News

On Haiti-Dominican Republic Border, Remembering a Long-Forgotten Massacre

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - October 1, 2012

Above: Dajabon in the Dominican Republic (Photo: Border of Lights)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

It was 1937 when between 10,000 and 20,000 Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent were massacred by the Dominican Republic’s army and conscripted civilians.

Now, 75 years later, an initiative called Border of Lights will mark the 75th anniversary of the “Parsley Massacre” with a three-day event starting at the Dajabon Bridge on the border.

“Many Dominicans in the diaspora and in the country have been waiting for an opportunity to acknowledge a shameful event in our past, the 1937 massacre of thousands of Haitians, ordered by the dictator Trujillo, and carried out by Dominicans,” said author Julia Alvarez, who will be on hand this Thursday for the ceremonies. “We feel compelled to do what our governments and our treaties, our accords and our conferences have not done: to express our sorrow for this shameful crime.”

The project, which has the support of a number of figures including Alvarez and Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat, will include an art installation in Dajabon, a series of teach-ins and a day to clean and beautify a park in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.

“Border of Lights supports and encourages strengthening a new understanding of border,” said Father Regino Martinez, director of Solidaridad Fronteriza in Dajabon. “Not one that is expressed with confrontation or isolation, but rather side-by-side, so they may culturally enrich each community of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.”

Martinez will lead a vigil Oct. 4 on the border.

“We look to the future and our shared hopes for this whole island and small planet,” Alvarez said. “We would also like to celebrate our many collaborations, our brotherhood and sisterhood.”

Border of Lights began its efforts to mark the anniversary with a commemorative event in New York Aug. 27.

“These events seek not only to remember the victims of the massacre, but also shine a light on ongoing injustices faced by those of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic,” said Cynthia Carrion, one of the organizers of the event.

Popular Posts w punta cana

A New All-Inclusive W Hotel Is Opening This Year in Punta Cana 

The first-ever all-inclusive W Hotel in the Caribbean is opening this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The hotel, part of a broad expansion for parent company Marriott International, is on the list of expected 2024 […]


Why Grenada Is a New Caribbean Luxury Hotspot

beach house silversands

From its world-renowned chocolate to its pristine beaches to a region-leading focus on sustainability, Grenada is as fascinating and unique as destination as you’ll find in the Caribbean.  But in the last few years, the lush Eastern Caribberan island has […]


5 Adults-Only Resorts to Visit Right Now in the Caribbean 

galley bay

Sometimes you just want that extra degree of serenity, of privacy, of seclusion. There is a reason, after all, that adults-only resorts are booming in popularity, particularly in the Caribbean: travelers want to know that when they arrive, they know […]


Related Posts an aerial view of the new resort at casa de campo in the dominican republic

The Newest Luxury Resort in the Dominican Republic Is Now Open

The Dominican Republic is now home to its most anticipated new luxury resort in years: the new wellness-focused Premier Club at Casa de Campo in La Romana. The new resort-within-a-resort is the first phase of a $90 million expansion for […]


US Virgin Islands, St Maarten Top Caribbean Visitor Growth 

us virgin islands st maarten

The US Virgin Islands and St Maarten are leading the way for international visitor growth in the Caribbean right now, according to new data from analytics firm ForwardKeys.  The United States Virgin Islands saw a 22 percent increase in international […]


Caribbean Cruises Are Back in a Big Way  

royal caribbean grand bahama

The Caribbean tourism industry has rebounded spectacularly from the pandemic – and so, too has the cruise sector. Plainly, Caribbean cruises are back in a big way, according to travel agents.  More cruise ships, some larger, are sailing, operating at […]


SUBSCRIBE!

Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net.


No. Thank You