Journalist wants to learn about race relations in the DR

Jzakattack · #1 11-19-2006, 07:49 PM

Hello --

I am a freelance writer, currently doing a piece on anti-Haitian racism in the DR. I have written before on race relation in the DR (have a look -- Anti-Haitian Bias Rooted in Dominican History - Worldpress.org) and I'm looking to follow up on a previous article. Basically, a woman named Sonia Pierre, leader of el Movimiento de Mujeres Dominico-Haitiana (MUDHA), has just been awarded the RFK Memorial Human Rights Award for her work in bringing attention to the plight of Haitian-descended Dominicans in the DR, many of whom are denied birth certificates and citizenship rights and often face deportation to Haiti -despite having been born in or lived in the DR for decades.

Without getting too heated, as I know this is a controversial topic

, I would like to hear your opinions - basically, is this a topic which gets much publicity in the DR? In your view, is this a problem at all? The Dominican government has accused outside NGO's and governments - including the U.S. - of a "conspiracy" to discredit the DR. Do you agree?

Any assistance you can give me with this project would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
JZ

macocael · #2 11-19-2006, 08:56 PM

I read your previous article a while back -- perhaps because you posted here previously or it was mentioned on Michele Wucker's forum on Yahoo. I am sorry to say that while the article made a few good points, it was rife with errors, largely due to misinformation or incautious phrasing. Here is an example:

"According to the Christian Science Monitor, between 700,000 and one million Haitians are living illegally in the Dominican Republic. Despite the Republic's 17 percent unemployment rate, most come looking for low-paid, unskilled labor work, mainly in the sugar plantations which line the Haitian-Dominican border."

The figure quoted is often bandied about and it is essentially an imaginary estimate, a million being very dubious. Besides, not all those Haitians are illegal here. There are in fact many legal Haitians in residence (though porportionally their number is not great). secondly the pattern of Haitian migrant labor has changed greatly in the past five years, because the sugar industry (whose plantations do NOT "line the Haitian-Dominican border") is in decline. Besides Colon, Barahona and Porvenir, only the La Romana mill is functioning, and only that latter mill is producing any significant quantities (they provide most of the American sugar quota). So in fact the laborers are not "mainly" working on the plantations.

If you want to discuss these matters seriously, by all means get in touch; but there has been a lot of shoddy reporting on these issues, and that does no one any good. I have been reporting and documenting this material now for six years.

paul3540 · #3 11-19-2006, 10:31 PM

hello hello hello

Rick Snyder · #4 11-20-2006, 12:05 AM

After reading the first paragraph of your OP I will say the following.

I would suggest some more research concerning Haiti and its constitution. I direct you to Article 11, Article 13 and Article 15. Please read those and place yourself in a Haitians shoes as you cross over to the Dominican side in search of bettering you and your family’s life. At this point please read the First Article .

I would then suggest that you read the Dominican constitution at Article 11 in its entirety. At this point please read Article 3.

If there are no questions as to the definition of the words (sovereignty), (jus sanguinis) and (jus soli) then this should help clear up any misconceptions as presented in your OP with the use of the phrase;
“bringing attention to the plight of Haitian-descended Dominicans in the DR, many of whom are denied birth certificates and citizenship rights and often face deportation to Haiti -despite having been born in or lived in the DR for decades”

At this time I wish to point out that DR1 does not allow race or religion to be discussed on this board. Because of those rules and as to where this thread is sure to go then I will direct anyone reading your OP that should wish to give their opinion to you do so by PM or E-mail.

I am moving this thread to the debates section with a three day re-direct and rather then close it I will allow it to stay open but will also forewarn those that wish to post to this thread to do so with caution as we know what the rules are.

Lastly I will direct you to this link as it may help you.

Rick

asopao · #5 11-20-2006, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jzakattack

Hello --

I am a freelance writer, currently doing a piece on anti-Haitian racism in the DR. I have written before on race relation in the DR (have a look -- Anti-Haitian Bias Rooted in Dominican History - Worldpress.org) and I'm looking to follow up on a previous article. Basically, a woman named Sonia Pierre, leader of el Movimiento de Mujeres Dominico-Haitiana (MUDHA), has just been awarded the RFK Memorial Human Rights Award for her work in bringing attention to the plight of Haitian-descended Dominicans in the DR, many of whom are denied birth certificates and citizenship rights and often face deportation to Haiti -despite having been born in or lived in the DR for decades.

Without getting too heated, as I know this is a controversial topic

, I would like to hear your opinions - basically, is this a topic which gets much publicity in the DR? In your view, is this a problem at all? The Dominican government has accused outside NGO's and governments - including the U.S. - of a "conspiracy" to discredit the DR. Do you agree?

Any assistance you can give me with this project would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
JZ

jzakattack. Haiti doesn't have jus soli. DR shouldn't either, simply because two countries sharing an island is not suitable. Take a look a Cyprus or East Timor. The only reason DR has Jus Soli is because Trujillo wanted to whiten the country back then, but it is obsolete now. DR should get rid of Jus Soli,and that's it.

Jzakattack · #6 11-20-2006, 09:53 AM

Thank you Rick. That was an interesting article by Ernesto Sagas, and it confirmed much of what I had already learned.

The questions I'm raising do not concern recently arrived Haitians in the DR, so much as it does descendents of Haitians within the DR who are denied their basic rights of citizenship, as outlined in Article 11 of the DR Constitution. While I'm not disputing what's written in the Haitian Constitution, the DR Constitution offers citizenship to those born in the country, with the exception of those "in transit". The meaning of "transit" appears to be disputable. This has been cited by numerous groups, including Amnesty International (see letter --http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR270012006?open&of=ENG-2M5) Human Rights Watch, and the Jesuit Refugee Service.

Macocael -- I think I've heard from you previously. I would like to see some of your previous writings on the topic.

JZ

Chirimoya · #7 11-20-2006, 10:10 AM

A book on this subject, Needed but Unwanted - by Bridget Wooding and Richard Moseley Williams, published a couple of years ago, is available from Progressio - home (either to order or as a PDF) and there is information on jrs.net, as well as on MUDHA's own site - El movimiento de Mujeres Dominico-Haitiana (MUDHA).

macocael · #8 11-20-2006, 10:51 AM

As I said, contact me and we can discuss these matters, but this board is not a suitable place. I am a documentary photographer by the way; I leave the sociological analysis to others, but I do write on the topic from a cultural vantage.

JOKL · #9 11-20-2006, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jzakattack

Hello --

I am a freelance writer, currently doing a piece on anti-Haitian racism in the DR. I have written before on race relation in the DR (have a look -- Anti-Haitian Bias Rooted in Dominican History - Worldpress.org) and I'm looking to follow up on a previous article. Basically, a woman named Sonia Pierre, leader of el Movimiento de Mujeres Dominico-Haitiana (MUDHA), has just been awarded the RFK Memorial Human Rights Award for her work in bringing attention to the plight of Haitian-descended Dominicans in the DR, many of whom are denied birth certificates and citizenship rights and often face deportation to Haiti -despite having been born in or lived in the DR for decades.

Without getting too heated, as I know this is a controversial topic

, I would like to hear your opinions - basically, is this a topic which gets much publicity in the DR? In your view, is this a problem at all? The Dominican government has accused outside NGO's and governments - including the U.S. - of a "conspiracy" to discredit the DR. Do you agree?

Any assistance you can give me with this project would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
JZ

If you are not Dominican you may do not understand this. All foreigner get it wrong with this matter.Is Like the US and all their studies of latin-america can't figure out why those countries are getting left wing governments.

Rick Snyder · #10 11-20-2006, 02:41 PM

I noticed this article in the paper and thought I’d point it out to you. As it is about Haitians here in the DR and as the ‘comments to the editor’ seem to be from Dominicans it should give a reference as to how some Dominicans feel about this situation.

Many arguments concerning this subject do in fact seem to revolve around the words ("in transit") as you pointed out.

It seems that the Dominican government in their application of “sovereign” rights feel that if you should fail to apply for residency, visa or some sort of permit to be in this country permanently then you must in fact be a person “in transit”. As a person “in transit” you are in fact able to be ejected from this country as that is in fact their sovereign right.

The blame always seems to be placed on the Dominicans for their supposed lack of failing to bend the rules or they are expected to change their official documents to cater to the whims of others.

Just like in the US, if a person should decide to become a citizen of a foreign country they must in fact apply for same. If they wish to be a resident of a foreign country they must apply for same. If they wish to work in a foreign country legally they must apply for same. The vast majority of the Haitians living here in the DR do not apply for the right to live or work here and are therefore "in transit".

The problem as I see it is that as the Haitian constitution applies jus soli regardless as to which parent is Haitian and does not allow dual citizenship the Haitian is placed into a catch 22 situation. I think, but don’t know, that the usual Haitian that comes to this country, regardless as to legally or illegally, does so without wishing to give up their rights as Haitian citizens nor their Haitian citizenship. The only Haitians that are offered this option per their constitution are those that come to the DR in a legal status and are therefore characterized as “in transit” both by the DR government and the Haitian government. Those Haitians that come to the DR illegally and do not apply for any status are considered “in transit” by the DR government and are considered non-citizens by the Haitian government.

Rick