Revista Internacional de Cooperación y Desarrollo Dossier "Humanitarismo en Latinoamérica: Pasado y Presente" Oscar A. Gómez (Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University) y Simone Lucatello (Instituto de Investigaciones Dr. José María Luis Mora) Editores invitados Side-Gigs of the Literati: Humanitarianism at its Best Actividades paralelas de los literatos: el humanitarismo en su máxima expresión Yvonne Captain1 Copyright: © 2020 Abstract Revista Internacional de Cooperación y Desarrollo. Esta revista proporciona acceso abierto a todos sus contenidos This article examines a specific case and a particular style of bajo los términos de la licencia creative commons Atribución– humanitarianism that one finds in celebrity activism. In 2013, the NoComercial–SinDerivar 4.0 Internacional (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Dominican Republic issued Judgment 168-13, deciding that many Tipo de artículo: Artículo de Revisión people in the country were not citizens. It was a clear act of purging Recibido: marzo de 2020 people of Haitian descent. It was the Judgment against Juliana Revisado: junio 2020 Deguis. Hence, she became the “poster child” for a legal, cultural, and Aceptado: junio de 2020 humanitarian struggle in existence for decades, indeed more than a Autores century. With a focus on literary superstars, I endeavor to show how 1 Profesora de Literatura y Estudios Internacionales. Departa- such a difficult situation can move closer to a solution, if not a complete mento de Lenguas Romances. George Washington University (EE.UU). Investigadora Principal-"'Apellidos' africanos". resolution. Correo electrónico: [email protected] Keywords: Celebrity activism; constructivism; diplomacy; ORCID: 0000-0001-7598-3433 humanitarianism; intermestic; Judgment 168-13; non-state actors; public sphere; rational choice. Acknowledgments I wish to thank the GW CIBER grant for its generous support as Resumen I read a version of this paper at the International Studies Asso- Este artículo examina un caso específico y un estilo particular de ciation. My heartfelt “thank you” also extends to my colleague Professor Cynthia McClintock who read the manuscript and humanitarismo que se encuentra en el activismo de las celebridades. provided comments that helped to shape the final essay. En 2013, República Dominicana emitió la Sentencia 168-13, en la que decidió que muchas personas en el país no eran ciudadanos. Fue un acto claro de purga de personas de ascendencia haitiana. Fue la Sentencia contra Juliana Deguis. Por lo tanto, se convirtió en la “niña modelo” de una lucha legal, cultural y humanitaria que ha existido durante décadas, de hecho, más de un siglo. Con un enfoque en las Cómo citar: superestrellas literarias, procuraré mostrar cómo una situación tan Captain, Y. (2020). Side-Gigs of the Literati: Humanitarianism at difícil puede acercarse a una solución, que quizá sea una resolución its Best. Revista Internacional de Cooperación y Desarrollo. 7(1).62-81 DOI 10.21500/23825014.4731 completa. Palabras clave: activismo de celebridades; constructivismo; diplomacia; humanitarismo; interméstico; Juicio 168-13; actores no estatales; esfera pública; decisión racional. Dossier "Humanitarismo en Latinoamérica: Pasado y Presente" I. Introduction the advice of those outside of its borders? This essay interrogates the 2013 Sentencia1 Given that this humanitarian crisis is a long (Judgment) 168-13 of the Dominican simmering one, how might the Dominican Republic. It explores how South-South Republic serve as a model to other nations actors made a difference in its outcome. whose citizens experience similar, although My title playfully suggests idol passions not the same, abuses? of literary figures, but these literati took Seemingly a domestic issue, the seriously the notion of the right of every Judgment has far-ranging cross-border and human being to a sense of belonging and transnational implications, especially when worth. Further, their extra-literary actions the observer considers the determination of are in tandem with their approaches to South-South arbiters of justice. (Chaudoin, literature. I study the involvement of Mario 2014). The Judgment is an intermestic3 issue Vargas Llosa and the group of scholars and because its actions and decisions spill over activists Julia Álvarez, Edwidge Danticat, into other countries. Domestic concerns Junot Diaz, and Mark Kurlansky.2 become intermestic because the choices The Judgment ruled that one young one country makes have significant bearing woman, Julia Deguis, did not hold on what happens in another country. Dominican citizenship and, therefore, One should not ignore these intermestic she could not vote or exercise any rights properties of the Judgment as, without pertaining to citizens of the country. It exposure, these internal concerns could marked a milestone in the history of the continue to fly under the radar of global country, ostensibly for all non-citizens of attention. Such blatant machinations the nation, but, in fact, for those of Haitian as Judgment 168-13 enter humanitarian descent. As an intellectual quandary, history as unfitting for a nation of great the Judgment makes it easy to see how moral stature and international sway –the one might conclude that if a person has image that the Dominican Republic is eager citizenship elsewhere, then the person is to project to the world. In fact, according to not a citizen in another place. The problem Mendelson, the country received plaudits. with the Dominican argument is that It was lifting its citizens out of poverty. In Deguis was never a citizen of Haiti. its own humanitarian efforts, it aided Haiti In such a monumental judgment, my when the 2010 earthquake devastated query is a multi-pronged one: how was it that French and Kreyol speaking country. possible for a government to operate under It was a sincere effort on the part of the international radar regarding its citizens? Dominican Republic, and many took it as What changes must take place that make a sign of healing between the two nations it necessary for a sovereign nation to heed (Mendelson, 2011). However, events that 1 In various publications the reader might find several followed proved that harmonious co- English translations of the word “sentencia” such existence is still in the making. as “judgment,” “ruling,” or “decision”. For the sake of Admittedly, this island nation is not consistency, I will refer to the word “sentencia” in the case alone in its draconian measures to stem of Sentencia 168-13 as “Judgment”with a capital “J”. the influx of ethnic and racial groups that 2 Mario Vargas Llosa is the Nobel-prize winning novelist who frequently writes opinion pieces for newspapers it deems undesirable. Such a segregationist such as El país from Spain. He holds dual citizenship policy towards one or more ethnic groups in Spain and in his native Peru. Junot Díaz and Julia is evident in countries of the virtual Global Álvarez are of Dominican descent and Edwidge Danticat is of Haitian descent. The latter three –all 3 The language and concept of “intermestic” as expressed prize-winning writers– live in the United States, as does by La Porte (2012) and others is valuable to me here. See the journalist Mark Kurlansky. Reference Section. REVISTA INTERNACIONAL DE COOPERACIÓN Y DESARROLLO / VOL 7 NUM 1 / ENERO - JUNIO DE 2020 / 63 CARTAGENA COLOMBIA / E-ISSN: 2382-5014 Side-Gigs of the Literati: Humanitarianism at its Best North as well as in the virtual Global South.4 to reach the mainland U.S.5 As the research Whether ethnic cleansing, a holocaust, and writing of this article progressed, genocide, police brutality, or some other Venezuela produced Latin America's largest form of group hatred, many countries migrant outflow in decades. In general, harbor deep-seated animosity towards whether the immigrants are attempting their neighbors and even towards their own to enter a Global North country or another citizens who are of a different ethnic and Global South country, the rebuff they cultural make up. In this unprecedented receive is telling. Nevertheless, even though moment of mass migration, Global North the Dominican Republic is not unique in countries mainly seek to rebuff would-be- its actions or passions, Judgment 168-13 immigrants from the Global South nations, stood out in the twenty-first century for its but the latter grouping of countries does boldness and determination to eliminate the same towards fellow Global South all vestiges of a Haitian past and present. nations. Now with the pandemic COVID-19, In gauging which countries receive the nastiness of the rebuffs multiply the effects of the Judgement, of obvious exponentially, illogically blaming victims of import is Haiti, but also member states of the sickness for all manner of woes within the Caribbean, especially the Caribbean the country where they happen to reside. Community and Common Market The practice knows no limits regarding (CARICOM). The Tribunal Court of the periods in history or to unscrupulous Dominican Republic agreed with the methods to hide them from view. Further, lower court with this pronouncement governments are adept at flaming the about Deguis “[S]he was not a citizen and hatred that would keep the new people therefore, could not exercise such privilege outside of its borders. Hundreds of years [the right to vote]”.6 before the current Dominican example, the I draw mainly from the broad definition practice was in place around the world, and of humanitarianism through the actions it will more than likely occur well into the of celebrity activists to show how reactions future. It is not necessary to dwell on the to the Judgment might serve as a case headlining countries whose actions inform study beyond one nation and as a means of the public like Italy, Germany, or Spain and mapping future possibilities of navigating the boatloads of Global South migrants diplomatic and humanitarian situations, seeking haven on their shores. Instead, particularly as they are more inclusive of non- the reader might think about Central state actors.