Haitian Newsletter Articles > Dominican Republic > People

Dominicans often tell me: Tu No Parece Haitiano...

Updated October 31, 2013 1:43 PM

When I read about the denationalization process that is taking place in the Dominican Republic, the focus seems to be on color and class... By that I mean BLACK and POOR... Is it me or is this what has been classified as 'being Haitian'? What about the rich light skin Haitians in DR? Will anyone bother them?


Haitian Sugar Cane Field Worker in the Dominican Republic

Why do I get the impression that Dominicans and the rest of the world have a specific image of "Who is Haitian" in the Dominican Republic?

The "Haitians" that Dominican authorities are talking about are mainly dark skin Haitians who are visibly poor... (Ti neg nwa afe pa bon)

The darker you are, the MORE HAITIAN you look... Eske-m manti?

Everywhere I go they tell me: "Tu No Parece Haitiano..."

If "YO no parece Haitiano" to average Dominican, this must mean that "YO no parece Haitiano" to a Dominican immigration officer neither.

So who exactly "Parece Haitiano" in the Dominican Republic?

Whoever they are, their are the ones who fall victim over and over again to what is clearly "Racial Profiling" in the Dominican Republic.

Am I making any sense to you?

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Tags: Haitian Newsletter Articles, Dominican Republic, People

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All Comments (6)

Dominicano Haitiano Yo says...

I'm Haitian Dominican, My mom is Arab-Hindu Haitian, and my dad is a real Haitian, but light skin, I still have no birth

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Tijakzoe says...

Com wi sa se vrè.

Si moun gen lapo nwa. L'a gen anpil traka avè limigwasyon.

Yes that is true. If a person has dark skin. She/he will have imigration

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Patrick Gaspard says...

It's partly a stereotype.

There is a majority of light skinned people in RD while the majority of Haitian immigrants are dark skinned and poor. If you don't meet this stereotype you are not Haitian.

There was a time in Port au Prince any light skinned Spanish speaking female was seen as a "panyol' which meant prostitute in Haitian mind.

It's a funny

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Josy says...

I went to Altagracia in DR, and travelled with a group of church members.

from NY I went to get my hair done at the hotel's beauty parlor, and a Dominican lady was looking at me. She approached me, and asked me where I was from so I told her Haiti.

I am light complexion, and have long hair. She responded "tu es una Haitian fina", and basically it meant you are not dark enough to be

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Wilner Pierre says...

that's a lot sense.

you are totally right.

i have dark skin, but i don't have nappy

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Lw says...

All I can do is shake my head at all this. I can't believe it's going on, right next to the country.

Yes, and why is being dark associated with being without.

I'm just sad at what's happening.

It's the insistence of not knowing unfortunately that seems to prevail.

No one technically should look like where they're from. It's where you are born that determines your nationality.

And "dat

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