This thesis explores how Haitian migrants are received in the Dominican Republic and considers the implications of this for media representation and immigration policy. A variety of mechanisms are...Show moreThis thesis explores how Haitian migrants are received in the Dominican Republic and considers the implications of this for media representation and immigration policy. A variety of mechanisms are identified by which Haitians and people of Haitian descent are positioned as ‘the other’ and are defined and treated as different from the host community in the Dominican Republic. Anti-Haitian attitudes are widely acknowledged to exist in the Dominican Republic but it is unclear whether these are driven by racist ideologies or fears of losing national sovereignty. This paper builds upon the study conducted by Craemer and Martinez (2021), who identified four Haitian stereotypes; anti-Black, anti-immigrant, criminal violence, and anti-Haitian stereotypes. A content analysis is conducted of articles containing the search term ‘Haiti’, from 2020 to 2021, in two Dominican newspapers (El Listín Diario and El Día) and two Haitian newspapers (Rezo Nòdwès and Juno7). This thesis adds to the previous study by examining the content of Haitian newspapers and corroborating previous results. Consistent with Craemer and Martinez, this study finds the strongest stereotype-consistency bias in the criminal violence stereotypes. Diverging from this, the anti-Haitian stereotypes showed a significant increase in stereotype-consistent bias. This contradicts conclusions drawn by Craemer and Martinez. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed.Show less
In this thesis, the composite burial of unit 52 of the site of El Carril, Dominican Republic, has been analyzed for deviancy from the general mortuary behavior in the Late Ceramic Caribbean....Show moreIn this thesis, the composite burial of unit 52 of the site of El Carril, Dominican Republic, has been analyzed for deviancy from the general mortuary behavior in the Late Ceramic Caribbean. Firstly, the general pattern of mortuary behavior in the Caribbean during the Late Ceramic Age had to be established. The variables that were taken into the analysis were: the location of the grave(s), the position of the individual(s), the occurrence of grave goods, whether it was a primary or secondary burial and the general ritual behavior. This research has concluded that the location of burials was often underneath houses, in caves, underneath central plazas or in mounds. The main position the individuals were placed in was either on their side, back, or in a seated position with the legs tightly flexed towards the upper body. Less occurring positions included the extended supine position and prone position. Grave goods seemed to be present at many sites, but they were in general infrequent. The most common burials were primary burials, the secondary burials occurred at a lower frequency. Lastly, the other burial rituals included individuals being placed inside ceramic vessels, underneath big stones or with cremated remains of another person. The composite burial of unit 52 at El Carril contained burial F35-03 and F35-01. F35-03, a juvenile individual, was positioned in a fairly uncommon burial position in this area at that period, called the frog position, lying on its back with the legs pulled up towards the torso. Furthermore, the skull and other long bones of the juvenile, who had an estimated age of 5 to 6 years old, were missing. This practice is often connected to the veneration of ancestors. On top of this individual, the burial F35-01 was discovered. This adult, a probable female with an estimated age of 20, was lying half on its side, half on the front of the body. This meant that the skull and upper part of the body were in a prone position, a burial position that is very low occurring in the Caribbean in this period. Furthermore, the prone position is nowadays often associated with a deviant burial treatment, which is also evident in the notion that this adult did not receive a similar treatment as the juvenile and one other burial at El Carril (F85-01). Lastly, the skull of the adult exhibited a fronto-occipital modification. The composite burial of unit 52 can be concluded to be deviant from the general mortuary behavior in the Caribbean during the Late Ceramic Age. This is 57 because bones were extracted from the juvenile, which was usually reserved for more ‘special’ people and has not been documented that often for non-adults. This is in contrast to the burial treatment of the adult, who appears to have gotten no special treatment at all. Furthermore, the positions of the individuals are non- normative, or at least low occurring. Lastly, the absence of grave goods is in great contrast with other contemporary sites on the island.Show less
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...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
El Flaco is an Amerindian site located in the northwestern part of the Dominican Republic and has been excavated by the ERC-synergy research project NEXUS 1492. El Flaco is a precolonial hamlet...Show moreEl Flaco is an Amerindian site located in the northwestern part of the Dominican Republic and has been excavated by the ERC-synergy research project NEXUS 1492. El Flaco is a precolonial hamlet which was occupied between the 10th and 15th centuries AD. One of the goals of the NEXUS 1492 project is to gain new information about the human plant dynamics of the site. One way of investigating this is to conduct paleoethnobotanical analysis on hearth features in which food plants, fuel plants, and plant foods were processed, cooked, and consumed in different ways. The research described in this thesis consists of macrobotanical and phytolith analyses of five hearth features from El Flaco. The main aim of this research is to investigate which plant foods could have been part of the diet of the former inhabitants of El Flaco. With the macrobotanical analysis, only one taxon could be identified, which is Portulaca spp. This taxon is edible, but since it is a highly invasive plant, it was likely accidentally charred and not consumed. The results of the phytolith analysis showed that five taxonomic groups (six taxa) were likely consumed: Marantaceae/Cannaceae, Annonaceae, Cucurbitales (wild), Cucurbita spp. (domesticated), and Zea mays.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
Ethnoarchaeological studies in the pre-colonial Caribbean are limited. This research presents a pilot investigation that employs an innovative approach to understanding the spatial and temporal...Show moreEthnoarchaeological studies in the pre-colonial Caribbean are limited. This research presents a pilot investigation that employs an innovative approach to understanding the spatial and temporal developments of the Late Ceramic Age site of El Flaco, northwestern Dominican Republic (excavated in the context of the ERC-synergy project Nexus1492: New World Encounters in a Globalising World), through the study of three key features: postholes, hearths, and mounds. These are material manifestations of past human activities and inform archaeologists on issues of structure building activities, cooking activities, and the myriad activities that result in the stratigraphic build-up of mounds. Following Ingold (1993, 2000), this research approaches each sample of studied features as a place-based taskscape. This allows each feature to be studied separately, as well as in relation to each other. To subsequently arrive at a well-informed interpretation, the archaeological record is conceptualized with the use of an interpretative visibility (sensu Mans 2012, 179). The interpretative visibility is developed and enhanced by consulting archaeological and ethnographic sources focused on the pre-colonial and modern Indigenous lifeways of Amazonia, as well as on archaeological sources focused on Indigenous lifeways of the pre-colonial Insular Caribbean. Moreover, it is supplemented by three informal ethnographic case studies of present-day living situations in the northwestern Dominican Republic. To translate the interpretative visibility to the archaeological record of El Flaco, methodological parameters have been extracted from the ethnoarchaeological studies conducted in modern Amazonia by Mans (2012) and Duin (2009). The interpretative visibility intends to function as a source of inspiration for the interpretation of the archaeological record of El Flaco. It does not intend to equate one with the other. By contrasting and comparing the interpretative framework with the archaeological data, using the methodological parameters extracted from the studies by Mans (2012) and Duin (2009), this research has developed meaningful interpretations of the spatial interrelationships and developments of the features studied. The analysis of posthole features confirms the presence of a large habitation structure that was periodically repaired or perhaps fully rebuilt over time. Hearth features evidence a use in both domestic and ritual spheres and are characteristically different dependent on their use. Finally, the stratigraphy of the mounds attests to both long- and short-term activities that take place on the mounds, such as the burning of trash, or elsewhere at the site, such as the building of new structures. The results of this study successfully contribute towards the understanding of the dynamics and developments of the pre-colonial village of El Flaco through space and time.Show less
In this thesis an attempt was made in order to (re)construct ancient indigenous landscapes through visibility analyses, during the Late Ceramic Age (AD 800- 1500) in the coastal zone of the...Show moreIn this thesis an attempt was made in order to (re)construct ancient indigenous landscapes through visibility analyses, during the Late Ceramic Age (AD 800- 1500) in the coastal zone of the Montecristi, the Dominican Republic. The northern part of the Dominican Republic has been very important in understanding the Spanish conquest of the island, since is one of the first areas where indigenous communities encountered the Europeans. At the time the Europeans arrived in the New World, complex indigenous exchange networks connected the Caribbean islands with the mainland of South America. The information that the indigenous peoples gave to the Spaniards about these networks was crucial for the conquest of the Caribbean. Visibility is considered to be an important parameter to (re)construct the indigenous socio-political dynamics in the Caribbean. In the defined case-study area, 44 sites were categorized by altitude and size and used to carry out multiple viewshed analyses in order to analyze the relationship between the sites and the visual prominent geomorphological areas in the casestudy area, the reconstruction of role of visibility in the determination of site location, the relationship between multiple viewsheds and site clusters and the possible role of visibility in the control of marine resources and indigenous communication networks. The multiple viewshed analyses revealed that it is possible that the low-elevated (Meillacoid) sites in the coastal lowlands are able to visually control the coastal and coastal lowland area, the (Meillacoid) hilltop sites overview the hinterland, that most of the (Meillacoid) sites can see at least three other surrounding sites, that sites within a similar geomorphological area are more likely to overview each other then sites without such a shared aspect and that there could have been an indigenous visibility network, in which the large (Meillacoid) hilltop sites had indirect control over the coastal zone.Show less
This thesis provides a close reading of Julia Alvarez’s How the García Girls Lost their Accents. In the novel, the García family is forced to flee to the United States to escape Rafael Trujillo’s...Show moreThis thesis provides a close reading of Julia Alvarez’s How the García Girls Lost their Accents. In the novel, the García family is forced to flee to the United States to escape Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorial regime in the Dominican Republic. The Garcías’ forced migration is a traumatic experience which has tremendous consequences for the entire family. This thesis concentrates on the cultural conflicts that arise with migration, focusing first on the contrast between the communal Latino culture and the individualistic North American culture, then on the different views on gender and sexuality in the Dominican Republic and the United States, and lastly on the importance of language, concluding that the main protagonist Yolanda’s identity is constituted in language.Show less
This research aims at determining the uses of marine and land molluscs (meat and shell) in five late pre-colonial sites (~AD1000-1500) located in the north western part of the Dominican Republic....Show moreThis research aims at determining the uses of marine and land molluscs (meat and shell) in five late pre-colonial sites (~AD1000-1500) located in the north western part of the Dominican Republic. The specific systematic archaeological survey was carried out in order to obtain the representative samples. The following research questions were formulated: 1) Which molluscan species and in what quantity have been recovered in each site? 2) Is there any quantitative/qualitative change visible in the shell material recovered in each site as the sites’ locations move further inland from the coast? 3) What was the function of the molluscs whose shells were recovered in each site? 4) What socio-economic processes could have caused these changes observed in the composition of shell assemblages? These questions were answered with the data that was generated by the analyses of the gathered archaeological material.Show less
In the heart of the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic and Haiti occupy opposite ends of what before Columbus’s arrival in 1492 was known as Quizqueia. What has become a sun-drenched destination for...Show moreIn the heart of the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic and Haiti occupy opposite ends of what before Columbus’s arrival in 1492 was known as Quizqueia. What has become a sun-drenched destination for globetrotting travelers, news of the harsh human rights violations in the capital and the border areas mostly goes unnoticed by many. The current humanitarian crisis is the result of a deep-rooted historical and cultural conflict pestering the two island nations ever since the arrival of the European conquistadores. The vast majority of subsequent Dominican and Haitian recorded history has been characterized by foreign domination, political turbulence and chaos-inflicting dictatorships. The native peoples of the Arawak and Taíno tribes were soon decimated by Spanish colonization and its coercive implications. Populated mainly by Spanish and French colonists and later African slaves, colonial era struggles and territory disputes have developed into nearly constant conflict between Dominican and Haitian governments. In recent years, they have culminated in a controversial Dominican Constitutional Court ruling essentially stripping citizenship from all immigrants born to undocumented parents since 1929. As a result, four generations of supposed illegal Haitian and Dominican-born Haitian immigrants are left in a worrisome legal limbo. Apart from transportation to the newly built “Welcome Centers” in the border areas, these stateless people are left in social isolation without any rights and have to fear forcible removals that take place on a constant and ongoing basis (Abiu Lopez n.p.). Amnesty International, the UN Human Rights Council and online petitions call for international intervention in stopping arbitrary deportation and racial profiling (Mathurin n.p.). More specifically, pressure is put on the U.S. government to employ its hegemonic influence to alleviate the tense political and social situation in its Caribbean backyard. Those requesting Washington’s support seem to forget its controversial role in a not so distant past. Mostly through political and economic relations, the White House has employed a vast array of foreign policy measures towards the Dominican Republic and Haiti. One of these was having the back of what may have been one of the most murderous dictators of the Americas. The U.S. both publicly and privately supported the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo throughout the Eisenhower and Kennedy administration until 1961, who developed a nationalist idea of antihaitianismo: a policy of racial discrimination and prosecution towards black inhabitants. Vestiges of this institutionalization of anti-Haitian sentiment still remain in today’s Dominican political culture and greatly backfire on the humanitarian crisis at hand.Show less
Addressing the question:Following the 2010 Haitian Earthquake, the number of stateless Haitians in the Dominican Republic rose considerably. How can the current ‘statelessness crisis’ of Haitians...Show moreAddressing the question:Following the 2010 Haitian Earthquake, the number of stateless Haitians in the Dominican Republic rose considerably. How can the current ‘statelessness crisis’ of Haitians in the Dominican Republic be framed both as a product of, and contributing factor in, antihaitianismo?Show less
In the summer of 2013 and 2014 research was conducted by the Nexus-1492 project on the Amerindian site El Flaco in the Dominican Republic. This site contains platforms and montículos. Montículo A...Show moreIn the summer of 2013 and 2014 research was conducted by the Nexus-1492 project on the Amerindian site El Flaco in the Dominican Republic. This site contains platforms and montículos. Montículo A is excavated in diagonal 2 by 2 m units by using the box-grid method. These units are excavated in arbitrary layers of 10 cm. Montículo A contained a lot of archaeological material, such as ceramics, shell and fauna material. This research contributed to the reconstruction of the formation process of montículo A, which is investigated by J.A.M. Vermeer. Vermeer is investigating the formation process of the montículos on the site El Flaco. He does this by looking at the geological and archaeological components used for the phasing of the montículos. This study contributes to this research by examining the taphonomy and larger context of the shell material. The results of the shell material support Segaar’s hypothesis that there were two phases of occupation on the site, a possible Meillacoid and a Chicoid occupation. Next to that, the composition of the shell material is analyzed and divided into three classes: bivalves, gastropods and crustaceans. Furthermore, the habitat of the shell species is investigated to provide an indication of the food strategy or the ‘food network’ that was used by the Amerindian inhabitants. It is likely that a large portion of this diet consists of one gastropod, the Pleurodonte formosa. However, palynology is needed to provide a definitive answer to this problem.Show less
There is a thriving trade in archaeological artefacts of which many are probably looted. This makes the trade a threat for archaeology as well as the national culture. This research studies the...Show moreThere is a thriving trade in archaeological artefacts of which many are probably looted. This makes the trade a threat for archaeology as well as the national culture. This research studies the beginning of the trade in archaeological material in the Dominican Republic, through interviews with huaqueros. A part of the huaqueros sell the objects, for subsistence or perquisite reasons and a part of them collects artefacts. Some perquisite huaqueros do also buy artefacts and serve as middle-man. Besides monetary motivation the pleasure the ‘job’ brings is also a motivation to keep on digging. The motivations for collecting artefacts are for educational purposes, to keep objects out of deposits or to prevent archaeological material from leaving the country. There is no set frequency in which searches occur. The searches of the huaqueros who sell artefacts last a day maximum, and all encountered artefacts are taken. The collector huaqueros also have expeditions that last longer then one day, with a more specific artefact selection. The subsistence huaqueros sell the artefacts as soon as possible, sometimes even under the price they value it, while the perquisite huaqueros negotiate until they get the price they value the piece. It is possible huaqueros do not only sell artefacts they dug up, but also forgeries they made. All huaqueros feel a connection towards the indigenous culture; an aesthetic, spiritual, biological connection and also a connection through habits, names and legends that are attributed to the indigenous peoples are identified. Since the trade in archaeological artefacts is still abundant the current measures regarding the prevention of huaquerismo and the illicit trade are not sufficient. Therefore some possible additional measures to reduce the illicit trade further are formulated. Additional measures should be taken in source and market countries for they are both responsible. Within the source nations it must be taken into account selling artefacts is for some huaqueros the only source of income. Additional measures should therefore focus on providing a new monetary source. Within market countries the museums should focus on more strict legislation's for auction houses and museums, to make sure the largest convergence settings are removed.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
In 'Mapping History' archaeological sites within a small region in the northwestern Dominican Republic are mapped, in order to distinguish patterns in site locations and to explore the social...Show moreIn 'Mapping History' archaeological sites within a small region in the northwestern Dominican Republic are mapped, in order to distinguish patterns in site locations and to explore the social landscape in the past. The landscape in the research area consists of beaches, swamps, mangroves, valleys, and hills up to 300 metres in height. It is known from research by Jorge Ulloa Hung, an archaeologist currently writing his dissertation on ceramics in the area, that there were different ceramic styles present contemporaneously in the north of the Dominican Republic. While Ulloa Hung focuses on the ceramics from the sites in the area, in this research the surrounding area (circa 80 km²) is mapped to provide a context for Ulloa Hung’s research. In this thesis the study on the social landscape is the central focus. Observations and results of the fieldwork conducted in the area were used for this study, and recorded into a map-related database or Geographical Information System (GIS). The relation between site locations and surroundings were analysed with the use of the created GIS. The focus of the analyses is mainly on differences between sites with Meillacoid style ceramics and sites with Chicoid style ceramics. The goal was to bring forth different patterns in the site locations of Meillacoid and Chicoid sites. The diverse landscape in the area combined with the diverse cultural landscape makes this area very suitable for such analyses. Although there are similarities between several aspects of the sites, the area also differences. Meillacoid sites tend to be located closer to the coast, while Chicoid sites are located further inland. Furthermore, Meillacoid sites have a better visibility range, and are therefore better visible themselves. There are evidently different patterns of site locations of both kinds of sites in the area, but there is one common denominator: diversity.Show less
