why dominicans deny their african heritage

[THE TRUTH WILL SET U FREE]

In this PBS documentary Dominican professors explain why Dominicans deny their African heritage and why they hate Haitians.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1877436791

[Sal]

THE TRUTH WILL SET U FREE wrote:

In this PBS documentary Dominican professors explain why Dominicans deny their African heritage and why they hate Haitians.
http://video.pbs.org/video/1877436791

This series is just a bias view on Latin countries based on Professor Gates naive understanding on the subject. Haiti was thoroughly explored where as DR was not. He reserved himself to the capital city, Santo Domingo. Completely disregarding the dissenting voices, demographics, and divergent culture of the interior cities which have historically differed from the mandate of the capital. Thus, he mainly depicted Santo Domingo rather then the Dominican Republic. Certain historical aspects are incorrect or even conveniently ignored completely to support his bias views. He even claims that we ignore our black historical figures, but completely ignores the fact that we have Ulises Heureaux, Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, and Jose Francisco Pena Gomez immortalized in our money and as statues across the Dominican Republic. These three historical figures are black, two actually being pure Haitian. Just because it's a documentary, doesn't mean it's true. This documentary is solely based on Gates perspective on the matter, a rather naive and flawed perspective.

[THE TRUTH WILL SET U FREE]

Sal wrote:

<quoted text>
This series is just a bias view on Latin countries based on Professor Gates naive understanding on the subject. Haiti was thoroughly explored where as DR was not. He reserved himself to the capital city, Santo Domingo. Completely disregarding the dissenting voices, demographics, and divergent culture of the interior cities which have historically differed from the mandate of the capital. Thus, he mainly depicted Santo Domingo rather then the Dominican Republic. Certain historical aspects are incorrect or even conveniently ignored completely to support his bias views. He even claims that we ignore our black historical figures, but completely ignores the fact that we have Ulises Heureaux, Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, and Jose Francisco Pena Gomez immortalized in our money and as statues across the Dominican Republic. These three historical figures are black, two actually being pure Haitian. Just because it's a documentary, doesn't mean it's true. This documentary is solely based on Gates perspective on the matter, a rather naive and flawed perspective.

It is not his sole perspective. Dominican educators in the documentary clearly presented the historical context of the Dominican denial of their African heritage. I will take their word over the emotional rhetoric of Dominicans in denial.

[Sal]

THE TRUTH WILL SET U FREE wrote:

<quoted text>
It is not his sole perspective. Dominican educators in the documentary clearly presented the historical context of the Dominican denial of their African heritage. I will take their word over the emotional rhetoric of Dominicans in denial.

Just because a few Dominican educators support his views, it doesn't make it a fact. By that logic I could, for just an example, produce a documentary titled "Why Whites Are The Superior Race", find a few crackpot Aryan supremacists that support my ridiculous views, and have them elaborate on their opinions to support my argument. It'll no longer just be my 'sole perspective' so that would have to make it 'fact', am I right? It's obvious that Gates would present educators that support his naive perspectives, what kind of moron would do the opposite if they're trying to persuade their audience?

[Joel]

Its easy to understand why Prof Gates, Haitians and Maybe Black Americans believe that Dominicans are in denial. Since the American point of view on race is that there is no such thing as MULATTOS , because everybody with white and black parents is still BLACK , and 70% of the Dominicans are Mulattos, well in his view , then all Dominicans are BLACKS. Prof Gates come from a country were people like Halle Berry are consider BLACKS , so its no wonder that he goes to the Dominican Rep and in his eyes all he see is blacks, and to make his point of view more legitimate he find some Dominicans that agreed with him and package a video full of Bias.
When in Latin America just like in the DR, racism was as strong as in the US , we did not have a system to divide the races, the Spanish point of view was a person born of black and white parents is a MULATTO...not black and not white..a new ethic group..On top of that you add a strong sense of UNITY for our nationality in which the lines that divide the races almost disappear , unlike the US ,where 300 years later whites still see black and MULATTOS AS AFRICAN AMERICANS, we might not be so connected to BLACKNESS like in the US , but we also are not connected to WHITENESS. we celebrate being MIXED ,being Dominicans ,and that is something that Prof Gates does not bother to share in his video of Santo Domingo poorest neighborhood which are also full of ilegal Haitian migrants which add more and more Blacks to our side and he also count as being Dominicans, and he didn't bother going to places like La Vega and other cities of course that would not help his cause..

[Joel]

On my previous statement I meant to say. That " Racism in Dominicana was NOT as strong as in the US."..which let to a more unified country , unlike the US where to this day 2012 races Are divided by color, food, fashion style, music, festivities, ect ect...Thank God we don't have that, just because we were taught to see ourselves as Dominicans and not as blacks , that doesn't mean we deny our heritage,.
Its amazing that Prof Gates instead of being facinated by the way we have united ourselves. He come over to ridicure our way of life and preach his way of division of races, No thanks I like the Dominican or Latin American way better

[Joel]

Sal wrote:

<quoted text>
Just because a few Dominican educators support his views, it doesn't make it a fact. By that logic I could, for just an example, produce a documentary titled "Why Whites Are The Superior Race", find a few crackpot Aryan supremacists that support my ridiculous views, and have them elaborate on their opinions to support my argument. It'll no longer just be my 'sole perspective' so that would have to make it 'fact', am I right? It's obvious that Gates would present educators that support his naive perspectives, what kind of moron would do the opposite if they're trying to persuade their audience?

....its almost impossible for them to understand the Dominican or Latin American point of view on race, and the simple fact that Mr Gates. Has the tittle of PROF make him feel without a doubt, right!!! and us?..well " in denial"..its not the first time in history that people with tittles have been totally wrong or just want to push their agenda on other.

[Sal]

THE TRUTH WILL SET U FREE wrote:

In this PBS documentary Dominican professors explain why Dominicans deny their African heritage and why they hate Haitians.
http://video.pbs.org/video/1877436791

Lol, I just saw you're username in another Dominican forum. You loser.

[FEB27]

Sal wrote:

<quoted text>
Lol, I just saw you're username in another Dominican forum. You loser.

Dont listen to that clown! Hes a puerto rican who hates dominicans! This is his idea of "putting us down" LOL

[not a fan of dominicans]

LOL! I saw this PBS documentary! I'm amazed that dominican people swear up and down that they are NOT black! A lot of them like to mix with puerto ricans to try to have light skinned babies! Then their children grow up saying see we are not black we are dominicans, see how light we are! Dominicans are not black! Yeah, ok!!! I know a lot of dominicans who look like Wesley Snipes and say right in your face, I AM NOT BLACK! I AM TRIGUENO! Which actually means "black"! Which in my opinion there is absolutely nothing wrong with being black! Many dominicans treat Haitians like dirt then the same dominicans go to Puerto Rico and infest the island as well. Trying to get to the main land!Yes, I am of Puerto Rican descent and when I go to PR and see this, yes I get very upset! Dominicans are bringing down our island!

[Ruben]

I think youre all stupid argueiing with these fools, the way I see it the color does not lie, but that does not count for all dominicans, I for one am way more lightskinned than most Puertoricans. I find it funny how this person who is not a fan of dominicans is going to bring up the how hatians are treated in our country, but then in the same paragraph speak of how we are bringing down their Island.

Get over yourself dude, i bet you do not even know what the original flag of puerto Rico looked like prior American dominance!...Yes It is Identical to the Dominican one, instead of trying to point out the differences we should remember that at one point, we were the same people. We are all mixed, some are darker, some are lighter, get over trying to define a person by the color of their skin, Does it really matter? this is almost as stupid as trying to argue religion hahah

[Le trou de balle]

Because we choose to! It is our freaking right to be that hell we want to be and WE SIMPLY HATE BLACK AND ALL THE AFRICAN CRAP IN OUR HISTORY!
.
We hate our African neighbor and we don't want to be like them! So if you want to expand your African shit to Haiti and don't come to DR! BLACKS ARE NOT WELCOME!
.
So stuff your Papa Lea and other African superpower into you stomach, process it, and then defecate it but thread on me that as*hole attitude and cultural value! Fk the negro in DR!

[Latino stand up]

Well first of I'm not African American I'm Latino we come to America and call us African American when I'm not I'm Latino mixed race yes but I. Still not African American! Look at Mexican at Mexican there mixed with native American African Nd spainsh and there not running around call them selfs African American or any thing we not jus mix with African we don care we just Latino I swear America loves the whole race thing Dam calm down Webhave the right to say what we want ! Why does it matter any ways

[niceliz]

I totally agree with Scarlet.
This documentary is terribly bias. It does not include all the facts about the Dominican Republic. It is not true that all Dominicans deny their African heritage. We know that we are a mixed nation and we are proud of it. NO Dominican claims to be completely white, that would not be true, so why does Dr. Gates expects us to claim to be completely African when that is not true either! We are mixed! Our food, our language, our traditions include trends from Spain, the Tainos, and Africans. It is just as racists for us Dr. Gates to want to deny the Spanish and Taino influence in the DR as it would be for Dominicans to deny their African roots.
Haiti is a nation founded by slaves which did not mix with the French, that is not what happened in the DR.
Why is it wrong for Dominicans to be proud of their colonial past and Spanish heritage? We have reasons to be proud: we have the the first city. first Cathedral, the first university, every founded in the Western hemisphere!!! But according to Dr. Gates we should not be proud of that because for some reason that is racist!
This documentary is very superficial. Gets a "D" from me.

[Toast]

Who cares

[Girl18]

Le trou de balle wrote:

Because we choose to! It is our freaking right to be that hell we want to be and WE SIMPLY HATE BLACK AND ALL THE AFRICAN CRAP IN OUR HISTORY!
.
We hate our African neighbor and we don't want to be like them! So if you want to expand your African shit to Haiti and don't come to DR! BLACKS ARE NOT WELCOME!
.
So stuff your Papa Lea and other African superpower into you stomach, process it, and then defecate it but thread on me that as*hole attitude and cultural value! Fk the negro in DR!

Calm down and take your meds, slowly one at a time and then quietly proceed back to your unit. Your medication will be ready shortly

[ForceMarine]

niceliz wrote:

I totally agree with Scarlet.
This documentary is terribly bias. It does not include all the facts about the Dominican Republic. It is not true that all Dominicans deny their African heritage. We know that we are a mixed nation and we are proud of it. NO Dominican claims to be completely white, that would not be true, so why does Dr. Gates expects us to claim to be completely African when that is not true either! We are mixed! Our food, our language, our traditions include trends from Spain, the Tainos, and Africans. It is just as racists for us Dr. Gates to want to deny the Spanish and Taino influence in the DR as it would be for Dominicans to deny their African roots.
Haiti is a nation founded by slaves which did not mix with the French, that is not what happened in the DR.
Why is it wrong for Dominicans to be proud of their colonial past and Spanish heritage? We have reasons to be proud: we have the the first city. first Cathedral, the first university, every founded in the Western hemisphere!!! But according to Dr. Gates we should not be proud of that because for some reason that is racist!
This documentary is very superficial. Gets a "D" from me.

You missed the whole point of the documentary. He never said Dominicans were all African. Most African Americans are not either. African Americans embrace theirs though while most Dominicans deny it exist. Dr. Gates brought up the great massacre in the DR over skin color basically. You can't deny this or the fact that Trujillo preached against and detested even his own African heritage from his grandmother. This was the p[oint of the documentart. Where slaves were dropped off and where they are now in Hispanic cultures

[Mmmm african voodoo man]

Le trou de balle wrote:

Because we choose to! It is our freaking right to be that hell we want to be and WE SIMPLY HATE BLACK AND ALL THE AFRICAN CRAP IN OUR HISTORY!
.
We hate our African neighbor and we don't want to be like them! So if you want to expand your African shit to Haiti and don't come to DR! BLACKS ARE NOT WELCOME!
.
So stuff your Papa Lea and other African superpower into you stomach, process it, and then defecate it but thread on me that as*hole attitude and cultural value! Fk the negro in DR!

What da hell?!!! you need help, sound like uneducated person to be honest with you. The African Americans have better reputation than you DR, if you doubt me then do some research little boy.

[Mmmm african voodoo man]

ForceMarine wrote:

<quoted text>You missed the whole point of the documentary. He never said Dominicans were all African. Most African Americans are not either. African Americans embrace theirs though while most Dominicans deny it exist. Dr. Gates brought up the great massacre in the DR over skin color basically. You can't deny this or the fact that Trujillo preached against and detested even his own African heritage from his grandmother. This was the p[oint of the documentart. Where slaves were dropped off and where they are now in Hispanic cultures

Trejillo is a shameful man to the public.

[Mmmm african voodoo man]

Latino stand up wrote:

Well first of I'm not African American I'm Latino we come to America and call us African American when I'm not I'm Latino mixed race yes but I. Still not African American! Look at Mexican at Mexican there mixed with native American African Nd spainsh and there not running around call them selfs African American or any thing we not jus mix with African we don care we just Latino I swear America loves the whole race thing Dam calm down Webhave the right to say what we want ! Why does it matter any ways

Im latino myself but from my experience I totally agree that we all are one blood/one flesh and one humanity. The frist time i went to Nigeria to visit my grandmother then i realizes the trail of my root and i was very proud to be with African people, any body who dislike africa history is just not wise enough to smell the reality of life because Domincans are blacks to the white folks,i know what i am speaking of.