Summary:
In the following chapters of the book, the struggles Haitians encounter daily is what is being shed light on. It's learn about the abuse Haitians suffered under the hands of dictator Trujillo. He never accepted them, yet needed them for labor if he wanted them to supply to the economy. He, along with the Haitian president of the time Paul Magloire, made a contract in which Dominicans would "buy" Haitians. As a result, the Dominican government was paying Haiti as much as three million a year for the Haitians willing to work. Even after the assassination of Trujillo, this continued, and the U.S. decided each year how much sugar would be imported. The United States had to step in to control what was going on with the country.
There did come a point when Haitians demanded to be brought back to Haiti after abuse and intended kidnapping from Trujillo collaborator Felix W. Bernardino. Because they rebelled, they were shot. This occurred when the sugar prices were high, thus letting know that when the prices dropped, Haitians would expect on receiving worse treatment. Following this, it was mentioned how, despite the fact that Haiti had abolished slavery for more than two hundred years, Haitians are still mistreated as if slavery continues. They are given no sense of humanity; it is stripped away from them once they leave Haiti and arrive in the Dominican Republic.
To summarize the last chapter read, it was dug into why Haitian presidents have the reputation of being corrupt. It started off when Jean-Claude's son "Baby Doc" became president. He spent money living a lavish lifestyle, money from the government flowing into his bank accounts. Getting off topic, cockfights were mentioned again, in which it was mentioned that three type of men attend the cockfight (breeders, players and gamblers). It can be an allusion to the U.S., Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, in which the breeders relate to the U.S. (in the way they control certain things). the players being D.R. and Haiti bring the gamblers.
Quote:
"The voiceless Haitians cannot even defend themselves. Human-rights advocates say they are modern-day slaves. It has been nearly two hundred years since Haiti abolished slavery, but this denial of workers' humanity persists" (Wucker 113).
Reaction:
Reading this section of the book, it was amazing to see what the Haitians have had to dealt with throughout their history. They managed to fight off all the big powers that came in to try and control them, and they achieved the abolishment of slavery. However, it's as if their happiness gets stripped away from them in every possible chance. They are not given respect by anybody, including their neighboring country. It's sad to see that those Haitians who leave their country are never truly accepted with their people, nor with the people of the Dominican Republic. They lose their identity, forced to work for a living acting as if they do not exist.
The reason I chose this quote was because it relates perfectly to the way Haitians have always been viewed. Everybody may "feel bad" about their daily living conditions, but nothing is ever actually done to help them out. People just pity the Haitians, but no respect is ever shown towards them. It is correct to say they are "modern-day slaves", because that is the way they are treated. If Haitians leave their country in search of a better life (just like everybody else does with leaving their native country to come to the U.S.) they should be respected as the human beings that they are, not as objects that need jobs to make money. It's very unfair of what they have to live through, as if history will always repeat itself.
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