okay here is the rest of my article.

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The Bitter Sweet Batey Life: Haitians In The Batey Of Caraballo Tour.
By Wilgeens Rosenberg
hispanolanos.blogspot.com/
http://www.HispanolanoYoSoy.skyrock.com/

Recommended reading books: "Why The CockFights" by Michele Wucker and "The Farming Of The Bones" by Edwidge Danticat.

PUERTO PLATA - In the Dominican Republic, the word "batey" denotes the living quarters or "neighborhood" of resident cane cutters on land belonging to a large sugar company.

Amidst the sugar cane fields of Montellano, Puerto Plata lies Batey Caraballo.

The overwhelming majority of residents are of Haitian or Haitian-Dominican descent.

Although workers are granted a small plot of land on which they may build a home, the area is far from desirable.

Batey Caraballo is located on low lying, overcrowded land which is prone to flooding.

Cane cutters are isolated geographically in the batey, and they are also isolated socially by barriers of language and culture that differ from the norm of regular typical Dominican life. My old missionary group (The Dream Project) some Evangelists and I had the opportunity to meet and interact once again this year with children and families living in the Batey Caraballo in effort to shed lights and expose this matter issue of those people who most of whom were shy and did not want to be filmed due because they were and felt too shamefully sad and embarrassed of their actual living conditions there to be seeing by the outside world on Camera.

Father James Coates and his staffs allowed us this opportunity for this taping

Although there are some natives Dominican born who actually live in those Bateys as well, but those Bateys are predominantly comprised or composed of mostly Haitians and you will witness the daily hardships that these people face and learn about the Haitian subculture that exists and plays a large role in the Dominican society and economy.

For example...

Our goal from The Dream Project is to attack and expose poverty to the world without discrimination of whose poverty it is be it the Haitians in the Dominican Republic or the poverty of actual Dominican natives in general.

Poverty is poverty no matter the color of the skin, the resentments or social differences or where around the world there is poverty, it is still poverty.

Haitian-Dominican Public Market & Dajabon - Twice a week the borders are open between the Dominican Republic and Haiti and national tensions eased drastically down to allow friendly and excited commerce between the Dominicans and Haitians in the tragically historic North Coast City of Dajabon.

It may be surprising, but it is the Haitians that have the majority of goods to sell. As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

In recent years, Haiti have received great deal of donations from large companies throughout the world.

An amazing variety of brand name and knock-off goods can be acquired at amazing prices...

after a little bargaining, of course! The Dominican-Haitian market is an excellent opportunity to witness first-hand the intuitive similarities and striking differences between the two nationalities that share this small island.

Prime example, lunch today was at a small local popular place in Dajabón which most people of both Nations frequent quite frequently.

Amid all the racial or past old resentments that exists between the two people of both Countries one thing we can say from that trip is that they both like the food from that little no name Haitian Cuisine Restaurant at the border with long lines and high demand for their food.

"Asi, tenemos el mismo menu en alimentacion y la cocina, pero su comida de los Haitianos es mucho mas picante y tan bueno delicioso.

Me encanta su comida y deseo que mi esposa sabia cocinar asi. Como se puede ver y debe saber que ellos son buenas personas, pero que deseo lo habian la vida un poco facil en su parte, de verdad" said laughingly yet with a sad look this Dominican border local guard.

There are great tensions between the two people from both Nations, but apparently a fact it has been reported throughout the world to be somewhat more so from the Dominican side as far as Dominicans treat the Haitians.

However there on the border, you actually see there is hope - or at least a sense of it, that both people and Nation can actually co-exist in a civil and amicable ways as we as well from THE DREAM PROJECT are simply doing is hope with both people and that is our dream projected goal.

Here are the clips from our missions.

Please be advised that some of the clips are from the year 2006 and 2007 as well and were put together a while after arriving in the United States.

So bare with us. Some of them I was not there to enjoy the good times with my old group.

WHAT UP MATT! I hope you are reading this dear friend.

When is our next mission?

Anyway, since as the Mission Group Policy directed by DR officials, we were not allowed actual Camcorders each time. Some of the guys sent me the clips that were taken by cell phones and picture cameras.

Oh the fun we had, I really miss you guys. Anyway, the clips, here they are...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOTnaC4ad7w

For any comments or expressing views on this article do not hesitate to discuss them in this threads.

As the views written in this thread are not necessarily the views of THE DREAM PROJECT and any other Missionary groups I have traveled with, nor are they judgmental in any way of the existing relations between the two Countries.

I hope this article did not seem biased and partial, however if indeed it may appear to be so in your opinion, again discuss it in here and remember to back you claims, statements with substantial facts and well researched references and those references are to be given or provided so that others can cross reference them accordingly.

Wilgeens Rosenberg, May 18 2008, 6:34 AM

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