Black in Latin America Haiti & the Dominican Republic: An Island Divided

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granca

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I have just watched a video produced by the US pbs system. I cannot recommend it too strongly as a MUST to all immigrants. It has deepened my understanding and knowledge of this my adopted homeland and corrected or endorsed some of my understanding of the Republica Dominicana, the other actual video link I have is; Haiti & the Dominican Republic: An Island Divided | Black in Latin America | PBS Video. If you want the actual URL please PM me.
 
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RacerX

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go into detail bro. I thought it wouldnt air until April 19th? What did you like about it and what didnt you?
 

guarapo

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Our Haitians brothers are very lucky since the DR authorities and law is not as hard as in the usa or spain, where noooodody work illegally.
 

granca

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Sorry Racer X, I did reply to your posting but somehow it got lost in the electronic wizardry of dr1. I found the video illuminating, I had not realized the importance of the description "Indios", why the statues of the three founding fathers were in white marble and partly how the enmity of the Dominicans towards the Haitians first came about. I had not realised just what a force for evil the great powers were. I left the video with an even stronger respect and affection for the Dominicans and sympathy for the Haitians. How both nations have managed to survive and even progress despite so many vermin who have been and are politicians gave me a feeling of admiration. I know more about voodoo now! If it is really so, as Chip says, it would help if someone published the other side of the story.
 

AlterEgo

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I just went to the website [using the link above] and it says the video is not available, they are sorry. I wonder why they took it down. Guess I have to wait for tomorrow night on TV

AE
 

jrjrth

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Mar 24, 2011
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Dito on that...cannot access....

I just went to the website [using the link above] and it says the video is not available, they are sorry. I wonder why they took it down. Guess I have to wait for tomorrow night on TV

AE
 

NALs

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Jan 20, 2003
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I think many people in the US can't access the videos since that's the market that it will be shown.

Whatever the reason, the Dominican part of the documentary is plagued with bad information. Gates even says that there are no statues of black heroes in the country, which leaves me wondering if he even went to the Museum of Dominican Man, where a part from having an entire floor devoted to slavery and the African influence on Dominican culture, it also has a statue of an ex-African slave with his arms and hands (fisted) pointing upwards as to denote that he was breaking the slavery shackles and was finally free. And I guess he didn't noticed the statues and busts of Gregorio Luper?n, heck, even Jos? Francisco Pe?a G?mez has busts of him throughout the country and he was of pure Haitian ancestry! And that's the tip of the iceberg.

I can only imagine the reactions this 'documentary' is going to create tomorrow, after it has aired and if they show the Dominican part. It grossly misrepresents the reality of Dominicans and as I previously said in the other thread that was closed (see Chip's post in this thread for the link), this documentary continues to get two thumbs down from me. The rest of the documentary might be good, the Dominican part not so much.

:disappoin
 
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I watched the preview and enjoyed watching Mr. Gates asking the Brasilians what they we're. They all said "we are black", then he asked, but how, your all different colors boys!!? Then he asked them to describe themselves and enjoyed as they described their different skintones, which of course to him probably meant they we're denying their africaness. The old African American extremist view as usual, just like HaterX. I won't watch it, I've already been living being black in America AND in Latin America for a couple of years now. Mr. Gates piece won't educate me on something I could learn him on. Plus he doesn't list the massacres of hundreds of Dominican's by Dessalines in the Haitians initial abortive attempt to invade the Eastern side, oh yes, that happened.

Nor does he mention the MASSIVE assistance provided by Dominican's in Haiti. So in my mind the video is poor, poor, poor in that regard. I did like seeing the black communities in Peru, that was nice.
 

SKing

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Nov 22, 2007
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Sad to say but I guess that Dr. Gates was targeting his documentary towards people like me who are very uneducated in Dominican and Haitian history. Had NALs not corrected him, I would've honestly believed that there are no statues of black heroes in the country. Guess I better get out a history book after I watch it tonight!

SHALENA
 

RacerX

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I watched the preview and enjoyed watching Mr. Gates asking the Brasilians what they we're. They all said "we are black", then he asked, but how, your all different colors boys!!? Then he asked them to describe themselves and enjoyed as they described their different skintones, which of course to him probably meant they we're denying their africaness. The old African American extremist view as usual, just like HaterX. I won't watch it, I've already been living being black in America AND in Latin America for a couple of years now. Mr. Gates piece won't educate me on something I could learn him on. Plus he doesn't list the massacres of hundreds of Dominican's by Dessalines in the Haitians initial abortive attempt to invade the Eastern side, oh yes, that happened.

Nor does he mention the MASSIVE assistance provided by Dominican's in Haiti. So in my mind the video is poor, poor, poor in that regard. I did like seeing the black communities in Peru, that was nice.

Bro, ONCE AGAIN I M not even in this thread. You should really start paying dues if you want to be in my fan club. You sound like a cry baby. Do I need to change your nappy?
 

CaptnGlenn

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Mar 29, 2010
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I was really looking forward to watching this program until I made the connection of who was producing the film. The "beer summit" comment earlier in the thread brought the identity of Dr. Gates back to mind, and I have to say I'm now not so excited. I don't know a whole lot about him, so as I always do, I'll reserve final judgement; but based on some of the past media antics, my expectations and opinion are starting at a pretty low level. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a least a little informative content.
 

AlterEgo

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Plus he doesn't list the massacres of hundreds of Dominican's by Dessalines in the Haitians initial abortive attempt to invade the Eastern side, oh yes, that happened.

It sure did. One of my husbands 'way back' grandmothers named Florentina Blanchard lived in Banica at that time - she and her family fled to the capital, to San Carlos, and escaped the massacre. Once there, she married an Italian immigrant named Jose Eugenio Piantini, who, shall we say, did okay in his new found land.:D

AE
 
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It sure did. One of my husbands 'way back' grandmothers named Florentina Blanchard lived in Banica at that time - she and her family fled to the capital, to San Carlos, and escaped the massacre. Once there, she married an Italian immigrant named Jose Eugenio Piantini, who, shall we say, did okay in his new found land.:D

AE

As in they named a neighborhood after him in Santo Domingo?
 
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