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Dominican Colorism Essay

1286 Words6 Pages

Abstract:
In this analysis, I will explore the history of the island and the way in which colorism was a learned behavior, passed on for generations leading to internalized anti-blackness. Colorism is the process of discrimination that privileges light-skinned people of color over their dark-skinned counterparts. It is an issue that not only affects Latinos but all of those within the African diaspora. There is a clear denial of African ancestry within the Dominican Republic as well as a need to separate oneself from blackness. This is due to not only Colonialism but the promotion of anti-blackness through the media. Spain, the United States, and Trujillo all instituted racial ideologies that were anti-black in the Dominican Republic. The media …show more content…

This is due to not only the history of colonization on the island, or the ruling of Trujillo, but also the promotion of anti-blackness we see throughout the media. “Blacks and mulattos make up nearly 90 percent of the contemporary Dominican population. Yet, no other country in the hemisphere exhibits greater indeterminacy regarding the population's sense of racial identity” (Torres-Saillant, 2012) Colorism is an issue that not only affects Latinos but all of those within the African diaspora. It is a form of discrimination that disadvantages individuals with darker skin while favoring those with lighter skin, even if they are of the same ethnicity. I will analyze the history of colorism, anti-blackness, and anti-haitianism within the Dominican Republic to reveal colorism is a learned behavior. A learned behavior that has had both long-term internal and external effects on the people of …show more content…

The chapter discussing the Dominican Republic is written by Silvio Torres-Saillant. He discusses not only the history, but blackness in relation to politics, social movements, and the influence on culture. Under Trujillo’s rule, there was institutionalized colorism and anti-hatianism. Trujillo was the reason for thousands of Haitian families being killed. The manipulation of the Trujillo regime caused racial tensions between countries as well as generations of identity issues, self-esteem issues, as well as challenges with mental health. A part of this reading I appreciate is where contributions to culture are discussed. Silvio discusses the contributions of Afrro-Latinos and their influences in the medical field and literature, while also highlighting religion and the way practices were taken away from

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