Preserving Black American History In Samana NY Times

NALs

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Jan 20, 2003
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I always thought a small museum focused on this migration would be nice in Samana, but assimilating them into the mainstream Dominican is correct. I know Americans value multiculturalism above assimilation, but that’s an American cultural belief. It isn’t the main cultural belief in most societies, DR included. In fact, one of the reasons why most AA’s that migrated in the 1820’s eventually left the island was due to the pressure they received from the Haitian government to culturally Haitianize.

As for the article, it’s ok. I get the feeling it wants to make it seem as if the Dominican population rejected them, when in reality most of the AA’s that stayed melted into the general Dominican population through intermarriage. Everywhere else where they were settled (Santo Domingo, Santiago, Puerto Plata, etc) already had a large Dominican population and the fact they were never segregated or sigmatized to prevent mixture says more about acceptance than anything else.

Samana was never a major population center and in the 1820’s there was a handful of Dominican families of mainly Spanish Canarian descent living on the peninsula, mostly around Samana town. The AA’s quickly outnumbered them and settled mostly in the eastern part of the peninsula, which was devoid of people. Those two conditions alone explains why that colony was able to maintain their original AA culture while the rest of the colonies melted through widespread acceptance.

The fact that the AA’s in general supported the Dominicans during the independence uprising also helped in their acceptance by the Dominicans, a remarkable thing considering it was the Haitian government that invited and settled them on Dominican territory. Their support of Dominicans also says a lot about the oppressive treatment the Haitian military gave the Dominican population.

As for the actions of Trujillo, it had nothing to do with rejection of them as a people and more to do with the fact that he toured the entire country on horse back and the eastern part of Samana peninsula was the only place in the entire country that didn’t feel Dominican. This was mostly due to the insignificant Spanish culture among the AA’s due to their origin in the USA (English-based). The predominant language was not Spanish, the predominant religion was not Roman Catholic, the predominant foods/dishes were not derived from Spanish dishes, the music wasn’t either; in essence, the only Dominican aspect was the land. The AA’s had two choices, Dominicanize or leave the country. Notice they were never expelled, no massacre attempts, and basically no hostility to them personally. Their culture was also a reminder of when Haiti wanted to destroy the entire Dominican society and customs. Assimilation was the main objective.

BTW, a little known fact is that the president of the Constitutional Tribunal is in part a descendant of the AA’s from Samana.

[video=youtube;VtzAaMRT4bA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtzAaMRT4bA[/video]
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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I always thought a small museum focused on this migration would be nice in Samana, but assimilating them into the mainstream Dominican is correct. I know Americans value multiculturalism above assimilation, but that’s an American cultural belief. It isn’t the main cultural belief in most societies, DR included.

As for the article, it’s ok. I get the feeling it wants to make it seem as if the Dominican population rejected them, when in reality most of the AA’s that stayed melted into the general Dominican population through intermarriage. Everywhere else where they were settled (Santo Domingo, Santiago, Puerto Plata, etc) already had a large Dominican population and the fact they were never segregated or sigmatized to prevent mixture says more about acceptance than anything else.

Samana was never a major population center and in the 1820’s there was a handful of Dominican families of mainly Spanish Canarian descent living on the peninsula, mostly around Samana town. The AA’s quickly outnumbered them and settled mostly in the eastern part of the peninsula, which was devoid of people. Those two conditions alone explains why that colony was able to maintain their original AA culture while the rest of the colonies melted through widespread acceptance.

The fact that the AA’s in general supported the Dominicans during the independence uprising also helped in their acceptance by the Dominicans, a remarkable thing considering it was the Haitian government that invited and settled them on Dominican territory. Their support of Dominicans also says a lot about the oppressive treatment the Haitian military gave the Dominican population.

As for the actions of Trujillo, it had nothing to do with rejection of them as a people and more to do with the fact that he toured the entire country on horse back and the eastern part of Samana peninsula was the only place in the entire country that didn’t feel Dominican. This was mostly due to the insignificant Spanish culture among the AA’s due to their origin in the USA (English-based). The predominant language was not Spanish, the predominant religion was not Roman Catholic, the predominant foods/dishes were not derived from Spanish dishes, the music wasn’t either; in essence, the only Dominican aspect was the land. The AA’s had two choices, Dominicanize or leave the country. Notice they were never expelled, no massacre attempts, and basically no hostility to them personally. Their culture was also a reminder of when Haiti wanted to destroy the entire Dominican society and customs. Assimilation was the main objective.

BTW, a little known fact is that the president of the Constitutional Tribunal is in part a descendant of the AA’s from Samana.

[video=youtube;VtzAaMRT4bA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtzAaMRT4bA[/video]
Not to mention that Samana back then was pretty remote and cut off from the rest of the country.
 

alexw

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Sep 6, 2008
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thanks for that.- notice that the two young men in the picture near the end of the article have english last names.

Im glad you mentioned this. Ive always wondered why a couple of my exes had english last names (and they dont speak a lick of english). Like black american last names. It all makes sense now.
 

NALs

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Im glad you mentioned this. Ive always wondered why a couple of my exes had english last names (and they dont speak a lick of english). Like black american last names. It all makes sense now.
If they are from San Pedro or La Romana their English last names most likely arrived from the English Caribbean and not from USA.

If they are from the Puerto Plata or Santo Domingo areas there’s a greater chance it could be from the USA, but those places also received significant migration from the English Caribbean too.

English last names from the Cibao Valley or most places away from the coast are almost always of US origin.

The only place an English last name is almost certainly of US origin is in Samana because Cocolos never settled there, they did so wherever there’s sugar cane plantations.
 

the gorgon

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If they are from San Pedro or La Romana their English last names most likely arrived from the English Caribbean and not from USA.

If they are from the Puerto Plata or Santo Domingo areas there’s a greater chance it could be from the USA, but those places also received significant migration from the English Caribbean too.

English last names from the Cibao Valley or most places away from the coast are almost always of US origin.

The only place an English last name is almost certainly of US origin is in Samana because Cocolos never settled there, they did so wherever there’s sugar cane plantations.

while you are explaining all this, please explain why the only two places i have been able to buy janikekes are Samana and San Pedro....
 

AlterEgo

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while you are explaining all this, please explain why the only two places i have been able to buy janikekes are Samana and San Pedro....

You’re serious? They’re sold at every beach I’ve been to on the south coast. Always a lady with a “fritura”. 25 pesos at the beaches in SanCristobal. I never realized this is unusual.
 

Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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while you are explaining all this, please explain why the only two places i have been able to buy janikekes are Samana and San Pedro....

And Barahona and Boca Chica and by the way your chilli was out of this world! Had to use red wine as no beer but was fab.

Matilda
 

the gorgon

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And Barahona and Boca Chica and by the way your chilli was out of this world! Had to use red wine as no beer but was fab.

Matilda

thanks for the review. as for the johnny cakes, i have been to several towns all over the island, but have never seen them in any places beside Samana and San Pedro. then again, AE says they are all over the south coast, so that might explain San Pedro, for starters..
 

the gorgon

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I've met several people from Samana last-named Brown.

my buddy and i went to Samana once, and we gave a ride to some kids on their way to school. they were all named Jones, and Brown, so we figured them to be descendants of the African American contingent. then again, they could have been from other caribbean islands...we also stopped in an looked at the AME church. some nice history there.
 

bob saunders

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You’re serious? They’re sold at every beach I’ve been to on the south coast. Always a lady with a “fritura”. 25 pesos at the beaches in SanCristobal. I never realized this is unusual.

I had janikekes on my fiet visit to the DR in 1997 in Boca Chica. My mom used to make Johnny Cakes as well but somewhat different, more like a thin arepa, but great with baked beans and butter.
 

the gorgon

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I had janikekes on my fiet visit to the DR in 1997 in Boca Chica. My mom used to make Johnny Cakes as well but somewhat different, more like a thin arepa, but great with baked beans and butter.

again, a south coast region. my point is that i am yet to see them in places on the north coast.
 

the gorgon

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i did not spend much time in Samana..only 2 days. however, what struck me was the lack of motorcycles with loud mufflers, and the cars with aircraft decibel car stereos. in general, i found the place to be far more tranquil and understated compared to POP. also, when i went into internet cafes there, the young people were using the terminals to do schoolwork, as opposed to the kids in POP who seem to just use them for youtube and facebook.
 

Naked_Snake

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Sep 2, 2008
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my buddy and i went to Samana once, and we gave a ride to some kids on their way to school. they were all named Jones, and Brown, so we figured them to be descendants of the African American contingent. then again, they could have been from other caribbean islands...we also stopped in an looked at the AME church. some nice history there.

True, there were some Bahamian families that settled in Puerto Plata when the port was active in international tobacco trade a century ago, for all we know you might have made the acquaintance with some of their descendants.
 

the gorgon

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True, there were some Bahamian families that settled in Puerto Plata when the port was active in international tobacco trade a century ago, for all we know you might have made the acquaintance with some of their descendants.

Snake, the english named people to whom i refer were encountered in Samana, not POP...
 

Naked_Snake

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Snake, the english named people to whom i refer were encountered in Samana, not POP...

I know, I was just remarking that those Aframs haven't been the only black Anglos here. I don't know if I mentioned this to you before, but Marcus Garvey's UNIA had a chapter here on this island too, and they were given a lot of pain by the US Marines when the entire island was under their occupation. It is an interesting chapter to study for sure.