Why is the Dominican Republic so diverse?

Although Christopher Columbus colonized the entire island in the name of Spain, the languages slowly but steadily diverged. The Eastern half, which would become the Dominican Republic retained the Spanish language while the Western Half, modern day Haiti developed a French-influenced Creole as the common tongue.

What is the conflict between Haiti and Dominican Republic?

Though migration from Haiti to the Dominican Republic is economically beneficial to both countries, it is one of the leading contributors to tension between the two countries as well; illegal immigration from Haiti resonates high dissonance with the Dominican people.

What does Cocolos mean in Spanish?

Cocolo is a term used in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean to refer to non-Hispanic African descendants. The term originated in the Dominican Republic and is historically used to refer to Anglophone Caribbean immigrants and their descendants and more rarely, towards those from the Francophone Caribbean.

How would you describe the culture of the Dominican Republic?

Dominican culture is a mixture of the cultures of Spaniard colonists, African slaves, and Taíno natives. European, African, and Taíno cultural elements are most prominent in Dominican food, family structure, religion, and music. Dominicans are very fond of dancing to merengue and bachata.

Is the Dominican Republic diverse?

Aside from historic firsts, the Dominican Republic ranks among the most diverse Caribbean countries in geography, nature, and people. Its landscape ranges from the highest peak in the region, Pico Duarte, to the lowest body of water, Lago Enriquillo.

What is the relationship between race and nation in the Dominican Republic?

“Nation and race in the Dominican Republic have been intertwined for many years. Oftentimes we get these kind of one-dimensional explanations, in which it’s either all about race or it’s all about nationalism. Anti-Haitianism is about race in some respects, but anti-Haitianism has not always been racialized.

What are some examples of Dominican discrimination against people of Haitian descent?

Contemporary incidences of Dominican discrimination against individuals of Haitian descent included the mass deportation of Haitians under the premise of purifying the racial state of the Dominican Republic.

What is it like being black in the Dominican Republic?

In the Dominican Republic, “blackness” is often assocted with Haitian migrants and a lower class status. Those who possess more African-like phenotypic features are often victims of discrimination, and are seen as foreigners.

How do people in the Dominican Republic identify themselves?

However, in Latin America including the Dominican Republic, there is more flexibility in how people racially categorize themselves. In Latin America people identify themselves mostly based on skin color and facial features and not so much their ancestry, hence this allows for more ” racial fluidity “.