First one on the ground in Haiti was the DR.

[rebel with a cause]

It is not a surprise that the country that shares the island with Haiti would be the first there to offer help, but then there is the history between the two countries. It would not have surprised some of us if Haiti had refused the Dominican Republic's offer of help seeing the way the countries have interacted during even recent years. Thank goodness that was not the case. Perhaps the two enemies can somehow come together over this terrible tragedy.

"The Dominican Republic was the first country to give aid to Haiti in the aftermath of Tuesday's devastating earthquake. Some of the first video images of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince came from a Dominican television crew.

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Some tensions still exist between citizens of both countries. Dominicans recall how they were under Haitian rule for a period in the mid-1800s, and how they repeatedly fought Haitian aggressions. Today, Haitians provide cheap labor in the Dominican Republic, a trend that has caused resentment on both sides, not unlike the illegal immigration debate in the United States.

But as far as the countries themselves are officially concerned, "relations are at a high point compared to 20 or 30 years ago," Ernesto Sagas, associate professor of ethnic studies at Colorado State University, told CNN. "Relations between the countries at the presidential level are at high levels."

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The government on Wednesday started sending food, medicine and rescue crews to Haiti, the El Nacional newspaper reported. Top Dominican leaders amassed at the border as a staging ground to begin transporting aid into the country."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/13/haiti.earthquake.dominican.republic/index.html

[Cha]

1. Thank you, rebel..

The back history is interesting and we'll all be finding out a lot about Haiti in the time to come.

I found this from google.. and the quote in GD..

"Watch: Maddow: Haitian Ambassador Elegantly Shames Pat Robertson"

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/watch-maddow-haitian-ambassador-elegantly-shames-pat-robertson/discrimination/2010/01/13/6925

"Raymond Joseph, United Nations Haitian ambassador responds to Robertson, as reported on MSNBC: "I would like the world to know - the U.S. especially - that the U.S. was able to gain the Louisiana Purchase... due to the revolt of the rebels." South America was able to be free. The revolt of the Haitians against the French allowed Simon Bolivar to get the boats and assistance needed to help free much of South America. "What pact the Haitians 'made with the devil' helped the U.S. become what it is."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7460798

[rebel with a cause]

2. People like robertson think of the Haitians as stereotypical

heathen who do not understand much about the world. The truth is that like most other countries they have grown with the times. I saw the president interviewed today and like the UN Ambassador, he too was sharp.

I did my college thesis on Dominican Republic and how its long history with the United States helped form a Transnational identity in Dominicans before they ever migrated to the US. In doing this research I learned quiet a bit about Haiti also, especially the history between the two countries. A lot of people hold the Dominicans responsible for their problems but when you do the research you find that both of the countries had a hand in building the problem between them. I have been to DR but never been to Haiti.

Thanks for the links. I just want people to start posting things here other than us talking about GD and GDP, because I'm afraid that will end up getting old after a while if it is the only thing we talk about. :shrug:

[Cha]

3. Interesting that you did your college

thesis on the Dominican Republic and you've been there.

Those were the days, eh?

I want the bog to be a place for all kinds of political news, too, that's why I started linking the Steve Benen Washington Monthly site that I posted on practically by myself bc I thought they were newsworthy and they are. I won't stop either..he's gathered a potpourri of news from all over. One stop news shopping.

Right now it's all about Haiti and Martha Coakley and I've donated to both.

[rebel with a cause]

4. Oh, there was a story about Coakley being endorsed by

the Boston Globe today that I was going to post here, but then thought maybe everyone knew it.

I liked the Steve Benen posts you did the other day. I don't remember if I responded to them or not. If I did not it was because I have not been feeling too well much of these last days. I have been on the site all day today, but this is rare now a days.

The reason I went to the DR was because I was married to a Dominican. He was the same reason I did my research on the country. I wanted to more understand the man I hated as much as I had once loved him. I did come to understand him more but I still don't like him very much. We divorced after eighteen years together, but I have two children (adults now) by him and I wanted to support them in their Dominican American identity.