publication

This article explores the historical roots of Dominican racism, particularly antihaitianism, which manifests as a negative perception of Haitians, seen as the embodiment of the Black race and barbarism. Racism in the Dominican Republic is paradoxical, as it is perpetrated by descendants of Africans and slaves. The author traces the evolution of this racist ideology from the 17th century, highlighting the socio-economic differences between the colonies of Saint-Domingue and Santo Domingo, which shaped distinct racial identities. The Dominican national identity, strengthened by the war of independence against Haiti, was constructed on a racialist ideology that opposed Dominicans to Haitians. This opposition was exacerbated by the regime of Rafael Trujillo, who institutionalized *antihaitianismo* as a state ideology, justifying acts of violence against Haitians. Trujillo and his successors used this ideology to maintain power and control the population, while promoting a vision of Dominican culture as superior. Today, antihaitianism remains deeply ingrained in Dominican society, serving as a tool of domination and exclusion. Saint-Victor concludes that combating this ideology requires an awareness of the historical conditions that gave rise to it and calls for solidarity between social movements on both sides of the border.