Joined: 10 Mar 2006 {Posts: 235 } Location: Atlanta
Posted: Mon 19 Jun 2006 20:02 Post subject: Welcome and first post
Frank has made me moderator of this forum. I'm most grateful.
I'd like to begin with an observation. The Caribbean was the site of the first encounter of Africans, Europeans and Native Americans. It is a place that, for the past five centuries has been dominated by, to use a buzzword, hybridity. Identities, imposed or accepted, have long had a degree of fluidity that they do not in North America.
Last edited by Fledgist on Thu 22 Jun 2006 21:58; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Wed 21 Jun 2006 17:29 Post subject: Re: Welcome and first post
Fledgist wrote:
Frank has made me moderator of this forum. I'm most grateful.
I'd like to begin with an observation. The Caribbean was the site of the first encounter of Africans, Europeans and Native Americans. It is a place that, for the past five centuries has been dominated by, to use a buzzword, hybridity. Identities, imposed or accepted, have long had a degree of fluidity that they do not in North America.
Greetings Fledgist, and congratulations for undertaking the task ahead. This is also my first post on the ODR Forum.
As a Caribbean born [DR], I would like to know if is possible to study individual cases / countries, as supposed to a 'broadbrush' approach to the complexities of individual nations. For instance, the Dominican Republic has a complex history of [burrowing from your terms ] "hybridity, imposed or accepted" identities -- which on the surface is all 'blanketted' under Dominican nationalism.
The formation of a two-nation Island [Haiti / Dominican Rep.], plus the numerous migration of N. American Southern Blacks, and West Indians in the late 1800's, and early 20th century added, and perhaps imposed customs / cultural changes to Dominican society. The U.S invasion of 1916 brought about other changes, including the planting of a dictator by the name of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo de Molina / Chevallier who despised Blackness, and imposed a policy of whitening resulting in mass accepted migration of white Puerto Ricans, European Jewish and Germans, as well as the massacre of Haitian migrant workers, and black Dominicans in 1937. Trujillo ruthless reign created a collective mindset in Dominican society 'mulataje / mestizo / whiteness', which still to this day assails blackness in the Dominican Republic.
Joined: 10 Mar 2006 {Posts: 235 } Location: Atlanta
Posted: Wed 21 Jun 2006 20:51 Post subject: Re: Welcome and first post
Olorun1 wrote:
Fledgist wrote:
Frank has made me moderator of this forum. I'm most grateful.
I'd like to begin with an observation. The Caribbean was the site of the first encounter of Africans, Europeans and Native Americans. It is a place that, for the past five centuries has been dominated by, to use a buzzword, hybridity. Identities, imposed or accepted, have long had a degree of fluidity that they do not in North America.
Greetings Fledgist, and congratulations for undertaking the task ahead. This is also my first post on the ODR Forum.
As a Caribbean born [DR], I would like to know if is possible to study individual cases / countries, as supposed to a 'broadbrush' approach to the complexities of individual nations. For instance, the Dominican Republic has a complex history of [burrowing from your terms ] "hybridity, imposed or accepted" identities -- which on the surface is all 'blanketted' under Dominican nationalism.
The formation of a two-nation Island [Haiti / Dominican Rep.], plus the numerous migration of N. American Southern Blacks, and West Indians in the late 1800's, and early 20th century added, and perhaps imposed customs / cultural changes to Dominican society. The U.S invasion of 1916 brought about other changes, including the planting of a dictator by the name of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo de Molina / Chevallier who despised Blackness, and imposed a policy of whitening resulting in mass accepted migration of white Puerto Ricans, European Jewish and Germans, as well as the massacre of Haitian migrant workers, and black Dominicans in 1937. Trujillo ruthless reign created a collective mindset in Dominican society 'mulataje / mestizo / whiteness', which still to this day assails blackness in the Dominican Republic.
PEACE
You shouldn't forget the Middle Easterners (turcos), and the Japanese whom Trujillo invited to settle in the DR.
Ms. Martha Wilmore, of Samana, Dominican Republic, wrote the following un-edited text. Ms.Wilmore, a retired schoolteacher is the great-great granddaughter of Jackson Wilmore, one of the former slaves who helped establishes the African Methodist Episcopal Church on the island of Hispaniola. Here she shows photographs of her family.
Photo by Michael Bracey
THE AFRO-AMERICAN INVITED TO THE ISLAND
OF HISPANIOLA
President JEAN P. BOYER, on the 23rd of August 1823 sent the Ambassador Granville to contact the president of the USA to let afro americans come to this Island. Giving them equal rights, land for agriculture, and they will give moral custom to the people here. (Republica Dominicana)
The president of the USA sent the Ambassador Granvilel to Bishop RICHARD ALLEN1of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the 'Bethel' church he spoke to the people and they agreed.
Arguments were made they got inscribed and in 1824 in different boats and different groups they came to Haiti, Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata and Samana. From different parts of the USA they gathered in Philidelphia and all the groups let out from Philadelphia.
I will tell you about the group that arrived at Samana in November and December of 1824. When they arrived: The spanish and french people that lived here(Samana) demonstrated love and kindness to them and helped them to the best of their ablility.
They (Dominicanos) gave them(Former Slaves) land according to the # of their family. There were 333 sir names of the originaal name and one, was JOE PRICHT, they organized their families and began to work agriculture. They wer given the land near the River Saint John, Northwest. Los Algarrobos, Honoduras, Monte Rajos " Mont Rush", Dosue " they took the most of the land from the french people and gave it to the american people, they planted short crops to abe able to survive.
Among the group were men of different trades. They had men who were nautiche( Nautical) and many of them had big boat ejm(Engines). The VANDERHOST, JOHNSON etc. They sailed all over the Carribean Islands, sellings vegetables and other fruits, honey, oil casada.
They grew plants of cocoa( Coconut) in that time. It had a good price, so they cultivated the most of their land as cocao(Coconut) field. They raised cattles and pigs and they propsered. They built good houses in the town and the country.
Many of their fathers sent their children back to the USA, to different Universities. They paid the University fees with monies made from selling harvested crops. They felt happy to be able to give their children education.
Aquair Muhammad (in the back), stands with offspring of the freed English speaking African-American who came from Philadelphia in 1824.
photo by Michael Bracey
The group that came to Samana was the first to bring a Protestant Pastor to this part of the Island(East). When they came as Christian people, they formed their congregation. The First Pastor was called Isasc Miller4.
The founders were as follows:
1--Isaac Miller
2--Peter Vanderhouse
3--Jacob James
4--Jeremia James
5--Jackson Willmore
6--Wesley Barret
7--Helen Barrett
8--Sarah Shepherd
9--John Forchue
10-Caroline Miller
They worship the lord with songs of praise and prayer. The native people had to admire the Americans as they call them at that time to help them organize their families. Everyday early in the morning they made their family altar with songs and prayer. On sunday morning all the family got ready to go to church. They had this church in the town and in different parts of the country and rural districts. They had church schools and and 'Praid'( paid) their teachers (so) the most of their children learned music. They had different kinds of plays for the children of their neighborhood.
You shouldn't forget the Middle Easterners (turcos), and the Japanese whom Trujillo invited to settle in the DR.
Of course, and also don't forget Chinese. I remember my uncle doing ironwork for Japanese who were in the peanut business, and Turcos / Middle Easterners who were in the restaurant / bar business. I first tasted kebbee / Kipe [treats filled with meat made from Bulgar wheat] from the Turcos' restaurants .
You shouldn't forget the Middle Easterners (turcos), and the Japanese whom Trujillo invited to settle in the DR.
Of course, and also don't forget Chinese. I remember my uncle doing ironwork for Japanese who were in the peanut business, and Turcos / Middle Easterners who were in the restaurant / bar business. I first tasted kebbee / Kipe [treats filled with meat made from Bulgar wheat] from the Turcos' restaurants .
PEACE
Question: How many Japanese-Dominicans are there in the DR? Are they an endogomous group?
Question: How many Japanese-Dominicans are there in the DR? Are they an endogomous group?
I believe the number of Japanese-Dominicans is very small [about 150]. They are an endogomous community living in Constanza, which is pretty cool weathered territory and mountainous.
During the the period of 1956-59, the Japanese Government misinformed their citizens, by presenting a 'paradise country' image of the Dominican Republic -- when in reality they were probably going to to be used as a buffer zone between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Over 1300 Japanese nationals made the one way trip to DR, and were confined to 'concentration camps living conditions', no fertile lands to cultivate -- and only barbed wire and armed guards watching their every move. As a result, a large number of them committed suicide. A few hundred of them returned to Japan in 1960, a year before Trujillo's assassination in 1961.
A group of surviving folks sued the Japanese government, I believe in 2000 based on statute of Japanese Law [deceiving its citizens]. Unfortunately, they lost on the basis of the expiring term allowed [statute of limitations]. The small Japanese community is not strong as in Peru, and are pretty much isolated in Constanza.
The link below provides very good insight, in addition to a picture of Japanese-Dominicans today.
Joined: 10 Mar 2006 {Posts: 235 } Location: Atlanta
Posted: Thu 22 Jun 2006 21:50 Post subject:
Olorun1 wrote:
Fledgist wrote:
Quote:
You shouldn't forget the Middle Easterners (turcos), and the Japanese whom Trujillo invited to settle in the DR.
Of course, and also don't forget Chinese. I remember my uncle doing ironwork for Japanese who were in the peanut business, and Turcos / Middle Easterners who were in the restaurant / bar business. I first tasted kebbee / Kipe [treats filled with meat made from Bulgar wheat] from the Turcos' restaurants .
'
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] "hybridity, imposed or accepted" identities -- which on the surface is all 'blanketted' under Dominican nationalism.