Same root, different people

I found the story about the relationship between Dominican Republic and Haiti extremely interesting. Both of the countries have almost identical racial make-up and deep African root. Yet the attitudes of the people in each country are so different. Dominican totally denied their black root, while Haiti is very proud of it. In the video it is mentioned that mainly it is due to the wars between the two countries, and the bitter relationships between the master and the workers. This strange out come immediately makes me think of Asia. People of China, Japan and Korea have been having this subtle, delicate mixed feeling about each other since I could percept and feel. As Japan invaded both of China and Korea, and the China participated in the Korea war which torn a country into two, scares of war bittered Asian's feeling towards each other. We are the countries that are the least likely to hate each other since our cultures are essentially the same, even the root of languages are more similar than that of European countries. But this blind hatred and misunderstanding goes on. From my point of view, language is a terrible barrier; preventing communication from taking place is very destructive. As I am studying here and we all speak English, I could talk to Koreans about the most sensitive issues freely and after all I do feel like I understand them and that strong bond between us.

Hispaniola: An Island Divided

After watching the second segment of the video, I was struck greatly. Hispaniola, a relatively small island, is culturally very divided. The people of the Dominican Republic cling to their Spanish and European roots, while the Haitians cling to their African roots. The truth is that the people of both countries are equally tied to both cultures. But why is their such a disparity? I believe this disparity exists due to the dichotomy between political formation. Haiti was founded by former slaves, who demanded a revolution. The Dominican Republic had a different formation, and had a dictator who believed in clinging to his European heritage. It made me think of the United States and Canada. The two countries are neighbors, but have their cultural differences. Some people in Canada, such as the people of Newfoundland, cling to their British founding and Heritage. People in the United States believe that they are purely American, and have a certain disregard for their ancestry.

Haitian Vodou

Haitian Vodou and Vodou has been something that is constantly frowned upon by multiple cultures. What amazes me is that even with all of history against it, vodou has found a nook in Haiti. It is now thriving and a major part of the culture in Haiti. A large amount of the population are able to say that they are a apart of this. This is a model of acceptance that all countries should look to try and copy. This acceptance is something that not all countries can relate to, and they should try to look to Haiti as an example.

"One Island, Two Worlds"

“One Island, Two Worlds”

Emily Vasiliou

Although the two countries of Haiti and the Dominical Republic are so close in proximity, there are many significant differences between the two countries. The video made me want to further research these differences, and see how the effect each of the countries. According to Time Magazine, the poverty levels between the two countries are significantly different. While the Dominical Republic is ranked 90^th out of 182 countries on the human development index, Haiti comes in 149^th. This affects the life expectancy in both countries. The average life expectancy in the Dominican Republic is 74 years, while Haiti’s is just 61 years.

But where do these differences come from?

Time states that the differences in these countries are directly related to the geography of the area. Mountains that cut across the island prevent rainfall in Haiti. The trade winds and rain blow in the favor of the Dominican Republic. This makes Haiti’s climate semiarid- which makes daily life more challenging. Haiti’s lack of resources and a much higher population density than the Dominican Republic makes it the poorest country in the western hemisphere. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1953959,00.html

The Truth Behind the Vodou Religion

Following the conclusion of the in-class movie, I sought out more information concerning the Haitian religion of Vodou. The religion was shown in the film as no different than ordinary religions and certainly having nothing to do with witchcraft or dark forces. The religion itself was a mixture of the beliefs of the peoples of West Africa, with Arawakian religious beliefs, and Roman Catholic Christianity. It was stated in this riveting film that the Vodou religion was created by West African slaves who were transported to the island during the 16th century; these slaved still sought to practice their traditional African religion, but were forced by their owners to convert to Roman Catholicism.

The view the general public has about the belief system behind the Vodou religion is very far from the reality. There is a negative connotation that has been unfairly attached to the religion; contemporary society views the religion as a cult of extremists who practice witchcraft and dangerous/violent sacrifices etc. However, in reality the Vodou practitioners believe in a supreme being of sorts named Bondye. In addition to Bondye, they also believe in a multitude of saints that are referred to as Loa. When the Vodou religion was created, the supreme being of the Christian faith was used to model their belief in a supreme being-Bondye-and the Saints of Christianity were used to be associated with the Loa. After researching this information I was glad to discover that the Haitian religion is now spreading on a global level-even into the U.S. This religion is so very crucial to Haitian nationalism because it allows the Haitian people to be in contact with the history of their nation and how the blending of cultures is something to be celebrated, instead of being looked down upon or ignored.

Different Perspectives, Different Countries, Same Race

             One of the topics discussed in the pbs documentary that really drew my attention was Haitians and Dominicans view each other and view their race. Santa Dominicans want to fit in with their white community and have forgotten their past, whereas Haitians are proud of their past and have special traditions and values to commemorate them. These two countries are just a river apart from one another, and yet Haitians are looked down upon by the Dominicans, and Dominicans refuse to refer to themselves as black. I believe this is important because of how these people learned about what being black truly means, and proves that the idea of race is all based on the idea of perception.

              In Santa Dominica, they were taught about the black race the same way that Americans were taught throughout the twentieth century about black culture. They are taught through caricatures and through characters like Sambo. Dominicans are also taught by what they see, which was fellow countrymen discriminating against Haitians, who referred to themselves as black. Therefore, the black community of Santa Dominica came up with names other than black to avoid the same fate, and to differentiate themselves from the Haitians.

              In Haiti, race to them is an entirely different story. Although many consider Haiti the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, its important to not think of them as simply a poor nation. They are rich in their culture, their heritage. Haitians, along with practicing Catholicism brought by colonization, they practice vodou, an ancient practice practiced for centuries. They teach the next generation the ways of their past, of life in Africa, and traditions such as drumming and vodou. Even in some points in history, there have been plots by the Dominicans to wipe out the Haitian vermin in their country, although it proved unsuccessful. Although one country is Spanish and the other is French, they both suffer from similar issues dealing with race and identity. Should it be expressed and passed down through the generations, like Haiti, or should we conform to those around us and deny where we came from, like Santa Dominica?

Haiti and the Dominican Republic Relations

In Black in Latin America we watched a segment about Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Despite the fact that they are neighbors with one another, they have shared a hostile relationship that dates back to 1844 when the Dominican Republic gained its independence from Haiti. The Dominicans spent the next 20 years trying to keep Haiti out of their country, but when the earthquake hit Haiti in 2010 the Dominican Republic was the first country to bring aid to the Haitians. I found that very interesting and wanted to learn more about it so I looked for an article and found one from CNN World about the recent relations between these two historically waring countries. There are still tensions that exist between the citizens of both countries, but relations are considered to be at a high point right now when you compare them to 20 or 30 years ago. I was surprised to find out about all of the aid that the Dominican Republic was planning on sending over to relieve Haiti of some of the bare essentials like, food, water, and mobile clinics. I find it hopeful that these two countries are at least trying to work cordially together, but I find it sad that it takes a catastrophe to bring these two countries together.

Haitian Vodou

Many people seek out religious freedom when they are looking for a country to live in. The United States was founded partially for religious freedom, so what happens when a culture has there religion ridiculed and taunted by countries in different parts of the world? In Haiti, one of the popular religions is Vodou. It is a mix between West African religious beliefs and Roman Catholic Christianity. Throughout the world, however, people associate Vodou or Voodoo to have a negative connotation and link it with black magic. When Africans were being subjugated and discriminated against, people would often say they were doing "black magic" by practicing this religion because it was so uncommon. Unfortunately that stigma of Voodoo being magic and not taken seriously as a religion still occurs today.To whoever is reading this response, post a reply as to how you would feel if your religion was viewed as dark magic and was not a "real" religion because it was different. For me, I would be very embarrassed at first and if I heard that stuff at a younger age I would probably start to believe it by the time I was older. If somebody started to say my religion was dark magic I would be offended and that would be the extent of my reaction. For Haitians, this is an everyday struggle for some people practicing Vodou.

Black in Latin America: Haiti

Through taking World History II, I had already known quite a lot about Toussaint L'Ouverture after doing a research paper on him. I know that the documentary has little to do with the man, but I wish they had spent more time talking about who he was and what he did considering he started the slave revolts and is a national hero. I think he should be talked about more in the U.S. as well because he was really the first black man in the new world who was able to unify and defeat the most powerful nation in the world at the time. On a different note, what actual made me pretty mad was the foreign interaction with Haiti. If the U.S. and French had accepted Haiti's legitimacy from the start of the revolution, would it still be the worst off country in the Western Hemisphere? Personally, I don't think so. Its crazy to think that a countries presence in another can have such long lasting affects, though corrupt leaders didn't help either. I believe before marching into countries or challenging their legitimacy, regardless of the political implications, our country needs to look at more long term effects our presence might have to really have Liberty and Justice for all

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"Black in Latin America"

While watching "Black in Latin America," I was surprised to see how war heroes are seen today. Many Latin American national heroes today, for example, those who led their nations through independence, have statues of themselves in their country of origin. These heroes are national icons and I thought it was interesting to see that some of the statues were made to look more white. These icons were carved out of white marble and given different facial characteristics to make them seem more European or American. I do not understand why these figures would need to look more white. The people should be proud of the culture and background their icons came from and be proud of what they accomplished.

Many people do try and hide their racial background and heritage however. Even though the majority of people in Latin America come from African decent, no one admits to it. In the "Black in Latin America" video, dolls of African women were shown and they are perceived in a negative way. This makes people think they should not be or admit to being African because there are so many negative stereotypes that go along with being African and having African heritage.

Black In Latin America: Haiti and the Dominican Republic - A Prime Minister Is Elected

After watching the most recent video segment of Black in Latin America, I was struck by the story of Haiti, and I went searching for something interesting to write about Haiti. I found a very interesting article on CNN about progress in Haiti that corresponded well with some of the ideas of progress we have been talking about in class. What follows is a summary of the article, which can be found here.

For a country that in recent years has had little to celebrate, there has been a recent event that stands as a bright spark in Haiti's modern history. After a debate lasting seven hours, Garry Conille was ratified as the Haitian prime minister by the Haitian senate. The two previous suggestions for prime minister of Haiti, made by President Michel Martelly, had been denied, and Martelly said that this ratification of a prime minister marked a step forward in the movement for change.

Conille is easily qualified for this position, as he is a former aide to Bill Clinton, and a United Nations development specialist. As someone who understands international relations very well, he will surely be able to help Haiti, a country that depends on the generosity of the international community. It won't be entirely easy, though, from here on out because Conille and Martelly now have to find someone with the financial mind to put into action, realistically in a financial sense, the developmental ideas that Conille will no doubt be bringing to the table. It's a good start, the ratification of the prime minster, and a step in the right direction, but the Haitian government needs to remember - I'll stretch this metaphor just a bit further - to keep on walking in the same direction while continuing to watch the path that it is on, and the path that it has taken so far.

Vodou in Haiti

When watching the segment of Black in Latin America this week, I was struck by the impact foreign countries had on the country of Haiti. Not only were their traditions and beliefs suppressed, but missionaries repeatedly came to the island to convert the Haitians back to the Christian religion previously forced on them. The film also highlighted the religion of Vodou, a religion created by African slaved who were brought to Haiti in the 16th century.
Vodou is a mix of Roman Catholicism and Arawakian religious beliefs. It was created because the Haitians still wanted to follow their own traditional African beliefs, but were forced to convert to the religion of their slavers. They merged the beliefs of their controllers with their original beliefs and practices of West Africa. The religion of Vodou highlights love and support within the family of the Vodou society, as well as generosity in giving to the community and the less fortunate.
Vodou, or some also know it as Voodoo, has negative connotations in our society because we think of human sacrifice and witchcraft. Even many Haitians regard Vodou as evil because of previous missionary influence and abusive practitioners. The combination of different beliefs is what makes Vodou unique and special to the country of Haiti. It allows the supporters to encompass the African, the Indian, and the European ancestors in a whole new and complete way.
Today, Vodou (or Voodoo) still exists. The recent earthquake in Haiti also led to a renewed sense of national identity and nationalism, especially when remembering their strong ties to the first black republic of the world .

Black In Latin America

After watching the segment on Haiti and the Dominican republic I was really surprised as how vastly different the cultures were on the same island. I got the idea of twins who were separated at birth. To start Africans were brought to the island of Espanola because they were needed for slave labor in the new world. Once on the island the separation takes place. One set of people were given (honestly just taken) to the French and the other to the Spanish (same deal). While each "twin" grew under different "parents" they started to embrace the culture of that parent and as time went on it became their own. Like most twins who are separated they find out the truth and seek their parents, some choose to accept this fact and embrace their "biological roots" (Haiti) while other chooses to reject it (Dominican republic). I just find it very interesting that under such very similar circumstances on the same island, that there could be such a clear and definite difference in culture and where they believe that culture is rooted.

Black in Latin America

After watching the segment of Black in Latin America last week in class, I was surprised of how much African culture is a part of countries such a Brazil and Mexico. I had never really heard of the ethnic blending through the centuries creating a more mixed group of Latin American's. What really surprised me was that popular culture in Brazil, has striking similarities to that in the United States in regards to being black.For example, women in Brazil often try and straighten their hair rather than keep it how it is naturally. I'm not an expert on African Americans but I feel as if it is the same in the U.S. I know that it is a major issue that African Americans bleach their skin to make it whiter. It is sad that it has become so popular and that many celebrities do it as well (Beyonce). I found it a bit odd that even though in Latin American where the demography of people is so much more diverse, that similar social issues are popping up. Although not nearly as much "mixing" of races has been done in the United States compared to countries in Latin America, I wish that more diverse ethnic backgrounds were extremely common doing away with social issues of style of hair, or skin color.