Tweet
Well for some of us that is.
I have a relatively large family in the Dominican Republic. I was not aware of any of this until the late 90s on a trip back to St. Kitts and met some family members who were actually from there. I always thought that was a island nation "over there" that spoke Spanish and did their own thing. Never could I have imagined how close in cultural ties that nation is to the eastern Caribbean.
In the 1940s my grandfather (father's father) and his 7 siblings (from St. Kitts) went to the Dominican Republic in search of work in the local sugarcane industry. Some stayed and started families there and others had children with the locals and returned back to St. Kitts before some headed off to England. My grandfather came back to St. Kitts, to a wife (and some kids - I think) he had left behind. He died in 1948 when my dad was just 2 years old so I lost a vault of information on this subject, however, I have been able to piece some things together from other family members, but a huge gap still remains between the two generations and thus the two sides of the family.
As far as I can tell, natives from just about every [north] eastern Caribbean island could be found on the island in those days. There were people from French and Dutch St. Martin/Maarten, St Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla and the U.S and British Virgin Islands. I think I read somewhere that some political leader of the Dominican Republic at the time was the son of a native of the Danish West Indies (today's U.S Virgin Islands) but I'm sure VIwoman can clarify that. I understand that he was the one who opened the door to allow these immigrants in from the northeastern Caribbean which helped to create a whole new demographic in the southeastern and eastern end of the Dominican Republic in places like Santa Fe, La Romana and San Pedro de Macoris.
We have a relatively sizable Dominican community in the Virgin Islands and I have sat and spoken with some of them. Many of them are black Dominicans which underlines the mixture of dark(er) skinned Eastern Caribbean nationals and fairer Dominican natives that took place over the decades. Some have told me that our Carnival reminds them of their own local carnivals back home which again highlights the influence of the eastern Caribbean on areas of the Dominican Republic. The video below by native son Juan Luis Guerra brings out this reality. Look carefully and you will see elements popular within carnival celebrations in the northeastern Caribbean and I'm sure, points beyond down the Caribbean chain. Listen also and you will hear what sounds like Calypso and the base influence of African tones akin to what you hear out of South Africa. The singer makes it clear that the music of the eastern migrants is influenced by Africa. Also take careful note of the prevalence of cane fields in the video as a subtle highlighting of the connection between those who came from the Eastern Caribbean and what they came to the island to do. The song is also infectious and great for exercising.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
Of course the favor is now being returned. Dominican men and women are having children with local Virgin Islanders, Kittitians, Anguillans, etc on those respective islands.
Then there are the Haitians. Since Haiti shares the island of Hispanola with the Dominican Republic, many Haitians also made their way into the Dominican Republic to work in the cane fields. I'm sure there was also a bit of intermingling between them and eastern Caribbean nationals which produced a few children. Now as Dominicans leave their country in a reverse migration of soughts and settle on islands where their fathers, mothers, grandmothers and grandfathers came from, it seems the Haitians are also on their heels resulting in this odd influx of Haitians in places like the Virgin Islands. We see them standing on some of our corners in droves waiting for locals to call on them to do menial jobs such as cut down branches, paint, gather up bulk trash and so forth. Many of them are illegally there and as a result can be hired for pennies which of course undermines some local businesses. How they are getting to our islands under the radar is a puzzle to me, but the same can be said about quite a bit of Dominicans.
All in all, I find the whole thing quite fascinating. Wish to look into it more and hope to someday soon take my first trip to the D.R and bypass the tourist areas and see the real Dominican Republic and visit the places where my grandfather once traversed and meet a family I have never met.
I have a relatively large family in the Dominican Republic. I was not aware of any of this until the late 90s on a trip back to St. Kitts and met some family members who were actually from there. I always thought that was a island nation "over there" that spoke Spanish and did their own thing. Never could I have imagined how close in cultural ties that nation is to the eastern Caribbean.
In the 1940s my grandfather (father's father) and his 7 siblings (from St. Kitts) went to the Dominican Republic in search of work in the local sugarcane industry. Some stayed and started families there and others had children with the locals and returned back to St. Kitts before some headed off to England. My grandfather came back to St. Kitts, to a wife (and some kids - I think) he had left behind. He died in 1948 when my dad was just 2 years old so I lost a vault of information on this subject, however, I have been able to piece some things together from other family members, but a huge gap still remains between the two generations and thus the two sides of the family.
As far as I can tell, natives from just about every [north] eastern Caribbean island could be found on the island in those days. There were people from French and Dutch St. Martin/Maarten, St Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla and the U.S and British Virgin Islands. I think I read somewhere that some political leader of the Dominican Republic at the time was the son of a native of the Danish West Indies (today's U.S Virgin Islands) but I'm sure VIwoman can clarify that. I understand that he was the one who opened the door to allow these immigrants in from the northeastern Caribbean which helped to create a whole new demographic in the southeastern and eastern end of the Dominican Republic in places like Santa Fe, La Romana and San Pedro de Macoris.
We have a relatively sizable Dominican community in the Virgin Islands and I have sat and spoken with some of them. Many of them are black Dominicans which underlines the mixture of dark(er) skinned Eastern Caribbean nationals and fairer Dominican natives that took place over the decades. Some have told me that our Carnival reminds them of their own local carnivals back home which again highlights the influence of the eastern Caribbean on areas of the Dominican Republic. The video below by native son Juan Luis Guerra brings out this reality. Look carefully and you will see elements popular within carnival celebrations in the northeastern Caribbean and I'm sure, points beyond down the Caribbean chain. Listen also and you will hear what sounds like Calypso and the base influence of African tones akin to what you hear out of South Africa. The singer makes it clear that the music of the eastern migrants is influenced by Africa. Also take careful note of the prevalence of cane fields in the video as a subtle highlighting of the connection between those who came from the Eastern Caribbean and what they came to the island to do. The song is also infectious and great for exercising.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
Of course the favor is now being returned. Dominican men and women are having children with local Virgin Islanders, Kittitians, Anguillans, etc on those respective islands.
Then there are the Haitians. Since Haiti shares the island of Hispanola with the Dominican Republic, many Haitians also made their way into the Dominican Republic to work in the cane fields. I'm sure there was also a bit of intermingling between them and eastern Caribbean nationals which produced a few children. Now as Dominicans leave their country in a reverse migration of soughts and settle on islands where their fathers, mothers, grandmothers and grandfathers came from, it seems the Haitians are also on their heels resulting in this odd influx of Haitians in places like the Virgin Islands. We see them standing on some of our corners in droves waiting for locals to call on them to do menial jobs such as cut down branches, paint, gather up bulk trash and so forth. Many of them are illegally there and as a result can be hired for pennies which of course undermines some local businesses. How they are getting to our islands under the radar is a puzzle to me, but the same can be said about quite a bit of Dominicans.
All in all, I find the whole thing quite fascinating. Wish to look into it more and hope to someday soon take my first trip to the D.R and bypass the tourist areas and see the real Dominican Republic and visit the places where my grandfather once traversed and meet a family I have never met.
..well, if there is any.. 
Beautiful people!
Comment