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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.  

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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.

Kham / Reuters

Farmers cut cassava to dry while harvesting on a field in Hoa Binh province, outside Hanoi on Friday.

Kham / Reuters

A farmer dries cassava while harvesting on a field in Hoa Binh province.

Kham / Reuters

Farmers load cut sugarcane onto a truck during harvest season in Thanh Hoa province.

Kham / Reuters

A farmer loads cut sugarcane onto a truck during harvest season in Thanh Hoa province, 124 miles south of Hanoi on Friday. Vietnam will export 100,000-150,000 tonnes of sugar this year to help offset a domestic surplus as supply is expected to outstrip demand, the agriculture ministry said on Tuesday.

Kham / Reuters

Farmers plant rice on a paddy field in Hoa Binh province.

See more images related to Vietnam in PhotoBlog. And if you're not familiar with cassava root, you may be familiar with tapioca, one of the products derived from it.

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Rodrigo Abd / AP

In this photo taken on Friday Nov. 25, 2011, field worker Jose Contreras, 31, carries sugar cane stalks.

Rodrigo Abd / AP

In this picture taken on Friday Nov. 25, sugar cane worker Valerisimo Moran drinks water after finishing his work day.

Rodrigo Abd / AP

A foreman writes down the quantity of sugar cane cut by workers at the end of a work day.

Rodrigo Abd / AP

Sugar cane cutters leave the field at the end of a work day.

Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on sugarcane:

Sugarcane is harvested by hand and mechanically. Hand harvesting accounts for more than half of production, and is dominant in the developing world. In hand harvesting, the field is first set on fire. The fire burns dry leaves, and kills any lurking venomous snakes, without harming the stalks and roots. Harvesters then cut the cane just above ground-level using cane knives or machetes. A skilled harvester can cut 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of sugarcane per hour.