Article Response
In the article Haitians Face Persecution Across Dominican Border, Jacob Kushner examines the open discrimination perpetrated by the Dominican Republic against Haitian immigrants. It is important to note that the article is written just two years after Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake that killed thousands and displaced millions more Haitians. One key point to note is the warmth that the Dominican Republic showed to Haiti and Haitians after the earthquake struck. According to Kushner (50), the Republic’s response to the quake was the immediate sending of rescue teams, doctors, and about $34 million in emergency aid. Also, the Dominican Republic oversaw the construction of a university in Northern Haiti while working with the government in Haiti with the aim of improving conditions in the tragedy-hit nation. This is a gesture that seems to contradict the headline. However, this is usually the case when it comes to disaster. In such times, countries are very supportive of each other. Messages of goodwill by various leaders across the world start pouring in. For example, the recent Malaysian Airline tragedy did bring together a number of countries to try and find the missing plane. This then leads to the observation of another point.
According to Kushner (51), neither the Dominican state nor many of its citizens have shown such compassion to the about half a million to 1 million Dominicans of Haitian descent and Haitians living in the country. Many of these people have continued to face persecution by various authorities such as the police and immigration officers. Kushner (52) observes that they have been denied human and political rights indiscriminately. Hence, on one side the Dominican Republic is all helpful to Haiti while on the other it discriminates against Haitians living in the Republic. The help can be seen as negating the abuses, prejudices and discrimination perpetrated against Haitians. However, such incidences are not uncommon in world affairs. Refugees living in various countries have often reported of poor living conditions that come as a result of neglect and discrimination by host nations. For example, recently Kenya announced that it would close a refugee camp and start repatriating refugees back to Somalia. Also, after a spate of terrorist attacks in Kenya, the country’s security agencies carried out an operation targeting people of Somali origin living in Kenya. Such is the discrimination that can take place when the locals feel threatened by foreigners. This was witnessed when there were xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Another key point to note from this article is that when such catastrophic events occur, the people most affected are women and children. For example, Kushner (51) observes that when times get rough for Haitians in Haiti, it is Haitian mothers who are most affected since they are forced to find work across the border in the Dominican. Often, this puts the women in vulnerable situations whereby they become economic and sexual victims. An example is given of Masani Accime who was a victim of sexual violence in a Dominican border town. In such times, women usually assume the roles of head of family since their men either died or abandoned them. With families to take care of, women usually become vulnerable to exploitation. This is worsened by the corruption that exists in places such as the border points where a person has to pay a bribe in order to obtain anything. However, it is important to note that while such unfortunate happenings might exist, not all people are usually participative. In most cases, they are isolated incidences that are politically-motivated.
Works Cited
Kushner, Jacob. Haitians Face Persecution Across Dominican Border. NACLA Report on the Americas, 2012; 45(2): 50-58.
