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Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Wuilne Novi Michell, 22, a sugar cane worker, stands in a room in a batey on March 1. Like thousands of other youths who were born to Haitian parents inside the Dominican Republic, Wuilne has no personal identification or Dominican citizenship. Without identification a person in the Dominican Republic lives a marginal life without full employment, a bank account, or a mobile phone.
A batey is the name given those communities that reside inside sugar plantations in the Dominican Republic that are comprised mainly of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent. Living and working conditions inside the bateys are often extremely impoverished, with limited access to health care, running water, electricity and sanitary facilities.
For decades Haitians have been fleeing the turmoil of their country to come and work as seasonal workers in the sugar cane industry in the Dominican Republic, with many staying on permanently in the country. The Dominican government refuses to grant children born to Haitian parents citizenship or give them Dominican identification.
It is estimated that somewhere between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Haitians are currently living Dominican Republic. Due to a climate of discrimination based on ethnic origins and a fear of a Haitian influx, the Dominican government has adopted policies that make it difficult to impossible for many Haitians to live a normal life in the country.
-- Getty Images
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Homes in a batey in San Pedro, Dominican Republic. A batey is the name given to communities that reside inside of sugar plantations that are comprised mainly of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
A Haitian woman relaxes in a tree on a sugar cane batey on March 1 in San Pedro, Dominican Republic.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
A Haitian family stands near their home on a sugar cane batey on March 1 in San Pedro, Dominican Republic.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
A Haitian sugar cane worker cuts cane in a field beside a batey on March 1.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Kesnel Nene Pie, 18, a sugar cane worker, stands with his mother Louisa Fernandez in a room in a batey in San Pedro, Dominican Republic.
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The discrimination is based on what? Color? Ethnicity? Race? Religion?
Right?! That's what I was questioning.
I don't understand your question. Haiti and The Dominican Republic and not interchangeable. They have different cultures, religions and languages. In other words, the usual stuff that mankind has used to divide up resources and figure out which group of people are to be deemed highly privileged, human and subhuman. Shrugs...people being idiots is a pretty old story.
I think you do understand the question and are trying to be disingenuous.
Every time someone on the Vine gets involved in a discussion about stopping illegal aliens from crossing the border or talks about the cost of illegals in the areas of social services and education, they are immediately labeled racist.
So I'm wondering what label would be slapped on the people from the Dominican Republic.
The article clearly said "based on ethnicity", screminmimi.
You can't blame the Dominican government for the Haitian workers' problems. EVERY country has the right to control its borders, temporary immigrant workers and its citizenship regulations. The US is one of the few countries in the world to grant citizenship based on birth location, with no regard to one's parents' status. My daughter was born in Australia, but does not have Aussie citizenship (unfortunately) because we were there as temporary residents, with a 2-year work visa through the spouse's job. One parent had to be a citizen or have permanent residency for a child born there to gain citizenship.
Dominican, Haitian they all look the same to me.