they are, trust me, I'm a Dominican too.

We love what we are as Dominicans, we love our country, we love our music, we love our foklore, we love everything and anything that is Dominican.

The way Dominicans see the world is reflected in the way they act, including how nice they are, how positive they look at the world, how incredibly warm many foreigners feel when being welcomed by Dominicans.

The only people that have problems with Dominican identity is the foreigners, especially from the north! Most Caribbean societies care less about Dominican identity. Haiti hardly cares about Dominican Identity. The same applies with Jamaican, Mexican, Venezuelan, Spaniards, or even Colombians points of view of Dominican identity, nobody cares.

Dominicans are more than blacks and whites. We are mixed, absolutely different. For people that come from other countries where the notion of being mixed is absolutely intentionally ignored, it becomes hard for them to accept the Dominican identity. For them, a person that has dark skin must accept himself as Black or African, despite if that dark person has more mixtures than who knows who!

This past year I spend it in the US as many of you know. I'm back in the DR already, but I want to share with you a quick story of a Dominican Paisano that I met while I was in the US. This guy has dark skin, Dominican, and he looks at the world much how most Dominicans look at the world. According to the article here, he must accept his African heritage above all the other heritages in his life simply because his skin color is dark. The funny thing is this, if you go back into his family tree, not that far back at all, to his grandparents. Two of his grandmothers and one of his grandfathers were actually Dominican whites. Only his Grandfather from his Father side was 100% black. From that perspective, this guy is 75% white and 25% black, but his skin color is dark. Does that means that he needs to accept his 25% of blackness which displays itself via his skin color and ignore his 75% whiteness which displays itself in other forms, most likely in the skin color of his children?

If he was from a society that only saw the world in black and white, then yes, he would have to accept his blackness above everything. The issue is that he is part of the Dominican Republic, a country that has a much more accurate understanding of human racial mixtures, more than most countries I would say. I'm not saying he should ignore either his African or European heritage. He should embrace both, as he already is doing by being Dominican. How you may ask?

Look into this. Dominican Merengue is a mixture of European formality and African Rythms. Any Dominican that adores this type of music (which is all of them) are celebrating the mixture of races that exist in their country, within themselves.

In language, the Dominican Spanish is a mixture of cultures. When a Dominican says "no moors", meaning the coast is clear, that is an expression that came direct from Spain. However, the same Dominican uses the words "cachimbo" to denote smoking pipe and "un chin" to denote a little bit, and "un can" to denote a party, and guess what, those words are Tainos and African. So, even in Language Dominicans are unconsciously already celebrating our mixture of races.

In culinary aspect of society, every Dominican home recognizes and consumes Arroz con pollo y Habichuelas a food plate that is from Spanish origin. Those same Dominicans drewls over Chicharrones con tostones a dish developed by Africans. But, every Dominican can't eact the Chicharrones without a piece of delicious Casave, a Taino bread. We express our mixture and celebrate it even in our food.

In Architecture, the Dominican architecture embraces different elements from different races. The small wooden homes are decendants of the Taino's Bohios, the palaces and villas are decendant of Mediterranean Europe, and the "Fogones" found in many poor homes is something reminescent of Africa.

In religion, Dominicans believe in Mary and Jesus and God which are European religious icons. But Dominicans also believe in "mal de ojo" and "fucu's" which are African religious icons. Some Dominicans still pray for rain during times of drought while rubbing on a rosary, the perfect blend of cultures in the religious sphere.

You see, Dominicans already celebrate what they are, which is a mixture of things. The problem is not from within, but from abroad. Foreigners (not all, but many) can't bend their way of think which is usually rigid between lines of black and white, and they can't accept that there is a society in this world where people are recognized not just as being black or white, but also mixed. Dominicans look up to Spain for our cultural identity, we practice religion with a slight African and Taino touch, we listen to music that clearly shows the mixtures that makes up a Dominican!

Dominicans will never fall under the regimen of foreigners that can't accept us for who we are. We recognize that the world is more than black and white, we recognize that skin color is only part of the story, we recognize that being a Dominican is first and foremost than being anything racial that could harm our unity as a nation. For that reason and others, Dominicans will always identify themselves how they have been doing. And for those reasons and ignorance, foreigners will always try to make us less Dominicans and more of whatever kind of people those foreingers believe we should be.

I said it before and I'll say it again, only a Dominican knows what it is to be a Dominican. All other peoples can only guess and research. For that reason, it would be much appreciated the day when the world accept us for who we are and how we identify ourselves rather than trying to impose their belief systems on us. We are not superior to foreigners and foreigners are not superior to us, we are just different. Accept that. Thank you.

[juancarlos]

"I said it before and I'll say it again, only a Dominican knows what it is to be a Dominican. All other peoples can only guess and research. For that reason, it would be much appreciated the day when the world accept us for who we are and how we identify ourselves rather than trying to impose their belief systems on us. We are not superior to foreigners and foreigners are not superior to us, we are just different. Accept that. Thank you."

I think you've said it well, Nal0whs!

[wventura]

Originally Posted by juancarlos

"Being part of the african diaspora is the LAST thing dominicans would ever consider as part of their ancestural identity. " wrote wventura.

Frankly, I don't know of any white Latin American who identifies as part of the "Spanish, white or European Diaspora". None!

YOU have got to be joking. Dominicans go on and on about how they are spanish. "Hispanidad", is the national ideology.

And dominicans have no problem identifiying as "white", but you can search the whole island and not find one person that would admit to being black.

[Pib]

Originally Posted by wventura

YOU have got to be joking. Dominicans go on and on about how they are spanish. "Hispanidad", is the national ideology.

And why is that a bad thing? No really, no irony, trust me, this is an honest to God question. Give me a reasonable (as in 'logic and reason'), objective answer on why Dominicans should or should not identify with whichever they chose to. Is it just as bad in your book if we chose not to 'identify' with anybody?

Are you also ignoring the underlying animosity against Spaniards prevalent in the country? Do you know enough about Dominicans to know about its existence?

[wventura]

Originally Posted by Nal0whs

We love what we are as Dominicans, we love our country, we love our music, we love our foklore, we love everything and anything that is Dominican.

Dominicans are more than blacks and whites. We are mixed, absolutely different. For people that come from other countries where the notion of being mixed is absolutely intentionally ignored, it becomes hard for them to accept the Dominican identity. For them, a person that has dark skin must accept himself as Black or African, despite if that dark person has more mixtures than who knows who!

Then why are dominicans so desperate to claim "white"??? arent they more than just being white???

This past year I spend it in the US as many of you know. I'm back in the DR already, but I want to share with you a quick story of a Dominican Paisano that I met while I was in the US. This guy has dark skin, Dominican, and he looks at the world much how most Dominicans look at the world. According to the article here, he must accept his African heritage above all the other heritages in his life simply because his skin color is dark. The funny thing is this, if you go back into his family tree, not that far back at all, to his grandparents. Two of his grandmothers and one of his grandfathers were actually Dominican whites. Only his Grandfather from his Father side was 100% black. From that perspective, this guy is 75% white and 25% black, but his skin color is dark. Does that means that he needs to accept his 25% of blackness which displays itself via his skin color and ignore his 75% whiteness which displays itself in other forms, most likely in the skin color of his children?

Bull****. "white" domninicans are mixed race as well, they are just lighter mulattos. 25% is rediculous, thats too insignificant, for somebody to have dark skin. That guy was dark because he had ALOT of afriacan ancestry from every side of his family.

If he was from a society that only saw the world in black and white, then yes, he would have to accept his blackness above everything. The issue is that he is part of the Dominican Republic, a country that has a much more accurate understanding of human racial mixtures, more than most countries I would say. I'm not saying he should ignore either his African or European heritage. He should embrace both, as he already is doing by being Dominican. How you may ask?

Well this "embracing both sides", doesnt happen in the D.R that much. If asked of ones "antepasados", african ancestors are the LAST thing a dominican (regardless of color), will mention. They have to ADMIT to it. Its incredible to see dominicans that look like they are strait out of Africa, brag about their pure spanish great grandfather, but ignore the rest of their ancestry.

You see, Dominicans already celebrate what they are, which is a mixture of things.

Bull****. You will not find many dominicans celebrating their african ancestry. They will go on and on about spanish ancestry, other european ancestry, and Taino (even though its practically non-existent), but african ancestry never seems to come up, even though AFRICAN ANCESTRY IS THE LARGEST COMPONENT IN THE D.R.

[Pib]

Originally Posted by wventura

AFRICAN ANCESTRY IS THE LARGEST COMPONENT IN THE D.R.

Racially it may, but culturally... not by any strech of the imagination. What is about this fixation with 'identifying' with something or the other? Really?

[wventura]

Originally Posted by Pib

Racially it may, but culturally... not by any strech of the imagination. What is about this fixation with 'identifying' with something or the other? Really?

I'm not implying that dominicans should choose one or the other. But why not both???

It just doenst happen.

It troubles me when the darkest, most african looking dominican is more proud of his/her white ancestry, and doesnt mention all of his other obvious ancestries.