Re: We must say it.
JenniferDiaz said:
We are all equal, and all capable, what makes the difference is the way we think.
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for your polite response. I take back the "racist BS" statement and give you the benefit of the doubt. Especially if you are willing to apply the above statement to our Haitian neighbours.
My opinion is that there is no such thing as a "Haitian way of thinking" no more than there is an "Albanian way of thinking" or a "Zimbabwean way of thinking" and all other countries in-between.
There are differences in ways of thinking within countries, the place where fate determined you were born does not define your mindset to such an extent.
What makes you so knowledgeable about the Haitian so-called way of thinking? Your Haitian maid? A construction worker you once spoke to?
I base my assessment of Haitians on direct knowledge of the country, a considerable amount of background reading and the many friends I have both in Haiti and in the DR, who are Haitian, or of Haitian origin. Many of them display a level of education, culture and manners that would leave most people, not just Dominicans, in the shade.
Those who live or have lived in the DR speak fluent Spanish, as well as English. How many Dominicans speak French, let alone Creole?
Even though the Haitians I know were the target of prejudice in the DR, they still love and respect the country that is a political and economic haven for so many of their compatriots. Not unlike Dominicans and the US.
They work tirelessly for the improvement of their country, which is to say the least a thankless task. But their vision and commitment is indisputable.
On the other end of the spectrum, I know a poor Haitian family who have lived in the DR for about 20 years. They are not educated in the academic sense but they possess dignity and manners that no finishing school in Switzerland could bestow. Their capacity for hard work is impressive, and not least their honesty and loyalty.
Don't get me wrong, as a "Dominicana-por-adopcion" I also worry about the consequences for the DR of a worsening of the situation in Haiti. I repeat, what both countries need to avert this are constructive solutions, not negative judgements about some so-called innate Haitian weakness.
The only thing the DR has to lose if the situation in Haiti improves is its unlimited source of dirt-cheap labour!
Chiri