Culture, Dominican Republic, Haiti, History, Personal Insights
Healing Dominicanidad: Intergenerational Trauma + DR Locals to Follow for BLM / Decolonizing Efforts
An overwhelming feeling of IMPOTENCIA engulfed me as I watched neo-nazi groups stop not one but two Black Lives Matter peaceful protests that were supposed to take place in Santo Domingo this week in solidarity with the current protests/marches in the USA and around the world. My heart broke, as I felt a sense of collective powerlessness and realized how many of us were triggered by this on many levels. Texts from Dominican friends expressed similar words: heart-breaking, depressed, triggering, speechless, impotencia, and so on.
Read More: Which is the REAL Dominican Independence Day? 5 Major Events to Consider
Different Layers of Intergenerational Dominican Trauma
Many Dominicans with such limited access to education, are more focused on putting a meal on the table than learning about decolonized Dominican history, structural racism, and its causes (a privilege in DR), and thus resort to regurgitating the same hatred whipped into us for 500+ years.
Centuries of Spanish colonization, U.S. invasions, neoliberal imperialism, US-backed dictators, and 350+ years of slavery and genocide have resulted in systematic poverty, lack of access to quality education, and internalized anti-Black sentiment/colorism. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
All of which, today has manifested into:
1) A large diaspora / human capital flight aka Brain Drain where ~15% of Dominicans live outside of DR (1.6 million) and that doesn’t include first generations born in diaspora communities. Like me- an NYC-born Dominican-American (combined 2.2 million in the U.S.)
and
2) Our inability to carry out a peaceful Black Lives Matter manifestación in DR. Appalling for a country with the fifth largest African diaspora!
In all this, I am personally triggered/reminded of my own Bronx Dominican upbringing, often assuming the role of a parent– the norm for firstborns in the Dominican Republic/Dominican diaspora. We are encargado with translating, EDUCATING/teaching, fixing, cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and admin work. I did all this while navigating cross-cultural clashes and the effects of the aforementioned intergenerational trauma by 9 years old. Y ESO! At least I had U.S. citizenship privilege, was going to school, and learning to read and write – a luxury which many Dominicans on the island do not have.
And when we stop to think of all these things holistically and how they connect and manifest into so many of the roadblocks we often hit today with machismo, insecurity on the island, generational anxiety, homophobia, colorism, los correasos (beating kids with belts are a remnant of racial/slavery trauma), and on and on… dripping down for generations.
Europeans brutalized their own children for thousands of years prior to crossing the Atlantic to the New World and colonizing Africa. Historians and anthropologists have found no evidence that ritualistic forms of physical discipline of children existed in precolonial West African societies prior to the Atlantic slave trade.
– American Psychological Association
Healing Dominicanidad
Throughout the week, as my Dominican friends and I navigate the distress and pain from current day events both here in NYC and in Santo Domingo… And as we painfully watch Cardi B cancel/boycott travel to the Dominican Republic (for Dominican media’s berating of her supporting SOLIDARITY between Haitians and Dominicans),
I take a moment to clench my eyes closed and manually breathe in. Asking myself:
- We are HURTING – How and where do we even begin to HEAL?
- How can many of us productively impart the privilege of our education on a less colonized history, the complexities of our cross-cultural identities, and social/racial issues today, while preserving our own mental health?
- Which pieces do we effectively unpack to those around us without disregarding the socioeconomic/cultural nuanced complexities (which Westerners often fail to see)?
Personally, I like to start with joining meet-up groups about these topics (there are so MANY in Santo Domingo), sharing historical/educational facts in conversations, setting boundaries, channeling COMPASSION (barking at people just makes them shut down), and amplifying the local voices of those doing the groundwork on the island <– this one is huge. The Dominican diaspora (and Westerners in general) often fail to connect with, support, and INCLUDE the voice of locals fighting for change on the island.
In the Dominican Republic, progressive groups are forming, growing, and working hard to cultivate forward-thinking movements (DR has one of the biggest all-natural hair revolutions in the Americas). And many local individuals are actively working to empower, educate, & delve deeper into our de-colonized history and identities. SO MANY.
“They’re scared. Look at how loud they’re barking. It means our movement is growing”
^ Ruth Pion of Junta de Prietas (who was at the first BLM protest in Santo Domingo on Tuesday morning) assures me, in an effort to assuage my frustrations.
I take a deep breath, tightly grabbing on to the faint but growing silver linings.
SUPPORT Local Dominicans Doing On-the-Ground Hard Work
One of the strongest tools for healing are connection and community. What better way to start, than to support the local Dominicans and Haitians on the ISLAND doing on-the-ground hard work.
Here are a few of many Dominican-based Instagram accounts of groups, organizations, and individuals working towards Black Lives Matter/decolonizing efforts. Many are close friends of mine who I can vouch for both personally and professionally. And many I simply connected with by showing up at their events by myself, eager to listen.
Please feel free to suggest more in the comments below!
| Junta de Prietas – “Colectivo Feminista Antirracista Decolonial” |
| Jean Sano – Activist, Political researcher working at the UN, Human rights advocate and founder of Artibonito (educational trips to Haiti from DR) |
| Carlos Campillo – Incredibly knowledgeable historian, lawyer, speaker, gender activist & co-founder of Illustrato Magazine |
| Atlas Travelers – Showing a “different side to Haiti” and working towards bridging DR-Haiti the gap by taking travelers from DR on multi-day educational trips through Haiti. |
| Ruth Pion – Anthropology researcher & activist of Junta de Prietas |
| Fatima Gonzalez – Activist & Speaker |
| Cero Discriminacion RD – “Somos Dominicanxs unidxs por una República Dominicana justa, igualitaria y libre de discriminaciones” |
| Ana Belique – Passionate and renowned activists doing beautiful things on the island and one of the women arrested on Tuesday for the protest. |
| Reconocido – “Dominicanos de ascendencia haitiana que luchamos por inclusión plena en la sociedad dominicana, luchamos por los derechos de todos/todas” |
| Taino Studies – Research & workshop on Afroindigenous cultural studies, native medicine and Taino language. |
| Max Positivas – “Plataforma que propone construir nuevos hombres a partir del replanteamiento de las masculinidades tóxicas.” |
| Coloquio Mujeres RD – “Espacio para el diálogo necesario entre mujeres” |
| Munecas Negras RD – “Es una iniciativa que busca el empoderamiento de mujeres negras y niñas de la Rep. Dom.” |
| Afrociguapa – “Radicalmente antirracista y decolonial. Feminista.” |
Local EVENTS in Support of BLM/Decolonizing Efforts
By following the above accounts you are supporting activists, educators, and community leaders on the ground pushing for change. You can share their insights, help them gain more exposure so that other Dominicans can reach out, connect, and feel seen. Community is one of our strongest values in DR, and the safe spaces these events cultivate can make a world of a difference for many of us Dominicans looking to connect and grow together for a better DR.
And with so many virtual Zoom meetings, you don’t need to travel all the way to Santo Domingo to start or join a meet-up!
Please remember to sign up for Max Positiva’s talk (listed/pictured above) June 12 at 7 PM on Dominican systemic racism from a decolonized perspective. TWO of the speakers are part of our DR Heritage Tour! So I can vouch to their conocimientos.
Anti-Dominican Sentiment & DR Travel Boycotts
This is NOT to invite anti-Dominican sentiment which is so prevalent in Latin America against us Dominicans for being from a Black country. And this is certainly NOT to endorse or encourage DR travel boycotts. Most travel boycotts do NOT work and actually make things MUCH worse for the very people being oppressed. Further, if you’re going to boycott the Dominican Republic for racism, I think you’d also have to boycott your own country on those same grounds.
And please no “whataboutisms” because yes we know – You can find a lot of what I just mentioned not just in the U.S. but around different parts of the globe.
But right here and now, I’m focusing on my cultural heritage and Dominican community because I care about us and our growth, and I know we can do better.
Hi!! I’m Dominican born (born in la capital but parents from other smaller cities in the southern coast) U.S. raised, and there are many things I can relate to that I wish I could talk to further with more Dominicans. Especially generational trauma. It’s hard and I would love it if I can connect with people to discuss this further. How we raise our children has such an affect on society and culture as a whole. Unfortunately, I live in a Midwest state where there are barely any Dominicans and it’s rough.
Racial identity is also so complex and anti blackness does not make it any easier. With that being said, I think it’s ok for us to acknowledge our other ancestries as well. We’re not denying our African by saying we’re also part Spanish and a little bit of indigenous. Or vice versa.
Mexican mestizos are allowed to identify with both their indigenous and Spanish roots. (And mexico has a very similar problem to the DR where being non white, in their case indigenous, is seen as a negative, whereas whiteness is seen as desirable, beautiful, associated with success etc) Yet we never hear about Mexicans being self hating for calling themselves mestizos. Why can’t Dominicans do the same with our African and Spanish roots? Is it because America has historically regarded Black heritage as something that “taints” white blood? If so, this is just as racist as denying and being ashamed of having African ancestry. The U.S. has been historically segregated and it’s not really fair to apply those same rules into Latin American countries, whose citizens are part of families who are multi generational mixed, many having been mixed for possibly centuries.
Living in a mostly white state but with a large African American population, I’ve struggled for years with my identity. I’m not sure it’s exactly accurate to call myself Black, because there are other ethnicities in my blood line. With that being said, I’m no where near white passing and do not identify as such. However, throughout my time here in the Midwest I have never really been seen as Black by others. Even by my close friends who are Black. Sadly, in the US, many find it hard to comprehend that Latino isn’t a race and that one can be both Black and Latino, which is probably a part of it. But while I do have pretty noticable Black features, I am ambiguous enough to be put in the “other” category over here. It’s been hard coming to terms with the “what are you” question and that feeling of confusion and alienation. What has helped me is realizing that at the end of the day, it’s ok to be both. I am both African and Spanish and that’s ok. To me my African heritage embodies the strength and resilience of my ancestors. It inspires me to persevere. I don’t need to feel proud or ashamed. When I think of my identity, race is not what defines me as a person.
But being Dominican, I understand being black is not seen as a good thing. And this saddens me because no kid should grow up with colorism and racism. Thankfully, I’m glad my family never implemented these kinds of things onto me. I’ve always worn my hair natural. My family has always regarded thick curly hair as beautiful, and we were never told to stay away from the sun, nor have they ever told us to “mejorar la raza”. But again as with most things related to colorism only a certain “type” of curls and a certain “hue” of tan is seen as beautiful. And I understand many Dominicans can’t say the same about these perspectives in regards to their upbringing. And their hurt is palpable. I wish we could all step up to remove this from our culture.
I find it interesting you described the DR as black country. The recent census put DR’s black population at around 8% or something similar if I remember correctly. However, and I say this as someone with family from the southern region.. that number is much higher. I would say at around 30% maybe even a bit higher. The DR has a very complex racial history and “black” can mean many different things but I think “someone of predominantly African heritage” isn’t a bad definition. Of course due to anti blackness and the effects Trujillo had on Dominican culture, many Black Dominicans feel ashamed to be regarded as such. Hopefully with efforts from Dominicans living on the island along with the diaspora, one day we can have a DR where the stigma of being Black can be removed.
I’m sorry this was such a long post. As I mentioned I live in a place with very few Dominicans and this isn’t a conversation I honestly haven’t been able to have. The DR is such a deeply flawed yet beautiful country. There’s so many things I hope we can accomplish together for our country. Not just social issues but environmental ones. It’s sad seeing the lack of awareness when it comes to polluting, conservation, and the importance of being responsible and respectful of all things nature. I hope one day we strive for better, it’s a small piece of land but there’s so much to lose. The next generation deserves better, and that comes with breaking that cycle of generational trauma. It will be difficult but I have faith and hope it will be doable.
Thank you to whoever has had the patience to read this haha!!