Perspectives on SHADES OF THE BORDER From a First-Day Intern
intern
My first day as an Arts Engine intern and I’m already toiling away at my first blog! I watched all the short films from the 10th annual Media That Matters collection and was particularly struck by Shades of the Border. Unlike other documentaries having to do with the centuries-old conflict between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the film exposes the arbitrary nature of the border and the stark contrast between the two cultures, which continues to perpetuate violence and racism among them.
Having lived in the Dominican Republic myself in 2004 and 2005, the issue of racial tension on the divided island of Hispaniola is all too familiar. Though the Dominican preoccupation with skin color stems from colonial times, Dominicans have used their lighter complexions as a way to distinguish themselves from their Patois-speaking neighbors ever since. As explored in Miguel Parra’s documentary Pelo Bueno, Pelo Malo (Good Hair, Bad Hair), Dominicans identify more with the European standards of beauty, though only a sliver of the population is solely of European descent. Thus, nearly all Dominican women undergo rigorous grooming rituals to straighten hair and lighten skin and eyes.
Shades of the Border also touches upon the issue of Haitian immigration to the Dominican Republic. While some Dominicans claim Haitians are taking their jobs, many Haitian workers in the Dominican Republic are exploited and subject to dehumanizing work conditions, denied rights and even pay. Like migrant workers in the US, they do the jobs the citizens would never do themselves. Widespread unemployment and destitution among Haitian immigrants to the DR also engenders hatred and encourages stereotypes.
The movie highlights the difficulties Haitians face on both sides of the border, from the squalor on the west side to the discrimination and hatred on the east, progress and even survival seems nearly impossible. The Dominican Republic’s recently revised constitution keeps Haitians from naturalizing, even if they were born on Dominican soil.
The documentary encapsulates a problem seemingly without remedy, and with the January earthquake demolishing any semblance of infrastructure in the nation, hope of a resolution seems even more remote. This documentary was filmed before the natural disaster and the tension between the two cultures is only exacerbated by the chaos in its wake. Addressing the issues of racial hatred on Hispaniola—which Dominican media has largely neglected to do—at least creates awareness and opens up a rational dialog between the two sides of the contentious border.
Watch this film now, and don’t forget, if you want to take action on the issues discussed here and in the film, please check out the Media That Matters TAKE ACTION links associated with the film.
By Ariana Costakes
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| Posted on September 8, 2010
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