Next Generation, Less Generalisation? (Negotiating) the Dominican “Self” and the Haitian “Other” in Contemporary Dominican Children’s Literature

Even though the Dominican Republic and Haiti share the island of Hispaniola, Dominicans generally do not feel very connected with their neighbouring country. For a large part, Dominican identity even relies on “not being Haitian.” This is part of the national ideology of antihaitianismo or anti-Haitianism: the rejection of Haiti and "everything Haitian." This rejection is based on assumed differences between the Dominican Republic and Haiti in terms of race, religion, and culture. This thesis examines whether such an anti-Haitian ideology is taught to the next generation as well by analysing three contemporary Dominican children's books: Yina Guerrero’s ¿Palo Malo, Quién? [Bad Hair, Who?], José Rafael Lantigua’s Duarte Para Jóvenes [Duarte for the Youth], and César Sánchez Beras’ Al Este de Haiti [East of Haiti]. Working on theories on the dichotomy between "the Self" and "the Other," this thesis examines how the children's books construct a Dominican identity in relation to Haitian...Show moreEven though the Dominican Republic and Haiti share the island of Hispaniola, Dominicans generally do not feel very connected with their neighbouring country. For a large part, Dominican identity even relies on “not being Haitian.” This is part of the national ideology of antihaitianismo or anti-Haitianism: the rejection of Haiti and "everything Haitian." This rejection is based on assumed differences between the Dominican Republic and Haiti in terms of race, religion, and culture. This thesis examines whether such an anti-Haitian ideology is taught to the next generation as well by analysing three contemporary Dominican children's books: Yina Guerrero’s ¿Palo Malo, Quién? [Bad Hair, Who?], José Rafael Lantigua’s Duarte Para Jóvenes [Duarte for the Youth], and César Sánchez Beras’ Al Este de Haiti [East of Haiti]. Working on theories on the dichotomy between "the Self" and "the Other," this thesis examines how the children's books construct a Dominican identity in relation to Haitian identity. Do the books reinforce antihaitianismo or can they form a basis for a new generation with less generalisation?Show less

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Next Generation, Less Generalisation? (Negotiating) the Dominican “Self” and the Haitian “Other” in Contemporary Dominican Children’s Literature