''Antihaitianismo'' (; french: Antihaitienisme), also called anti-Haitianism in some English sources, is

prejudice Prejudice can be an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived (usually unfavourable) evaluation or classification of another person based on that person's per ...

or social discrimination against

Haitians in the Dominican Republic The Haitian minority of the Dominican Republic ( es, Haitianos en la República Dominicana; ht, Ayisyen nan Dominikani; french: Haïtiens en République dominicaine) is the largest ethnic minority in the Dominican Republic since the early 20th ce ...

. Antihaitianismo includes prejudice against, hatred of, or discrimination against Haitians due to their physical appearance,

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

, lifestyle, and

language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...

Antihaitianismo in the Dominican Republic

Origins: 16th century through 19th century

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...

has stated in their reports that the differences between Haitians and Dominicans can be based on colonial times from linguistic, cultural, and racial differences. For instance, the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

was governed by the Spanish, and thus acquired part of their culture from the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, mixed with Africans and Native Americans. Haiti, on the other hand, was governed by the French, and its culture is a mixture of French, African and Native American. The majority of Haiti's population is descended almost entirely from African slaves, while Dominicans possess a multiracial mix of Spanish, African and Indigenous ancestry. It is evident that historical background is related between the two countries, however, there are major cultural divisions. ''Antihaitianismo'' can be traced back to a policy of

racial segregation Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crimes against hum ...

instituted by the

Spaniards Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex history, including a number of different languages, both in ...

in the

Captaincy General of Santo Domingo The Captaincy General of Santo Domingo ( es, Capitanía General de Santo Domingo ) was the first colony in the New World, established by Spain in 1492 on the island of Hispaniola. The colony, under the jurisdiction of the Real Audiencia of Sant ...

(present-day

). Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the island was split into absolutist

chiefdoms A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...

, three where modern-day

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional) , webs ...

now exists, and two where modern-day Haiti now exists (albeit also including some territory which is currently part of

Carib people “Carib” may refer to: People and languages *Kalina people, or Caribs, an indigenous people of South America **Carib language, also known as Kalina, the language of the South American Caribs *Kalinago people, or Island Caribs, an indigenous pe ...

from islands further south were often at war with the

Taíno people The Taíno were a historic indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the pri ...

. Columbus reached the island in 1492 (slaves imported from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

arrived from 1503 onwards—many natives were also soon enslaved), and within a few decades the Spanish controlled most of the island. During the 17th century, however, the French also began maneuvering for control, and in 1697 acquired the western portion (now part of Haiti—whereas the Spanish portion encompassed the modern Dominican Republic). During the 1790s and early 19th century, the French and Spanish battled back and forth across the island; by 1809 the Haitian Revolution had resulted in the overthrow of both French and

control. The Spanish briefly retook the eastern portion that same year, but in 1821 lost control again in another rebellion. Shortly afterwards, Haitian forces again briefly controlled the entire island, from 1822 to 1844. In 1844 the secret revolutionary movement called " La Trinitaria" took place and the Dominican Republic declared its independence defeating the Haitian forces. After several tumultuous decades, the Spanish briefly acquired nominal control of the

in the 1860s, setting off another war. By the late 19th century, over three hundred years of European control was ended; the modern history of west Hispaniola (Haiti) and east Hispaniola (Dominican Republic) had begun.

Under Trujillo: 1930s and 1940s

''Antihaitianismo'' was strongly institutionalized during the regime of

Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina ( , ; 24 October 189130 May 1961), nicknamed ''El Jefe'' (, "The Chief" or "The Boss"), was a Dominican dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from February 1930 until his assassination in May 1961. He ser ...

. Border disputes under Trujillo culminated in the order of a military intervention and to massacre Haitians accused of practicing vodou or

witchery Witchery is a Swedish blackened thrash metal band formed by former members of Satanic Slaughter in 1997. The current lineup consists of guitarists Patrik Jensen and Rickard "Rille" Rimfält, bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, vocalist Angus Norder, a ...

, practices that were against the popular

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

beliefs in the Dominican Republic at the time. Claims range "from several hundred to 26,000" or even "recorded as having a death toll reaching 30,000" 286 pages total. in October 1937, an event subsequently named the

Parsley Massacre The Parsley massacre (Spanish: ''el corte'' "the cutting"; Creole: ''kout kouto-a'' "the stabbing") (french: Massacre du Persil; es, Masacre del Perejil; ht, Masak nan Pèsil) was a mass killing of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic's nor ...

. During later diplomacy, Trujillo agreed to pay hundreds of thousands in reparations, but somewhat less was actually delivered. Due to corrupt Haitian bureaucrats, exceedingly little reached the families. Dominican intellectuals

Manuel Arturo Peña Batlle Manuel Arturo Peña Batlle (26 February 1902 – 15 April 1954) was a Dominican Republic lawyer, historian, diplomat, and politician who served as a Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic between 1943 and 1946 and shaped its relation with Haiti ...

Joaquín Balaguer Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo (1 September 1906 – 14 July 2002) was a Dominican politician, scholar, writer, and lawyer. He was President of the Dominican Republic serving three non-consecutive terms for that office from 1960 to 196 ...

Manuel de Jesús Troncoso de la Concha Manuel de Jesús María Ulpiano Troncoso de la Concha (April 3, 1878 – May 30, 1955) was an intellectual and President of the Dominican Republic from 1940 until 1942, as a puppet of dictator Rafael Trujillo. Prior to ascending to the Presiden ...

, among others, led the campaign. The 1937 massacre legitimized subsequent state acts of violence against the Haitian-origin population in the

. Each successive government since has forcibly removed thousands of Haitians and Haitian-Dominicans in routine round-ups and expulsions by the military.

Present day: 1990s

Trujillo's policies served to perpetuate antihaitianismo within the

. In the 1996 Dominican presidential election,

(historical leader of the populist right and former right-hand of dictator Trujillo) united in a "National Patriotic Front" with PLD candidate

Leonel Fernández Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna () (born 26 December 1953) is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and was the 50th and 52nd President of the Dominican Republic from 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2012. From 2016 until 2020, he was the President of th ...

in order to prevent

José Francisco Peña Gómez José Francisco Peña Gómez (6 March 1937 – 10 May 1998) was a politician from the Dominican Republic. He was the leader of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), a three-time candidate for president of the Dominican Republic and former May ...

, who was adopted as an infant by a Dominican family but born to Haitian parents, from becoming President.James Ferguson, Two Caudillos
/ref>

References

External links