MPCDH working for Dominican Republic-born Haitians
By Karen Juanita Carrillo

With the swearing-in of Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna for a third term as president of the Dominican Republic on Saturday, August 16, members of the Movimiento Politico Comunitario Dominico-Haitiano (MPCDH/Haitian-Dominican Community Political Movement) feel they have a new chance to make changes for Dominican Republic-born Haitians.

The MPCDH did not formally endorse anyone in the presidential elections, but the organization’s leader Rubén Jean-Baptiste Latorti says they are happy with the re-election of Fernández Reyna. Latorti explained during an exclusive interview that President Fernández has worked hard to get the DR back on its’ economic track.  Fernández’ efforts – including an over 9 percent annual economic growth rate during his 2004-2008 term of office – have aided all Dominicans.

MPCDH members believe that as the DR prospers, their efforts to organize Dominican Haitians will become easier. On its website, the MPCDH explains that it is a “political movement made up of Dominican-Haitians working together to help promote the progress and development of Dominicans. After having worked with the main political parties in the country, we have decided to unite and work in favor of those who need us most.”

“We are trying to create a consciousness among Dominican-Haitians,” Latorti insisted, “so that no one is ashamed to be Dominican-Haitian, or ashamed that their mother or father is from another country.”

The Dominican Republic has a total population of nine million people and some 700,000 to 800,000 are Haitian immigrants.  Traditionally, the DR government has claimed that most of their Haitian immigrants are “illegal.” Dominican citizenship is denied to children born in the DR whose parents are Haitian; and thousands of Haitian immigrant workers are forcibly sent back to Haiti as the need for their low-wage labor ebbs and flows.  

“Many Dominican-Haitians have problems with their [immigration] papers.  I, sometimes, have problems with my own papers so I am really taking a chance even speaking out like this,” the Haitian-Dominican attorney noted.  “But we are just really looking for a resolution to this.”

Dominican Republic-born Haitians have little to no support from any sectors within the government.  Even President Leonel Fernández only does what he can to deal with issues Dominican-Haitians face while in the DR.

“But our young students have to have some sense of possibility,” Latorti insisted.  “We would like to be able to look forward to an accord between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  

“Or, even more than an accord, there needs to be an understanding about the Haitians who are living in the Dominican Republic without papers.  Some of these people have established families here, but they still live in fear because they don’t have their [immigration] papers.”