I AIN’T AFRICAN-AMERICAN, I’M BLACK: NICHOLAS PAYTON

Background: Nicholas Payton discusses the difference between black and African American. Payton points how being black became a shame at some point of time. Payton also brings to the table what makes a person of African descent to be just Black, and who are the African-Americans of today’s world.

How I used it: I used this source as part of my definition essay to give an illustration that we are what we accept to be. For instance, a Black person in the United States is not African American because his ancestral come from Africa. In addition, I wanted to illustrate that Black and White Americans are equally important to the United States and we should not see them as two separate groups of the country.

Where I’m From

Background: Aisha Harris makes a good example of how Blacks are addressed as African Americans I the United States, but is just a label. Harris explains how her White friends were able to trace down the country of their ancestors, but at the same time all identified as only one group, White. In the other hand, even though Harris was labeled as African, she did not know where her ancestors came from. Then, when Harris found out her origins, she still felt like an American and not an African because she did not know anything about her roots.

How I used it: I used this article to show that the origin of our family does not make us who we are, but what we accept to be. Knowing or not knowing where our ancestors are from does not define us as part of a group unless we accept and practice the culture of our roots.

La CIDH condena a RD y le ordena anular sentencia

Background: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) finds the Dominican Republic guilty of violation of the rights of Dominicans of Haitian decent by deporting them to Haiti between the years 1999-2000. Now, the IACHR demands the Dominican Republic to invalidate sentence TC 168-13 and law 169-14, and as a result give the Dominican nationality to Dominican born from undocumented foreigners along other petitions.

How I Used It: I used this document to illustrate the disapproval from international forces against the sentence TC 168-13 in the Dominican Republic. In addition, I used this article to show some petitions to the Dominican Republic from the IACHR.

Política y economía: la realidad insular

Background: Former Haitian diplomat and government official, Edwin Paraison, provides information about how the Dominican Republic and Haiti benefit from each other.

How I Used It: I used this article to give an illustration of some Dominican families in the border that live from the Haitian expenses and need of resources, and how those families will suffer if those treaties are broken. In addition, I used this article to show how Haiti contributes to the tourism in the Dominican Republic.

Migración está lista para deportaciones cuando concluya el Plan de Regularización

Background: This news article is an announcement from the Dominican director of Immigration, Jose Ricardo Taveras; Taveras said that everything is ready for the process of deportation after the conclusion of the National Plan of Regulation in the Dominican Republic.

How I used it: The Dominican Republic has not fixed the status of Dominicans of undocumented parents and with the beginning of the deportations the Inter-American Court of Human Rights will take actions against the Dominican Republic. Therefore, I used this evidence as support that the Dominican Republic will suffer the consequences from the international disapproval towards the violation of human rights that the sentence TC 168-13 makes with its practice.

CIDH condena sentencia del Tribunal Constitucional de República Dominicana

Background: In this article the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) contemplates the sentence TC 168-13, in the Dominican Republic as a violation of the human rights and asks to the Dominican Republic to grant the nationality to Dominicans of undocumented parents born in the Dominican Republic. In addition, this article provides the consequences that the Dominican Republic will face if the petitions from IACHR are not pleased.

How I used it: I used this article to show what are some of the consequences that the Dominican Republic will suffer from international forces if the sentence TC 168-13 is not revoked.

Fallo Dominicano afecta a Haitianos

Background: In this article and video is explain the sentence TC 168-13 in the Dominican Republic, which will deport anyone born in the Dominican Republic after 1929 from undocumented parents. According to the article is unknown the number of people that will be affected by it. Also, is establish that the sentence is not directed to any group specifically; however, the Dominicans of Haitian descendants in the Dominican Republic will be the most affected by its practice.

How I used it: I used this article to show that the Dominicans of Haitian descendants are the most affected with the sentence TC 168-13.

Fenatrado denuncia nuevas agresiones a camioneros en Haití

Background: In this article is  announced the possible suspending of the transport cargo from the Dominican Republic to Haiti from the National Federation of Dominican Transport (Fenatrado) because of aggression towards trucks and truck drivers by Haitian rebels in Haiti.

How I used it: I used this article to show some of the consequences the Dominican Republic is facing with the mass- hysteria produced in Haiti by the sentence TC 168- 13 and other events that affect the Haitians in the Dominican Republic.

La inmigración Haitiana afecta salarios locales

Background: This article blames the Haitian immigration for the increase of poverty in the Dominican Republic. The Haitian cheaper services increase the tendency to employ Haitian workers. Therefore, the Haitian immigration is increasing to the Dominican Republic. As a result, the wages for Dominican workers had decreased.

How I used it: With this article I show that Dominicans think that Haitians are taking away their jobs that ironically Dominicans are not willing to do, and which is the reason why a lot of Dominicans support the sentence TC 168-13.

Mi opinión resumida en el caso de la Sentencia 168-13, del Tribunal Constitucional.

Background: This is a comment to an article related to the protest of Haitians against the sentence 168-13. This Commentary stands in its own and is basically stating that the sentence has to go into execution because since 1929 the children born in the Dominican Republic from undocumented parents are not Dominican; therefore, the fact that those Dominicans of undocumented parents were never Dominicans. In addition, the author of this comment, Fabian Del Orbe, writes that the people with power who is against the sentence just want to get benefits from the undocumented citizens by paying less money for their service, which also violates the Dominican Labor Code, which states that at least 80% of the workers of a business in the Dominican Republic have to be Dominicans.

How I used it: I used this comment in my rebuttal essay because one of the hardest arguments that support the sentence TC 168-13 is that since 1929 the constitution says that the children born in the Dominican Republic from undocumented parents are not Dominicans. In addition, I used this comment to illustrate that the sentence also will be the cause why the labor code in the Dominican Republic will be more violated after the sentence takes effect.

Caribbean Community (CarCom)

Background: This is the mission of the Caribbean Community (CariCom). The mission of CariCom is to provide leadership and services in partnership with the Caribbean institutions and groups in order to improve the quality of life.

How I used it: I used the mission of the Caribbean Community in order to illustrate what was its role in the Haitian-Dominican controversy.

Caricom expresa “seria preocupación” por los Haitianos en República Dominicana

Background: In this article is discussed the preoccupation of the Caribbean Community (CariCom) towards the sentence 168-13. An approximation was given of how many people were able to fix their legal status before the sentence takes effect. As a result of the violation to the human rights CarCom keeps the Dominican Republic out of any negotiation.

How I used it: I used the information provided by CariCom to give an approximation of how many Dominicans of Haitians decent are in danger of deportation and what actions is the Caribbean Community is taking.

Ley 169/14

Background: An introduction of the law 169-14 was given in this article. The law 169-14 gives time to people born in the Dominican Republic after 1929, from undocumented parents, but were given the Dominican citizenship when they were born, to fix their migratory status.

How I used it: I used this article to talk about the time that the sentence 168-13 gave to Dominicans of undocumented parents, who were once considered as documented Dominicans, by passing the law 169-14.

Congreso Nacional : En nombre de la Republica Dominicana

Background: This is an online copy of the law 169-14, which provides time to Dominicans of undocumented parents to get their nationality back.

How I used it: with the original document of the law I found the reason the law was passed and, therefore, I used the same law to write my rebuttal argument against the sentence TC 168-13.

Revisión del 20 de junio de 1929 de la Constitución de la República Dominicana

Background: This is a copy of the Dominican Constitution after its revision in 1929.

How I used it: I used this document to know all the ways a person can be considered a Dominican.