Joseito Mateo Y sus Merengueros - Cuando yo me Muera

Enjoy some delectable merengue from a legend, Joseito Mateo.

Hidalgo on Defiant Haiti

Historian Dennis Hidalgo has written a valuable review of Johnhenry Gonzalez's "Defiant Haiti: Free-Soil Runaways, Ship Seizures and the Politics of Diplomatic Non-Recognition in the Early Nineteenth Century." For all those interested in how enslaved people from neighboring Caribbean societies responded to Haitian 'free soil' policy or Haiti under Boyer, I recommend Gonzalez's piece and Hidalgo's short review.

Houngan from 1900

This fascinating photograph from ca. 1900 is of a Haitian houngan found on Contemporary Haitian Art Facebook page. No source is given, but it is supposedly from 1900. It's interesting how the artwork depicted on the temple resembles later Haitian art of the 20th century, which I believe reveals how influential Vodou and its artistic history has been on the 'masters,' like Obin. 

Orange Is The New Black

A television show that has been absorbing much of my free time this week has been Orange Is the New Black, an often compelling and fascinating prison drama with comedic overtones. Much of the show's appeal may reflect the zeitgeist of American television of the day, which is less afraid to have female-centered programs taken seriously in the mainstream. Moreover, the show is about women in federal prison, full of interesting characters, institutional dysfunction, corruption, and structural and personal choices made by the inmates. Race, gender, sexuality, class, and even a transgender character are featured in addictive tales rooted in the larger story arc of Piper's imprisonment for carrying drugs ten years ago.

What disappointed me about the show is the lack of an authentic Haitian accent in Miss Claudette, who was one of the more intriguing characters in the first season. While her character, in a flashback, is revealed to be from Haiti and comes to the US working as a domestic to pay off her debt, it would have been more intriguing to learn the particulars of her experience as an immigrant, as well as how she operated her cleaning company composed of similar young, Haitian woman workers. Furthermore, in consideration of Vicky Jeudy's Haitian heritage, why not have black inmates who are Haitian-American or Caribbean-American? After all, Litchfield is in New York.

Another aspect of the show I am not sure is quite accurate, or I have trouble personally buying, is the divide between the 'ghetto' and 'Spanish Harlem' in a prison full of Afro-Latinas. Several of the 'Hispanic' women in the show are of African descent, and one even practices Santeria. Why was there no overlap between that woman (Gloria) and Miss Claudette? Would these 'Spanish' women of African descent really be so divided from African-American women in the prison? I am not sure if this film accurately portrays the nuances of racial diversity among Latinas or the intersectionality of identities. In other areas, yes, the series catches on intersectionality, but not quite successfully here.

Nevertheless, Orange Is the New Black is a step forward in television drama. It's very rare to see so many women of color in a single television show that is not marketed exclusively to black audiences. I know I will keep watching.

Nation & Citizen in the Dominican Republic, 1880-1916

Teresita Martinez-Vergne's Nation & Citizen in the Dominican Republic, 1880-1916 is an interesting overview of discussions on modernity, Liberalism, and citizenship in the Dominican Republic. The formative years of 1880 to 1916 are particularly important as markers of significant change in the Dominican Republic's economic fortunes, given the shift to sugar plantations and the rise of urban modernization in Santo Domingo and  San Pedro de Macorís. The author discusses class, race, gender, class, economic factors, and urban modernization schemes in the broader sphere of Liberalism in a Latin American context. The text also includes several illustrations, a map of Santo Domingo in the early 20th century, and informative tables on economic output and salaries in addition to other data.

Honestly, one could not help but feel somewhat disappointed by the author's treatment of Haitian-Dominican relations, however. While adequately covering the importance of immigrants and others in the Dominican Republic at this time (British West Indians, who, despite racial stereotypes, were respected as hard-working Protestants, Cubans, Arabs, Puerto Ricans, Europeans, American businessmen, etc.), Haitians are briefly discussed as the only 'truly' vilified group in the Dominican Republic, specifically to the literate Eurocentric elite which used race and gender to argue against expanding citizenship rights to the majority of the population.

The working classes, disproportionately of African descent, were characterized as lazy and undeserving, which of course ties in notions of racism and classism to restrict Liberalism. So, one sees how anti-Haitianism can play in with classist and racist beliefs on the part of the Dominican elite seeking modernization. Nevertheless, it was underwhelming how the author did not discuss Haitian reactions to Dominican negative characterization, except for one Haitian newspaper (L'Opinion Nationale). It would have been more useful to see a deeper analysis of this conversation on Haitian versus Dominican notions of modernity, particularly to highlight some of the common strands in elite thought in both nations, especially in the limits of citizenship, the role of rural against urban, and Eurocentric standards favored by both sides.

In sum, Nation & Citizenship in the Dominican Republic, 1880-1916 is a useful overview of an important era in the Dominican Republic's history. One can find additional value in it as an introduction to some of the prominent Dominican intellectuals of the day, such as Américo Lugo or Eugenio Maria de Hostos. Readers searching for urban history in a Caribbean or Latin American context will be satisfied, too. Martinez-Vergne recreates urban scenes quite well with analysis of a plethora of urban issues, from prostitution and sanitation to policing and the courts.

Un Certain Bord de Mer

For all interested in the history of Arab immigrants in Haiti, Un Certain Bord de Mer is a worthy introduction. While the history of Arabs, or 'Levantines,' in Haiti, has been extensively written about by scholars such as Plummer and Nicholls, it's important to 'hear' the story from the Haitians of Syrian or Lebanese descent directly. To read an interview with the director, check out Kreyolicious's post.

A Colony of Citizens: Revolution and Slave Emancipation in the French Caribbean, 1787-1804

Laurent Dubois's A Colony of Citizens: Revolution and Slave Emancipation in the French Caribbean, 1787-1804 is excellent reading for those curious minds who would like to learn more about Guadeloupe during the French and Haitian Revolutions. Like Saint Domingue, the slaves and free people of color exhibited agency, shaped the outcome of events in the Caribbean and the metropole, and asserted a universalist notion of rights in the language of the French Revolution. Moreover, the administration of Victor Hugues offers many parallels with that of Sonthonax, Toussaint Louverture, and Rigaud in Saint Domingue, governments that defended emancipation while endeavoring to restrict the ex-slaves to the plantation. For anyone interested in Saint Domingue and the Haitian Revolution, Dubois's work places it in a broader context of the Caribbean.