1TorresMelendez

CamloryJ.TorresMelendez
M.Brown/V.Devincenzi
Humanities10
04May2016
GenocideintheDominicanRepublic?
Genocidecomesineightstagesclassification,symbolization,dehumanization,
organization,polarization,preparation,extermination,anddenial.Itisthedeliberatekillingofa
largegroupofpeople,especiallythoseofaparticularethnicgroupornation.Taketheholocaust,
forexample,theknownrecordedgenocidethattookthelivesofsixmillionJews.Allstrategized
anddonebynoneotherthanAdolfHitler,theNazileader.Sothenafterthattimeperiod,the
questionthatstillarisesis,istheregoingtobeanothertimeperiodwherewewillfaceanother
genocideliketheoneinWWII?Theanswertothatwouldbeyesbut,theydontlabelitas
genocide.Thetermgenocideisnotusednowbecauseitisagruesometermandisnoteasily
identifiedbecauseoflawsthatwerepassed.Butonesituationthatcanpossiblybedescribedas
genocideistheracialdisputebetweentheDominicansandanyHaitiandescendantsthatlivein
theDominicanrepublic.CouldthissituationleadtoapotentialGenocide?Whatisdonesofar?
Howfarhasitgottenintheeightstagesofgenocide?

Toanswerthesequestion,onlyyoucandecidebasedontheinformationthatisgiven
below.Alleventsthathappenisthroughtheeightstagesofgenocide,clearlyexplainedandin
order.ThoughthismaynotbeasgoryandgruesomeastheJewishgenocidebutiftheseevents
escalatethenthereisaproblem.TheDominicanRepublicisfedupwithHaitianundocumented


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workersandHaitiandescendantsthathavelegalrightsintheDominicanrepublicsotheydecided
todosomethingaboutonJune17,2015,deporttremendousamountsofHaitiandescendants
backtoHaiti,whichleadsustotheeightstagesofgenocide.Thefirststageofgenocideis
Classification,whichisthedivisionofthenaturalandsocialworldintocategories.Accordingto
DemocracynowtheystateTheDominicanRepublicissettobeginwhatsomearecalling
"ethnicpurging,"placingthefateofhundredsofthousandsofDominicansofHaitiandescent
intolimbo.HalfamillionlegallystatelesspeoplecouldbesenttoHaitithisweek,including
thosewhohaveneversteppedfootinHaitianddontspeakthelanguage.(DemocracyNow).
ThisseparationissuestartedwaybackwhenthemassacreofHaitiancaneworkersin1937
began,itwastheordersoftheDominicandictatorRafaelTrujillotokillanypeoplesuspectedof
beingHaitiantopronouncetheSpanishwordforParsleyPerejil.Killinganestimateof9,000
to20,000Haitiansin1937.Sadlyin2015,thescarsstillremainandundertheruleofDominican
presidentDaniloMedina,hewantedtorepeathistoryifthedeporteesdon'tcomply.Simplyby
permanentlyremovingallHaitiansfromtheDominicanrepublic.
Thenextstageissymbolism,symbolstonameandsignifiestheclassifications.This
secondstagecanbemisinterpretedbecauseitwasusedinWWIIbytattooingactualsymbols
ontothejewstotellthemapart,whenitcouldalsobe,clannames,physicalcharacteristics,type
ofclothingetc.totellthemapart.TheDominicanGovernmenthasusedthisstagetotellapart
DominicansfromHaitians.AccordingtoDemocracynowpresentedasanimmigrationissue.
ButalargenumberofpeoplewhoareaffectedbythiswillbeDominicansofHaitian
descent(Democracynow).Theyaresymbolizedasimmigrants,apersonwhocomestolive


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permanentlyinaforeigncountry.MorethanamillionillegalHaitianmigrantsliveinthe
DominicanRepublic,andinDajabon,peoplesmugglingiscommon.
Thethirdstageisdehumanization,theuniversalhumanhatredofmembersofone'sown
groupisovercomebytreatingthevictimsaslessthanhuman.AccordingtoBBCFromlate
SeptembertomidOctoberthatyear,men,women,andchildrenwereroundedup,thenbeatenor
hackedtodeathforjustbeingHaitian(BBC).Severalgenerationsoffamiliesthathavelivedin
theDominicanRepublicmadetheirlivesthere,thatnowrisknowbeingdeported.Constitutional
courtdecidedtostripcitizenshipfromthatlargenumberofpeople,hasreallymadelifemuch
harderforDominicansofHaitiandescent,butalsomigrantswhoareontheisland.
ThefourthstageofGenocideisanorganization,Itisalwaysorganized,oftenbystates
butalsobymilitiasandhategroups.AlawnotonlynowgivestheDominicangovernmentthe
powertodeportmassamountsofpeople,butalsocreatesanenvironment,acivilenvironment,
thatshardforpeople,because,there'sanincreaseofviolenceagainstHaitiansandDominicans
ofHaitiandescent.SeemsalltoofamiliartothewayHitlerturnedthetablesonthejews.
AccordingtotheholocaustencyclopediatheReichCitizenshipLawandmanyclarifying
decreesonitsimplementation,onlypeopleofGermanorkindredbloodcouldbecitizensof
Germany.ThelawdefinedwhowasandwasnotaGerman,andwhowasandwasnotaJew.The
NazisrejectedthetraditionalviewofJewsasmembersofareligiousorculturalcommunity.
TheyclaimedinsteadthatJewswerearacedefinedbybirthandbyblood.(Holocaust
Encyclopedia).ThelawstrippedthemalloftheirGermancitizenshipanddeprivedthemofbasic
rights.JustlikewhathappenedtotheHaitiandescendants.Nomatterwhatplaceandtimeyou're
inhistorycanrepeatitself.


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Sothisstageisthatlaststageofgenocidebutitcanhappensometimeinthemiddlejust
becauseitishalfwayproventoclaimthatthissituationisgenocideinthemaking.Accordingtoa
Peruviannovelist,MarioVargasLlosa,wroteinthenovel,
TheFeastoftheGoat
isajuridical
aberrationandseemstobedirectlyinspiredbyHitlersfamouslawsoftheThirtieshandeddown
byGermanNazijudgestostripGermancitizenshipfromJewswhohadformanyyearsmany
centuriesbeenresidentinthatcountryandwereaconstitutivepartofitssociety."(Democracy
now).DominicannationalistsrespondedtoVargasLlosascommentswithfrustration.They
burnedcopiesofhisbook,andmorethan60communityorganizationssignedapetitionto
requestthatthegovernmentnametheauthorpersonanongrata(translation:apersonofno
Status)aforeignpersonwho'senteringintheDominicanRepublicisdeniedbytheDominican
government.
Allinall,withtheinformationgivenabove,wouldyousaythiswasgenocideinthe
making?Genocidecomesineightstagesclassification,symbolization,dehumanization,
organization,polarization,preparation,extermination,anddenial.Itisthedeliberatekillingofa
largegroupofpeople,especiallythoseofaparticularethnicgroupornation.Thetermgenocide
isnotusednowbecauseitisagruesometermandisnoteasilyidentifiedbecauseoflawsthat
werepassed.Butonesituationthatcanpossiblybedescribedasgenocideistheracialdispute
betweentheDominicansandanyHaitiandescendantsthatliveintheDominicanrepublic.Could
thissituationleadtoapotentialGenocide?Whatisdonesofar?Howfarhasitgottenintheeight
stagesofgenocide?Nowyoudecide.