I live in Santo Domingo. I work here and I've made my life here for the past four years. As with everything in life, there is the good and the bad. To me, this is one of the worst aspects of the capital and of Dominican culture as a whole.
Last night, two American friends of mine, who live and work here as well, went out for a night on the town in Santo Domingo. We first went to Coyote Bar on Paseo de los Locutores, then to Avenida Venezuela, where we stayed till the bars closed. From there, the afterhour party moved to Mint in the Hotel Napolitano on the Malec?n.
I walked right in the club: no questions. I am a Dominican/American, but I have light skin and look like a foreigner. My other friend is also Dominican/American; light skin but looks way more Dominican than me. He walked right past the ropes as well. My second friend is African American and was walking behind us...He was stopped at the entrance. He speaks little Spanish. "This is a private party", said the doorman.
I've been down this road before with other African American friends at several spots in the city. I don't make scenes. I usually just leave. This time I did something I was not proud of.
Because I had a few drinks in me and we had met other friends (OK girls) on Venezuela, they had already arrived at Mint and were waiting for us. All I wanted was to go in. So, instead of just leaving, I told the security guards that my friend was a visiting tourist from the US and that we were just here to have a good time. Sad. Can you imagine? Would it have mattered if he was a black Dominican? Or black any nationality for that matter? I just figured he would have a better chance if he was a foreigner.
There was no way. "A private party?", I asked over and over again. "At three in the morning?". I just got a lot of shaking heads: "No". We were forced to call it a night. Back home in Jersey, we call these moments "buzz kills".
I cannot speak for other sections of the country, but in Santo Domingo, this is a reality. It's such hypocrisy in my mind when there is so much African influence in this country. There is a gap in this mindset; a gap in this culture.
I'm venting since I just woke up. I make a living from informing visitors about Santo Domingo and we develop a guide to promote it to the world. As I said earlier in this post, everything has its good and bad. This is a negative aspect of our capital and greater Dominican culture. It puts me in a temporary "why am I here?" mood. Today, I'll go to the beach and try to remind myself.
Last night, two American friends of mine, who live and work here as well, went out for a night on the town in Santo Domingo. We first went to Coyote Bar on Paseo de los Locutores, then to Avenida Venezuela, where we stayed till the bars closed. From there, the afterhour party moved to Mint in the Hotel Napolitano on the Malec?n.
I walked right in the club: no questions. I am a Dominican/American, but I have light skin and look like a foreigner. My other friend is also Dominican/American; light skin but looks way more Dominican than me. He walked right past the ropes as well. My second friend is African American and was walking behind us...He was stopped at the entrance. He speaks little Spanish. "This is a private party", said the doorman.
I've been down this road before with other African American friends at several spots in the city. I don't make scenes. I usually just leave. This time I did something I was not proud of.
Because I had a few drinks in me and we had met other friends (OK girls) on Venezuela, they had already arrived at Mint and were waiting for us. All I wanted was to go in. So, instead of just leaving, I told the security guards that my friend was a visiting tourist from the US and that we were just here to have a good time. Sad. Can you imagine? Would it have mattered if he was a black Dominican? Or black any nationality for that matter? I just figured he would have a better chance if he was a foreigner.
There was no way. "A private party?", I asked over and over again. "At three in the morning?". I just got a lot of shaking heads: "No". We were forced to call it a night. Back home in Jersey, we call these moments "buzz kills".
I cannot speak for other sections of the country, but in Santo Domingo, this is a reality. It's such hypocrisy in my mind when there is so much African influence in this country. There is a gap in this mindset; a gap in this culture.
I'm venting since I just woke up. I make a living from informing visitors about Santo Domingo and we develop a guide to promote it to the world. As I said earlier in this post, everything has its good and bad. This is a negative aspect of our capital and greater Dominican culture. It puts me in a temporary "why am I here?" mood. Today, I'll go to the beach and try to remind myself.