Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island known as Hispaniola. Both nations share many similarities and differences when it comes to culture, religion and history. Since gaining independence Haitians have tended to embrace their African roots while Dominicans tended to embrace their European roots. Yet the idea that the two are so different is not always true, and in fact has become somewhat of a cliché.

One example is in music and dance. Many Haitians are proud to be black and regularly engage with their African ancestry by singing and dancing to songs made by their enslaved ancestors. While perhaps less well-known, similar practices exist in the Dominican Republic, in particular with merengue, which is a mixture of both Spanish and African music and dance. Merengue is the symbol of the Dominican Republic and its history and evolution over time is complicated. At its infancy in the early 1800s it was slow and the dancers took their time in each step. Since then, however, it has evolved into a faster dance that involves more complicated moves. This can be attributed to it mixing with African dances from their enslaved ancestors. In this and other ways, many Afro-Dominicans embrace their African heritage and Black identity.

Even though they share so much of the same culture and traditions both countries have a history of animosity towards each other. During the mid 20th century Dominican leaders promoted anti-Black propaganda causing a deep rooted dislike towards Haitians. Blackness became a Haitian trait, and a negative term for Dominicans. This was taught in schools and repeated in state propaganda. Rafael Trujillo, the dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930-1961, encouraged this. He stated that the DR was a white nation. He wanted to promote a white DR to the world even though that was far from the truth. In magazines all the female models would be white or light skin even though that would rarely be the case walking down the street. Even though he was a mulato (of mixed race) himself he described himself as white. In his photos he would even wear makeup to obtain lighter appearance.

The capitals of both nations are also extremely different. Santo Domingo was founded in 1496 and to this day it is still very Spanish. In the documentary Black in Latin America the reporter states that Dominicans describe themselves as, “Spanish, Catholic and not Black.” Statues of famous colonizers such as Christopher Columbus are common in Santo Domingo. There are also little to no statues of black independence fighters in the DR. The government has taken steps to try to "whiteify" the country by eliminating history that doesn't match their agenda, including black freedom fighters who helped the Dominican Republic gain independence.

Works Cited

Gates, Henry Louis et al. Black in Latin America. 2011: PBS.