A Tale of Two Worlds: Haiti and the D.R.

In the week's lesson, we were told to watch two videos about Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and we were also encouraged to read articles that talk about the two and the different treatment that Haitians encounter compared to the Dominicans on the other side of the island.

Growing up, I had no idea that Haiti and the D.R. even shared an island based on the way that they were presented on social media. It was quite literally two different worlds. Haiti was and still is more poor than the Dominican Republic, and they are treated by less than by the Dominicans. They treat them as if they are scum of the earth.

Haitian women travel by boat early morning to make it to a shared area where the Haitians and Dominicans set up shop to sell goods and make more money. However, the security usually allows the Dominicans to set up and sell their things before the Haitians, and most times they do not even give them a reason as to why they have to wait to set things up.

The conditions in Haiti are much worse to live in than the conditions in the Dominican Republic. Life expectancy is much shorter, there is more garbage around, more violence, and less money. Most Haitians are in poverty if not below poverty, while Dominicans live well above their means.

If a picture was shown of the two countries, you wouldn't even believe that they were on the same island. Something needs to be done, and the government needs to be the ones to do it. It is unfair that two groups that share an island are not given the same resources.

Hopefully, there will be a day where both Haiti and the Dominican Republic have the same resources and the living standards are much better, specifically for the Haitian party.