Racism in the Dominican Republic

Racism in the Dominican Republic has played a major role in the construction of Dominican government, culture, and identity. Since colonization, the Dominican Republic has negotiated the construction of racial hierarchies. The nation's historically fraught relationship with Haiti informed its Anti-Haitismo. Prejudice during the US occupation embedded racism in the structure of the state. Rafael Trujillo’s authoritarian regime leveraged white Dominican identities in anti-black and Anti-Haitian rhetoric. These historical contexts laid the foundation for contemporary struggles with racism.

The contemporary Dominican Republic still contains policy with undertones of structural racism such as the 2013 court ruling which restricted citizenship for those of Haitian descent. The police and far right paramilitary groups such as the AOD also inflict violence on Black communities. A 2013 study concluded that the Dominican Republic was the second most racist country in the Americas. When individuals in the country were asked who they wouldn't want as neighbors, 15-20% responded those of "another race". Still, anti-racist and human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, fight for racial equality through tactics such as memory activism.

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