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Dominicans in the island are just a tanner version of the ones in the States. They are "whiter" than what they really look. Most of the members in my family were brown and yellow while living in DR and now they are white skinned.
Also, Cibao region is the most populous area of the Dominican Republic. About half of the population in DR live in the Cibao. The southwest and the southeast are sparsely populated. The southwest, where Barahona is located, make only 5% of the population in DR and the east, the blackest region, make about 10%. Take in consideration that neither of these regions are homogenous. You can see triracials and white skinned types anywhere in the country, even in the blackest areas.
I find that interesting, but one thing I always wanted to know, why is it more common to meet a Dominican from Santiago, which is within the Cibao region, than it is to meet one from Santo Domingo which is the larger of the two cities? Was chain-migration more intense from that city, or is just that people who are from the region just claim the largest and nearest city like in other countries?
Gates is a joke ...wow..here is a poster on another forum:
Sums it up perfectly.
"Blacks" are mixed by nature and Dr gates is a black man. So that part of the post didnt make sense. Most blacks have a good amount of european in them, we're still black and look black.
BTW, Dominicans are more culturally African than African Americans. You guys love touting that African crap, but what exactly African do African Americans have today in 2011?
If anything this works against your argument. Dominicans are close to africans culturally yet deny african ancestry. African americans never claimed to be culturally connected to africa, african americans simply accept the fact that we are in fact of african lineage. Something african like latin american cultures deny
I find that interesting, but one thing I always wanted to know, why is it more common to meet a Dominican from Santiago, which is within the Cibao region, than it is to meet one from Santo Domingo which is the larger of the two cities? Was chain-migration more intense from that city, or is just that people who are from the region just claim the largest and nearest city like in other countries?
"Blacks" are mixed by nature and Dr gates is a black man. So that part of the post didnt make sense. Most blacks have a good amount of european in them, we're still black and look black.
Indeed. I don't understand that part of the post either.
Yeah, Super Mario ... what do you mean "you guys love touting that African crap." Going way back, we have always had cultural influences from Africa roots, whether we realized it or not. And, we more actively sought to understand that connection in the 60s, via reading history, literature, listening to the music, our clothing was influenced by it, and many of us have traveled there.
Crap??? Come on ... why did you have to go there
Quote:
Originally Posted by K.O.N.Y
If anything this works against your argument. Dominicans are close to africans culturally yet deny african ancestry. African americans never claimed to be culturally connected to africa, african americans simply accept the fact that we are in fact of african lineage. Something african like latin american cultures deny
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMario
BTW, Dominicans are more culturally African than African Americans. You guys love touting that African crap, but what exactly African do African Americans have today in 2011?
Yeah, Super Mario ... what do you mean "you guys love touting that African crap." Going way back, we have always had cultural influences from Africa roots, whether we realized it or not. And, we more actively sought to understand that connection in the 60s, via reading history, literature, listening to the music, our clothing was influenced by it, and many of us have traveled there.
Crap??? Come on ... why did you have to go there
Yeh, while I have tried to understand and engage the brother, sometimes the posts are pretty outrageous............it also is a window into how he really feels about these issues.
One question though, SuperMario. How does one embrace Irish and African cultures in the American context as a Dominican might embrace the Spanish and African (well, you get my drift)? In the DR, it is somewhat easier because, as you have often said, the cultures of Africa and Spain and Quisqueya are mixed and/or exist together in a long-standing, blended form. In America we have that in a very limited manner, but most of the time, the cultures and heritages of Africa and the various European nations are or have often been very much adversarial, at odds.
And I am not being sarcastic, btw.
You have a point. The social dynamics in America were/are way different than in the Dominican. I guess I can see why Gates may think that way, but it is no different than him not seeing things our way. Really, I believe people from a another country, who have different perspective, should not impose their beliefs on others. Ok so America followed the one drop rule, so Gates and other AA see any mulatto or any person with visible African Ancestry as black. So how can they be so ignorant as to use an American social policy on a country which never followed it? In DR, we have Euro-centrist, Native-centrist, and believe it or not, Afro-centrist people. We have every kind of people, and IMO none of those are right. Why should a person who is 50% Euro - 50% African emphasize one side over the other? He is equally both. The difference is that that same 50-50 person in America, is taught to just admire his african side, and that I believe is just as bad as the so called denial of "black" we Dominicans "have".
no doubt there are alot, what I'm saying is I meet MORE people who come from Santiago than from the capital. I mean even if it was the same amount it's still strange because the capital is much larger.
Man......Mario you seem like a well read cat, but I'm telling you alot of the language you mentioned and the things you named are African, in Haiti we eat alot of the same foods and use some of those same words. Platanos come from Africa, Mangu, Mofongo or (Fufu as we call it in Haiti, Cuba and West Africa) comes from Africa. Yes in Haiti we use alot of the Taino words as well, the name of our Country derives from the original name the Tainos gave the island Ayiti quesqueya boyo. Yes I am familiar with Dominican culture and people, I've grown up with them, my girlfriend whom I live with and have known over 10 years grew up in Barahona and I have family in Santo Domingo, and guess what? There isn't such a huge difference in our cultures, so many things are interchangeable. Yes, the Taino influence is more than what alot of people thought it was on both I repeat both sides of the island. More so in DR because of the earlier colonization. But I'll give you this example; a large portion of Mexico has some black dna consisting 5-13% on average maybe, significantly higher in states like Veracruz. But in spite of this, and in spite of some African influence I could not honestly consider Mexico a Triracial country, even though their first president was a Mulatto. I consider Mexico a Mestizo country. DR has Taino influence but the society is more Mulatto than triracial, which is a sad fact because they would've had so much to offer from not just food but also their form of government.
As for Dr. Gates, if you watch the documentary in question, where he talks about his white ancestry. He takes pride in the fact that his white ancestors were not just some sterotypically creul slaveowners. He is relieved by the fact that they were whites who didn't treat their black counterparts as just mere property and concubines but people who actually loved them but couldn't join with them lawfully. He and his family grew up in segregated West VA so when all the sudden he is presented with the fact that he has more White DNA than black it is hard to re-shape your identity on the spot. Yes I agree with you, he let Dessaline's off the hook with the atrocities he committed(?), particularly to the French. But his view on Dominicans was not simply to strictly identify as black, but why only glorify one part of your ancestry. And he states that when the Earthquake happened in Haiti, the Dominicans were the first on the scene to help out. Aight this is getting to long, but you get the point.
The problem is that there are areas in the DR with significant Taino heritage. I have to disagree with your mulatto assesment. If someone is only white and black, that to me is a mulatto. But there are Dominicans with 20+% Taino blood, unfortunately, we havent had that kind of widespread dna exams, to verify, but it is there. We are not Triracial to the same degree as Puerto Ricans but alot of us do overlap. Like I said earlier the 10% (which is the average) is there and should not be ignored. We are a triracial nation with predominantly Euro and Afro ancestors. The book I was just reading states platanos and other things you mentioned as Taino. Both of taino and African have had about the same effect on Dominican culture, but it is my opinion from what I've seen on the island that the native is slighty more influential. And yes, I'm glad you recognized Haiti's Taino heritage. Haiti would be more African than Taino in their culture, in contrast Dominicans are about the same in both (with native being higher IMO). Also, I am not saying that we are COMPLETELY different just that the differences are enough as to keep us seperate from each other. That is why whe can never be one country. For example, I'd feel closer to a Haitian than to any other West Indian but not in comparison to a Cuban. And be that as it may with Gates, his views are biased due to his unfortunate experiences.
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