Dominican Anti-Haitianism, the Denial of Racism, and Contradictions in the Aftermath of the 2010 Earthquake
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FEAR OF A BLACK COUNTRY: DOMINICAN ANTI-HAITIANISM, THE DENIAL OF RACISM, AND CONTRADICTIONS IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE 2010 EARTHQUAKE A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY by Daly Guilamo August 2013 Examining Committee Members: Dr. Iyelli Ichile, Advisory Chair, African American Studies Dr. Niambi Carter, African American Studies Dr. Maxwell Stanford, African American Studies Dr. Terry Rey, Religion Dr. Lewis Gordon, External Member, University of Connecticut © Copyright 2013 by Daly Guilamo All Rights Reserved ii ABSTRACT The Dominican Republic (DR) and Haiti are two Caribbean countries that share the same island, Hispaniola, and a tumultuous history. Both countries’ historical relationship is ridden with geopolitical conflict stemming from the DR creating an unwelcoming environment for Haitian immigrants. This dissertation is a interdisciplinary study that investigates how Dominican thinkers play a significant role in creating the intellectual impetus that encourages anti-Haitian sentiment throughout Dominican society in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. In this dissertation I examine how Dominican anti- Haitian ideals, as delineated by Dominican nationalist intellectuals, that I refer to as Defensive Dominican Nationalists (DDN), continue to resonate amongst “everyday” Dominicans and within the recently amended 2010 Dominican constitution that denies citizenship to Dominicans of Haitian descent in the aftermath of the earthquake. I conclude that although the new constitution reinforces the anti-Haitian ideals espoused by conservative Dominican elite thinkers, “everyday” Dominicans, in the post 2010 earthquake timeframe, rejected some of the DDN’s beliefs concerning the true definition of Dominican-ness and how the Dominican government had recently amended its constitution. My methodology, consists of literary analysis, a survey, and focus group interviews conducted on both Dominicans and Haitians residing in the DR. Unexpectedly, I found that documented Haitians and second generation Dominicans of Haitian descent actually oppose the new influx of Haitian immigrants adopting some of the anti-Haitian attitudes of the DDN. In essence, this dissertation diagnoses a racial iii problem emanating from geopolitical conflict and the tumultuous history between Dominican and Haitian society. iv DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my ancestors victimized by slavery, colonialism, post- colonialism, racism, the Trujillo dictatorship, and the Balaguer regime. This dissertation is also dedicated to all those who stood up and rebelled against the aforementioned atrocities affecting the African Diaspora. I also dedicate this dissertation to my mother, father, brother, and supportive friends for backing me, loving me, and remaining in my life. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my mother, father, and brother for continuing to cheer me on even though I abandoned them in pusuit of my relentless ideals. I am blessed to have your unconditional love. I thank you for loving me. I also would like to thank from the bottom of my heart Jarvis for your friendship and support. My old- school mentor Hoshiah Khamani Khalil, I thank you. You will always be my mentor, my Yoda, my Buddha, my ideological father, my HipHop, and my Marcus Garvey. I will always cherish our phrase, “I (Daly) am Malcolm and you (Khamani) are Elijah, minus the betrayal.” May the Creator bless you along with all of the eggheads of Brooklyn. I would like to thank the women in my life who held my hand throughout this doctoral process and consoled me with their nurturing feminine company: Jamicia, Osizwe, Takiyah, Kenya, and Nashay. I am glad our lives crossed paths. Jennifer Williams you had my back looking over my work when no one else would. I thank you. The Pan African Dominicans of Washington Heights: Aquino, Genaro, Jose, and Kwesi (my heart) I thank you too. I love you all and hopefully we shall take the DR by storm and maybe, one day, unite the island! Just kidding. Jacqueline Guilamo, thank you for assisting me while traveling throughout the DR. You were excellent! Gracias Tia. I would like to thank my friends who passed away this year, it was a blessing meeting you all in this lifetime: Harold Priego, Malcolm Shabazz, and my oasis in a desert-island of anti-Haitianism, Franklin Franco Pichardo. Harold Priego you blessed me by permitting me to publish my first article on Dominican newspaper comic strips. May you rest in peace with the ancestors and gracias once more. vi Malcolm Shabazz, I am truly glad Allah allowed us to meet on the outside past the prison walls. I will always miss you and hold you close to my heart. I hope you find peace with the ancestors and your grandparents, Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. Thank you for teaching me your philosophical take on Islam. I will never forget you and hope we meet again in another life or ancestral plane. I am sure we will. Franklin Franco Pichardo, you were the most socially conscious Dominican I ever met in my life. Thank you for making me feel sane when no other Dominican on the island would or could. You are the greatest scholar and defender of blackness out of all of the DR’s thinkers of the 20th and 21st century. I say this without exaggerating. I only hope to become as great as you. Thank you for taking time out to talk to me. I will always tell your story and will pass down your ideas. I appreciate your kindness. So, I give you my tears and smiles as my offering. May you rest well. You are a true Dominican Pan Africanist. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Ichile for chairing my dissertation when my former chair retired. You are a life saver, my heroine. I am grateful that you helped me improve my writing, I appreciate those invaluable lessons. Dr. Rey, thank you for your support and for granting me the opportunity to teach in IH. Dr. Carter, Dr. Stanford (Ahmad), and Dr. Gordon thank you for supporting me and allowing me to reach this stage of my life. Peace & Blessings. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. v CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................ 7 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 8 Research Questions ............................................................................................... 14 Methods ................................................................................................................. 15 Limitations of Study ............................................................................................. 18 Literature Review .................................................................................................. 18 Balaguer’s Portrayal as a Racist ........................................................................... 19 Surveys .................................................................................................................. 26 Summation of Dominican Legislature .................................................................. 30 Dominican Media’s Pictorial Depictions .............................................................. 34 2. THE DENIAL OF RACISM AT ITS FINEST: PEDDLING THE ILLUSION THAT ANTI-HAITIANISM DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN RACISM Alarmist Fears os Denationalization ..................................................................... 40 1937 ....................................................................................................................... 42 viii Cultural Clashes and Racial Differences .............................................................. 45 On Language and Other Cultural Anxieties .......................................................... 54 On Stereotypes ...................................................................................................... 56 The Haitian Breeder .............................................................................................. 57 The DDN’s Denial of Racism ............................................................................... 61 The Dominican Youth ........................................................................................... 67 Haitianophiles, Nation Traitors ............................................................................. 69 The Economic Peril ............................................................................................... 72 “Solutions” ............................................................................................................ 74 3. NATIONALIST PARANOIA, THE “MARRYING-DOWN” COMPLEX, AND CONTRADICTORY CONSCIOUS AMONG EVERYDAY DOMINICANS ........................................................................................................... 78 Nationalist Paranoia ................................................................................................ 79 Dominicans and Marriage ......................................................................................