The DR Gamble: Struggle in the Field (Day 4) [Revised]

The night before was the first night in Batey Libertad, which ended with a dance party and a walk around town under what must have been a million stars, maybe more. I woke up well-rested and ready to break out my artistic side since painting the batey’s learning was first on the itinerary list of the fourth day. It felt great to create again since it’s been a while since I’ve done any of that, even if the kids became a slightly hostile (for lack of a better word) with sharing the paint. It felt great to work hard at creating something from scratch, though I’m normally used to it being me, myself, and whatever I’m working on.

The finished mural! (all the children from the batey hand painted their hands, literally, haha)

        After sprucing up the learning center and some lunch at our homestays, which I will never get tired of eating (so good!) the class had a discussion on education with the people working there, Emma and John included. A couple were native and spoke in Spanish I believe, but one woman was from America. Unfortunately I forget her name, but she spoke English and Spanish and was once an intern, which I learned Emma was once as well. It brought me joy to meet a couple of students, I think around my age or older, who were working on graduation! One woman was even writing her thesis!

I wish that working on an education was the norm for everyone in the Dominican Republic, but as mentioned from my past posts the government system has changed to make attaining an education a constant struggle for darker skinned people, and in general people in lower economic status. [Because of racist ideologies fostered from an origin of a white supremacist mentality, opportunity is scarce, and those left struggling have been driven down to believe that there are only two options left for them: baseball or farming]. I learned all about this predicament from a chapter of the book Gracias, Presidente! and the documentary Rumbo a las Grandes Ligas (“Road to the Big Leagues”).

Based off the documentary Rumbo a las Grandes Ligas (“Road to the Big Leagues”), it seems like there is so much hope riding on a baseball career. And yes, some of these young boys (since unfortunately only boys are chosen in society) are very talented, what about those that can’t measure up? Is this society going to just allow itself to be swallowed up by survival of the fittest way of living? Whoever can hit the farthest, run the fastest, can make it big. Or, whoever can make the most sugarcane by the ton can survive! Not everyone can withstand the line of athletic work. Some can barely even feed themselves!

        It’s true what the piece Gracias, Presidente said “life is a game of skill that stems from luck”. Not everyone is born so lucky however. The people at batey Libertad seem to have a little more luck than others though. I was told recently that because the highway is right outside this community there is easier access to the outside world. On top of that, there is a school right next to the batey, whereas, I read in Gracias, Presidente, that in many other places children need to walk miles and miles away from their small homes to get an education, even if it’s just a small one. All of that exhaustion and stress on just a little kid! That isn’t right.

But I suppose that’s why baseball is so crucial within the culture. Education is a struggle that not everyone can reach, farming is a tax on the body that most end up settling for, but baseball [can be the opportunity of a lifetime if you're one of the best. Many young boys who play the game well enough are willing to take the gamble on a career in baseball, and their parents are on board as well. Unlike in the black community which has possibly given up on their once enchantment with the game, the struggling of the Dominican Republic hold more focus and hopes on sport. African Americans lost hope with sport and now ride their hopes on education, whereas poor racialized Dominicans have lost hope with education and now ride their hopes on sport. I suppose it's like the saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side.]

The Secrets To A Better World (Day 3) [Revised]

Starting the day off right with empanadas! (The most important meal of the day~)

The New Border (Nothing much to look at, but a lot of history and meaning for the people who cross to do business I'm sure)

Carts lined up for the market

The Bustling Market

On day three we went to see the new border and the market (the border we went to the other day has been closed for years apparently). The border was much more organized and calm than I expected, and how the people dressed was a pleasant surprise. They all wore nice casual clothes, some more dressed up than others, but overall everyone knew how to dress themselves. It made me happy to see that. The market, unlike the border, was intense! Nothing crazy happened, but it was about what I expected it to be. People hustling here and there, deals being made up and down, and So. Much. Noise!
[Looking back it was a good experience to be part of the livelihood of the people there. Many people I know have to work low level jobs to make money, but they have a choice in their future. The people I passed by made a living selling in this market because their own society won't accept them due to their own ignorant racist foundings. I understand that not all Dominicans and not all residents of Haiti are racist, but there still lies the history of a racial hierarchy and unjust neglect and abuse.
One question I have in mind now after all I've learned from readings and academic discussions is what is the Dominican reaction of this market? From what I remember there weren't too many light skinned people looking to buy, the lightest were tourists such as myself. So I wonder if there is any encounter of the Dominicans at this market? And what would the reaction be?
Perhaps the reason why there are so few lighter skinned people is because of the drastic separation of class in the DR mentality. Haitians are seen as low class, ugly, unintelligent, etc. And the general desire of the society is to attain high class, getting as close to the white European standard.]

Welcome to Batey Liberta

Next we moved on to the Batey where we met our homestay families. I was expecting the absolute worst. A wasteland, garbage along the ground, and unhappy people everywhere. But I found was, almost, the total opposite, and again I was pleasantly surprised. 

Made a couple of friends (Above meet Evelin age 12 and Below meet Rashel age 10, both sisters at the home I stayed at)

The whole community here was so nice and welcoming, something you don’t find everyday back in New York. I’ve even picked up some Spanish! Even the bucket shower, not that it was fun, wasn't all that bad! One thing that stands out in my mind from that day was when the power came on. Everyone cheered so loudly, and celebrated, and that’s when it really hit me that this is a group of people who don’t have the luxury that I do back in the states. I can imagine that when I return home having power all the time is going to have to be an adjustment to what I’ve adjusted to myself here in the Batey.

Even the dogs here are welcoming! (We're all just makin' friends where ever we go :D)

Looking at this small community overall though I would’ve never guessed that the people here had so much to hassle with. Many potentially being abandoned and stateless just because of “what they are” and not “who they are”. Some of these bright and spirited young kids having their potential and so much opportunity out of their grasp, the country is missing out. It’s missing out on potential, new ideas and solutions.

What really shocks me is how the Dominican Republic never used to be like this. I read in the article Left Behind – how Statelessness in the Dominican Republic Limits Children’s Access to Education that apparently the constitution states that education should be for all children, but somehow that ideal was altered into an exception. Basically all children are educated, unless they are of any Haitian descent! Any Haitians, even ones born in the Dominican Republic, lose their citizenship or aren’t granted any in the first place. This means, no right to vote, no freedom to move in and out of the country, no working papers, and no access to education! This is horribly sad that the only thing that Haitian-descended people may be able to do with their lives is work on the plantains. Not to diss any farmers, but that kind of life isn’t for anyone and isn’t the only job that’s needed for society, as important as it is.

A well-equipped society needs moral police officers and honest government officials, caring nurses and doctors, electricians to light, warm, and cool the towns, construction workers to build shelter, and educators to teach everyone how to do all these very important professions, including agricultural work. (But then again even by those standards the US could use some work.) Most importantly though, what a society truly needs for all of these careers to happen and continue to flourish throughout mankind’s history are children, capable and equipped to learn so they in turn can provide for a continuously flourishing and well-equipped society.

Even putting aside the necessary careers for any given country, it’s important to have educated children for the sake of awareness. Like the written piece stated, in so little words, with education comes self-esteem, self-empowerment, respect, fairness (if all is taught properly). These ideals are so important, not just for a working society, but for every human being. And thinking about it, as a way to prevent exploitation or loss of equality (and potentially harmony) these qualities are a great lesson to make the world a better place for everyone.