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Story related to Haiti and Dominican Republic Relations
Istwa ki an rapò ak Relasyon ant Ayiti e Repiblik Dominikèn

(Anonymous author : Otè anonim)

This was posted on the Facebook page of Guy Antoine who runs a Haiti Web. He edited it slightly and asks for its wide dissemination. --

Creole translation: Emmanuel W. Védrine

 

Sa a te poste sou paj Facebook Guy Antoine ki an chaj yon pajwèb sou Ayiti. Li fè yon ti edite l epi l mande simaye l. --

Tradiksyon kreyòl : Emmanuel W. Védrine

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My mother was President Magloire's cousin and my father was a diplomat from the Dominican Republic in Haiti. My uncle was one of Truijillo’s generals. His name was Tadeo Guererero Gonzales. He became chief of police under the reign of Balaguer.   Manman m te kouzin prezidan Magloire, e papa m te yon diplomat ki soti an Repiblik Dominikèn an Ayiti. Monnonk mwen te youn nan jeneral sou Truijillo. Li te rele Tadeo Guererero Gonzales. Li te vin chèf lapolis sou rèy Balaguer la.
I consider myself both Haitian and Dominican. I have never heard any negative comments from my Dominican side of the family concerning Haitians. My father helped many Haitians escape Duvalier's killing spree by giving them asylum at the Embassy. One of them became part of our family in the Dominican Republic. There were rapes and killing by Haitians when they occupied the Dominican Republic. My father was poisoned by a Haitian Ambassador in the Dominican Republic when he tried to defend the Haitian workers by denouncing the Haitian government for using their own people as slaves. The Haitians worked, the money was paid to the government, and they were given a small amount of money to go home. They were told by the Haitian diplomat that they would be paid in full once they arrive home, money which was never paid to them. My father was a loving and compassionate man unlike his brother who was a tyrant. At his funeral we had Haitians coming from all over the DR to pay their respect and to tell their stories of how he helped many of them. A Haitian woman my Dad helped told me never to forget that I was both Haitian and Dominican and now that my Dad is gone it is me they will count on. I was only 16. There was not much I could have done then. God has given me the courage to now help my Haitian brothers and sisters in the bateys. It is time we stop with the animosity between Haitians and Dominicans. Trujillo was a mad man. So was Duvalier. They were both the personification of evil. I remember as a young child having to hide in armoires in Cap-Haitian when the macoutes were looking for Magloire's sisters who were hiding at my Grandmother's house. I remember an underground radio station called Vonvon that my Grandmother listened to early in the morning. I still remember a particular song, “Mecilia, leve! Mecilia, ou pa tande mès katrè sonnen?” It stayed with me till today.  

Mwen konsidere tèt mwen Ayisyèn e Dominikèn. Mwen pa janm tande oken kòmantè negatif bò kote paran dominiken mwen yo konsènan Ayisyen. Papa m te ede anpil Ayisyen sove anba masak Duvalier kote l te ba yo refij politik nan Anbasad la. Youn ladan yo te vin fè pati de fanmi m an Repiblik Dominikèn. Te gen vyòl ak omosid (touye moun) Ayisyen te komèt lè yo te okipe Repiblik Dominikèn. Yon anbasadè ayisyen te pwazonnen papa m an Repiblik Dominikèn lè li t ap eseye defann travayè ayisyen kote l t ap denonse gouvènman ayisyen an k ap itilize Ayisyen parèy yo kòm esklav. Ayisyen travay, yo te peye gouvènman an, epi yo te ba yo yon ti zwit lajan pou al lakay yo. Diplomat ayisyen te di yo ke y ap peye yo tout kòb la yon fwa yo rive lakay yo, lajan ke yo pa t janm peye yo. Papa m te yon gason ki gen lanmou, ki te gen konpasyon, diferan de frè li ki te yon tiran (diktatè). Nan antèman li, nou te gen Ayisyen ki te soti tout kote an Repiblik Dominikèn pou peye respè yo, e pou te rakonte istwa yo - kijan li te ede anpil ladan yo. Yon Ayisyèn papa m te ede di mwen pou m pa janm bliye ke m se Ayisyèn e Dominikèn, e kounyeya papa m pa la ankò, se sou mwen yo pral konte. Mwen te gen 16 ane sèlman. Mwen pa t ka fè gwo bagay epòk la. Bondye ban mwen kouraj pou m ede frè ak sè ayisyen m yo nan batey yo. Li lè li tan pou n fini avèk animozite (ki egziste) ant Ayisyen ak Dominiken. Trujillo te yon nonm fou. Duvalier te yon fou tou. Toulede te enkane dyab la. Mwen sonje lè m te timoun, mwen te konn kache nan amwa Okap Ayisyen lè makout te konn ap chèche sè Magloire yo ki te konn kache lakay granpè m. Mwen sonje yon radyo ki t ap fonksyone sekrètman ki te rele «Radyo Vonvon» ke granmè m te konn tande lè maten. Mwen sonje toujou yon chan espesyal ki rele «Mecilia, leve! Mecilia, ou pa tande mès katrè sonnen?». Li nan tèt mwen jouk jounen jodi.

We must not forget what Truijillo did. But we need to get along with the other half of the island. We cannot go on with the bitterness in our heart. Right now, Haitian children are being sold by their own people to work as beggars and prostitutes in the Dominican Republic. We must learn to be our brothers' keepers and stop blaming others when we have never taken care of or loved our own people. I am now friends with the daughter of the man who poisoned my father and she is a wonderful human being. I have never mentioned to her that because of her father many years ago I lost mine and that changed my life. We have watched our people being humiliated and starved right here in Haiti by Haitians without doing anything to change it. What about helping your people in the bateys? They are still there with no identity. This is time to take care of our own. Time for healing and loving. Till we do that, nothing will change in Haiti. I belong to the entire Island... There are many like me in the bateys

 

Nou pa dwe bliye sa Truijillo te fè. Men fò nou byen ak lòt mwatye il la. Nou pa ka kontinye (ap viv) avèk animozite nan kè nou. Kounyeya, pwòp Ayisyen  ap vann ti Ayisyen pou travay kòm mandyan e pwostitiye an Repiblik Dominikèn. Nou dwe aprann pou nou gadyen frè nou epi pou sispann  blame lòt moun lè nou menm nou pa janm pran swen oubyen renmen pwòp pèp nou. Kounyeya, mwen se zanmi pitit fi nèg ki te pwazonnen papa m nan, e manmzèl se yon moun estraòdinè. Mwen pa janm mansyone ke akoz papa l, anpil ane de sa, mwen te pèdi papa m, epi sa chanje vi mwen. Mwen suiv pèp mwen yo imilye, ki mouri grangou la a Ayiti (pa pwòp Ayisyen) san yo pa fè anyen pou chanje sa. E konsènan ede pèp ou ki nan batey yo? Y ap viv la toujou san idantite.  Lè a rive pou pran swen pwòp moun pa ou. Se lè gerizon ak lanmou. Si nou pa fè sa, pa gen anyen ki pral chanje an Ayiti. Mwen apateni a tout il la (tout il la se pa m)… Gen moun tankou m nan batey yo.

NOTE: Bad treatment of Haitians in the Dominican Republic; Dictatorships in Haiti and the Dominican Republic; Exploitation of Haitians; Haitians –Dominicans relations; Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic Haitians in Dominican bateys; History of Haiti and the Dominican Republic; History of violence between Haiti and the Dominican Republic; (International) Relation between Haiti and the Dominican Republic; Modern slavery in the Caribbean.

 

NÒT: Move tretman Ayisyen (jwenn) an Repiblik Dominikèn; Diktati an Ayiti e an Repiblik Dominikèn; Eksplwatasyon Ayisyen; Relasyon ant Ayisyen–Dominiken; Imigran ayisyen an Repiblik Dominikèn Ayisyen nan batey Dominiken; Istwa Ayiti e Repiblik Dominikèn; Istwa vyolans ant Ayiti ak Repiblik Dominikèn; Relasyon (entènasyonal) ant Ayiti e Repiblik Dominikèn; Esklavay modèn nan Karayib la.

 

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