I have been confronted face to face recently with the realities of elitism and borderline racism here in the DR unfortunately. Gladly to say I haven't been exposed to this before but getting my first real dose of it was quite troublesome.
It appears that many of the students of the bilingual school where my daughter goes are recently making fun of her because I take her to school on my motorbike, becasue I really see no reason to take he in the car and wait in a line for 15 min. when we are about a half mile away from the school. Also, I sent our housekeeper to the school to deliver her lunch as I usually do on a daily basis but couldn't today because of work and upon arriving, my daughter refused to sit down with the housekeeper to eat because she said "the kids will then think you are my mother and I don't want them to think my mother is so dark". Our housekeeper is certainly dark and may even be taken for a Haitian, but then again, so are some of my wife's family and in fact her best friends in the campo in Moca are quite dark.
I at first wanted to blame this on my wife's family who call eachother "haitiano" when one misbehaves but my wife says it is almost a term of endearment. I don't know about that but I do know a real problem lies in the elistist attitude of a lot of the rich here and what they are teaching their children. I have noticed most of the kids that go to this school are brought by their parents, many, many with Land Rover and dressed to the t early in the morning, some of which who give me looks of disdain as if I should get out of the way while I'm exiting the school, because after all "they have a yipeta". It follows then that these kids are influenced by their parents own beliefs, apparently that to be poor/dark is somehow wrong - even though some of the students there are much, much darker than my daughter.
I realize too, that kids will be kids and even though I went to Catholic school there was the usual gossiping and making fun of people but I don't really remember anything overtly racial. That being said I need to investigate this more and maybe talk to the principal. I can't control everything my daughter will be exposed to in this world but I can't think of much worse to be in this world than a classist or a racist, it is the antithesis of my beliefs and I will therefore make a change in the school if necessary.
I aslo told my daughter if she ever treated our houskeeper this way again, she could expect an unpleasant spanking, much in the same way my Dad explained to me when I told him a Jewish joke.
It appears that many of the students of the bilingual school where my daughter goes are recently making fun of her because I take her to school on my motorbike, becasue I really see no reason to take he in the car and wait in a line for 15 min. when we are about a half mile away from the school. Also, I sent our housekeeper to the school to deliver her lunch as I usually do on a daily basis but couldn't today because of work and upon arriving, my daughter refused to sit down with the housekeeper to eat because she said "the kids will then think you are my mother and I don't want them to think my mother is so dark". Our housekeeper is certainly dark and may even be taken for a Haitian, but then again, so are some of my wife's family and in fact her best friends in the campo in Moca are quite dark.
I at first wanted to blame this on my wife's family who call eachother "haitiano" when one misbehaves but my wife says it is almost a term of endearment. I don't know about that but I do know a real problem lies in the elistist attitude of a lot of the rich here and what they are teaching their children. I have noticed most of the kids that go to this school are brought by their parents, many, many with Land Rover and dressed to the t early in the morning, some of which who give me looks of disdain as if I should get out of the way while I'm exiting the school, because after all "they have a yipeta". It follows then that these kids are influenced by their parents own beliefs, apparently that to be poor/dark is somehow wrong - even though some of the students there are much, much darker than my daughter.
I realize too, that kids will be kids and even though I went to Catholic school there was the usual gossiping and making fun of people but I don't really remember anything overtly racial. That being said I need to investigate this more and maybe talk to the principal. I can't control everything my daughter will be exposed to in this world but I can't think of much worse to be in this world than a classist or a racist, it is the antithesis of my beliefs and I will therefore make a change in the school if necessary.
I aslo told my daughter if she ever treated our houskeeper this way again, she could expect an unpleasant spanking, much in the same way my Dad explained to me when I told him a Jewish joke.