2014 Theses Bachelor's

Race, Nationality and Anti-Haitianism in the Dominican Republic

Comenencia Ortiz, Valerie D.

Judgment TC/0168, along with other anti-Haitian policies undertaken by the Dominican Republic, constitute racial discrimination, and this aspect has severe implications in the process of effectively employing human rights advocacy for change. Human rights violations, when rooted on deeply ingrained racial discrimination, present a set of unique challenges. These violations cannot be effectively addressed with legislation or other negative prescriptions alone. Denouncing or condemning the Dominican government, or demanding changes in legislation are not enough to effectively combat anti-Haitian racial discrimination in the Dominican Republic. Rather, mechanisms to effectively tackle these human rights violations must address the root causes of racial discrimination, a hefty goal that requires measures in the fields of education, culture and information (among other areas), with special attention to the country’s context and historical background.