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by Claudio E. Cabrera
It was more than a month ago when one of the worst earthquakes in history struck the poorest country in the western hemisphere, Haiti. An estimated 250,000 people died in this tragedy and over 300,000 were injured: A saddening turn of events in a country that has not been able to catch a break since they became the first black republic. It has gone through centuries of discrimination, occupation, a dictatorship and natural disasters.
Despite the sad state of affairs in Haiti, the global response in the wake of this tragedy has been nothing short of tremendous; from countries providing Haiti with soldiers and doctors; to the world pulling together to contribute record amounts of aid to their recovery efforts.
But the response that I was curious to see was the one closest to home, the Dominican response.
As a Dominican-American and resident of the Washington Heights and Inwood sections of Manhattan, which have the largest concentration of Dominicans in the United States, I was worried about many friends who may have lost family members in this tragedy. But at the same time, I was worried about how my community would react to the earthquake that devastated a region of Hispaniola that many Dominicans do not care for.
When you look at the collective histories of Dominicans and Haitians, both sides have committed their share of atrocities onto one another. But within the last century, the Dominican people have taken advantage of, deported, and committed mass murders against Haitians.
The hateful words and actions of previous Dominican presidents like Rafael Trujillo, who ordered his army to kill 30,000 Haitians in the 1937 Parsley Massacre, and the claims of Joaquin Balaguer in 1994 that if his opponent Pena Gomez won the election, he would “merge Haiti and Dominican Republic and darken the country,” a statement that helped make the divide between both groups even wider.
Historically, when you look at the relationship between D.R. and Haiti, it is no different than the United States’ relationship with Mexico. Poor Haitians look at the Dominican Republic as a means to a better life. When you look around the Dominican Republic, you see a lot of what the Haitians are responsible for: new hotels, government buildings and beautiful homes built with their cheap labor. The same people, who clean houses, cook, wash and raise many Dominican children. The same people who cut sugarcane in 100 degree weather and contribute to the country’s economy more than many want to believe.
Dominicans often complain about a loss of jobs as do many Americans. However, the jobs that Haitians take – as do Mexicans – are ones that Dominicans and Americans refuse to do.
Despite all these differences, at least domestically, I have seen something I did not expect at such a grand level – an outpouring of sadness and eagerness to help from fellow Dominicans – even those I have heard speak negatively about their neighbors.
Dominicans in my neighborhood have traveled to predominantly Haitian areas like Flatbush, Brooklyn, and Cambria Heights, Queens, to provide support. Fundraisers and clothing drives have been held throughout my neighborhood as well.
I must say that I am not only surprised, but proud.
The Dominican government has assisted in every way it could. They have sent doctors, soldiers, and citizens from Santo Domingo all the way to the Haitian border to contribute in these relief efforts. Even my friend, who is Haitian and a teacher in a predominantly Dominican school in New York City, told me how he feared the reactions of his Dominican students to the earthquake when he asked them to contribute.
The response was nothing but positive.
It is sad that it may have taken an earthquake that has already claimed more than 250,000 lives to bring us together, that it may have taken this to realize that those people who live on the other part of the island are humans just like us.
Hopefully, this show of solidarity is not temporary and the Dominican people will be able to assist in not only helping to rebuild a fractured Haiti, but our fractured marriage as well.
Claudio E. Cabrera is a 25-year-old award-winning writer based out of Inwood.
He is a son of Dominican immigrants and a graduate of Brooklyn College where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism.
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