Dominican Republic's enduring history of racism against Haitians explored in 'Stateless' [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

The "birth of the racial caste system" started in Hispaniola, argues "Stateless" documentary filmmaker Michèle Stephenson, and endures in its recent laws.


June 11, 2021, 2:44 PM CDT
By Arturo Conde

The adjacent countries of the Dominican Republic and Haiti share an island — as well as a troubling history that influenced the Western hemisphere, from as far north as Canada to as far south as Argentina.

“The island for me is the birth of our racial caste system across the Americas,” according to Michèle Stephenson, whose documentary “Stateless” is featured this weekend at the Tribeca Festival and will air on PBS in July.

"It’s where the first Europeans arrived, where the first Africans arrived, where the first genocide took place, and the racial caste system manifests itself on the island before spreading throughout the hemisphere," Stephenson, who is of Panamanian and Haitian heritage, told NBC News.

“Stateless" follows Rosa Iris Diendomi, a young Dominican attorney and immigration advocate of Haitian descent, as she struggles to run for Congress in the Dominican Republic.

More:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/dominican-republic-s-enduring-history-racism-against-haitians-explored-stateless-n1270499