I enjoyed the conversation on skin color perceptions in the Dominican Republic. I am in the Virgin Islands. I know a woman (23-ish yrs old) from the Dominican Republic. She looks hispanic to me (I'm originally from Chicago). She always refers to people from DR as "spanish people". Ive commented that people from Spain have very light skin and perhaps she has some African blood from way back when. She insists that isnt the case - they are spanish!
Interesting.

Sent by anonymous | 8:29 AM ET | 07-17-2007

In the case of those Carribbean people who choose not to embrace their african heritage could it be that they want to distance themselves from the legacy of American slavery? I heard the St. Lucian poet Derek Walcott once say that St. Lucians did not have the same experience of slavery that American blacks did. (Not that Walcott does not embrace his african connection; I think he fully embraces his african ancestry.) I get the feeling that some -though not most - Carribbeans look at American slavery as a stigma that they'd rather not be associate with, hence their desire not to be seen/treated as African-Americans.

Isn't it's a curious phenomenon that some folks are loathe to be associated with a condition - slavery - that those enslaved had not control over, often fought mightily against, and survived with their humanity and dignity intact through various means of ingenuity and improvisation? That ability to survive and thrive with humanity and dignity intact is something to be proud of, not something to be ashamed of.

Hmmm. But of course American blacks face numerous challenges in America and still face crazy stereotypes, etc. Maybe some Carribbeans just don't like being associated with what they consider a stigmatized people.

P.S. My mother is half puerto rican and my grandfather on my father's side is Jamaican.

Sent by Stanley | 10:34 AM ET | 07-17-2007

The fact this color-coding news story in the Dominican Republic didn't come as news to me might be a bit of a sad commentary. You see DR is not unique because some (if not a lot) people in Brazil that are notably blacks or could pass as such refuse to call themselves "black" because of the social stigma associated to the word such as ". . . if you're black, go back." Some of the blacks (in various hues)in Brazil have legitimate reasons for choosing not to identify themselves as a black (or African)race due to discrimination at work, schools, etc. To me, this was one of the confounding theories to see a place that have the largest population of blacks second only to Africa refuse to identify with their African heritage.

Some blacks in brazil could be of a dark hue like Don Cheadle and would rather identify themselves as "moreno" (racially mixed)or "pardo" (medium brown). Anything but black.

Sent by Moji | 5:53 PM ET | 07-17-2007

I wonder about the difference between disassociating from slavery and embracing/acknowledging African descent.

But aside from that, I think it is a matter of culture, history and society of black life in the Caribbean and Latin America that will continually confound African Americans (U.S.A.). If only because, historically, and with few exceptions, the color line is so obviously black and white in the U.S. The color line is not so black and white in the Caribbean, and lives, families, histories were made by negotiating--for better or worse--back and forth on that line. Places like the D.R., P.R., Cuba, and others were built in this climate.

And I wonder if at its base is the reality of acknowledged mixed race that helps confound this. This acknowledgement is not something familiar or comfortable in U.S. African American history.

In any case, personal anecdote. I am of African-American and Puerto Rican descent. I have two sisters both the same. I acknowledge and embrace my African descent, not only because I am half African American but also because on the Puerto Rican side my family is so obviously BLACK/of African descent that to make a distinction is pointless to me. But my sisters each chose different routes. One of them acknowledges her African descent but does not embrace it--and told me explicitly once that she is "just not interested in Africa." The other embraces both but has a marked interest in her Latin American and Caribbean heritage.

So I think it is important to consider how much identity, race, ethnicity and politics are as much a part of the society we live in and our experiences, as it is a result of our individual and family choices/experiences/perceptions...and loyalties.

Sent by anonymous | 6:09 PM ET | 07-17-2007

It really saddens, & outrages me, how people of African descent, have been made to revile, despise, & loath, any thing that connects them/us to Africa, be it heritage, or the color Black/skin.

To think, that their was a time in history, that Africa, & her peoples, were looked at whith respect, & even revered, enough so, that the early Greeks sent her (Africa/ Nilevalley) their brightest to study.

Africa, the birth place of humanity & the first in so many of humanity's early steps for building, what we call civilization, including the arts, math, religion, architecture etc.

People of African descent around the world must rid ourselves of this pathology towards Africa, our dark skins, & hair texture, no matter the hue ! Thank you "Tell Me More" for the piece, Robert H.

Sent by Robert H. | 3:04 AM ET | 07-18-2007

Thank you for your story on colorism. This is an adulterated vestige of racism, the echo of once shouted falacious rhetoric, now subtlely whispered in the jingles of V05 or Pantene hair products ads. I am from Jamaica where there is residua of this thinking, but there is enough positive self promotion of Afrocentrism that colorism is more attenuated. However I am so sensitized to TV here, and watching my beautiful, athletic, strong, intelligent American-born daughter question the value of her hair and skin. Even though I know all the right things to say, it is still so painful to watch lively healthy children go through the rigors of being impregnated with self-doubt and self-rejection. Thanks again for your story.

Sent by Garth Oliver, MD | 8:40 AM ET | 07-18-2007

I want to thank both tell me more first for the story and Robert H. for his comment.
I have seen up close and personal the external conflict of race and ethnic
identity in reference to being black in the US. Growing up in Ohio it was rare to come in contact with people who considered themselves anything other that ???traditional racial classifications??? then I went to college. I met a young man who was as brown as any one of my brothers..(by the way I am Black/African American) say I am not Black, I am Dominican, and would fly into rages when ever someone would call him Black. He also participated in Black culture and vernacular as a part of his identity..ie: using African American slang, dress, reference for music, movies, and arts, ect. This was the first time I felt the sting of being unwanted by someone I saw as racially equal if you will. Don???t get me wrong, colorism has reared is head in my family with the Light skin/Dark skin battles, but no one in my family has ever made the case for denying their African roots no matter how light they appeared to the outside world. Personally, I am offended to be quite honest to see people who look like me be so disgusted that they would deny something every can obviously see. As an African American woman I am very proud of our history, fight, struggle, and tenacity that has cracked open the doors of this country for other people who look like me. It hurts to see people of my generation who walked through these doors, turn around and spit on my heritage, as if being African American is beneath them.

Sent by Buckeye in Brooklyn | 11:00 AM ET | 07-18-2007

Well, apparently she is in denial or uneducated with regards to the history of the Dominican Republic. Yes, the Spaniards did kill off most of the Indians but soon there-after the Spaniards arrived with african slaves and after that everyone around the world wanted a piece of the Island. The Arabs, French, Italians, Greeks just to name a few. DR is 77% mixed with various ethnicities which is one of the things I love about the DR. Perhaps she should have done some reseach before commenting. Lets also point out that this viewpoint was from a Non-Dominican. Opinions and viewpoints should be perceived with an open mind. Dominican women are very proud and would stop at nothing to make themselves look beautiful. In my opinion, what's so wrong about that?

Sent by M. Guillen-Dover | 12:52 PM ET | 07-18-2007

Why are we surprised when a brown skinned person from another country comes to the U.S. and works mightily to distance himself from Black Americans? Black people don't even want to be black! How many times have you heard someone go on and on about their undocumented Indian heritage? I call it the "Black and..." phenomena.

I am all for people being proud of their culture and believe that the Black community (whatever that may be) has more important things to do than try to force other people to say they are 'with us'.
I do object when the same proud Dominicans, West Indians, South Americans and Africans glady take advantage of opportunities designed to address the historical racial inequalities in this country. If you aren't Black when I talk to you, how did you get to be black at the admissions office or the job interview?

Sent by Ann | 7:54 PM ET | 07-18-2007

I really enjoyed the piece on "colorism". Nine years ago, I decided after one bad relaxer, to wear my hair in its natural state. It has been quite an experience. Many days I had to stand in the mirror and reassure myself that I wasn\t ugly. I still do. Until I cut off the relaxed hair, I had no idea how much of my identity was tied to my hair.

The most hurting comments have come from African American women. One woman referred to the texture of my hair as \"those things you put in your hair,\" while another woman, who was dark in complexion, continually talked about the long, flowing hair another person we both knew whose mother was white.

While I still struggle with straightening my hair versus the often unyielding mesh of curls, waves and kinks, I know I will never use a relaxer again. But these struggles addressed a larger issue for me - how to find a place of comfort and self-acceptance, one journey I've found in small city living of Columbus, Ohio (I\m a really a big city girl - Chicago - South Side - Yeah!) is a journey I'll have to take alone.

I love your reports. Thanks for sharing.

Sent by Connee | 8:45 AM ET | 07-19-2007

This is an interesting story, but as others have noted, not unique to the DR. In my experience in any other country, this colorism/racism exists--even in Africa, where people readily and easily comment on other's color. Africans, who may look very dark to us, will point to others who are dark and make denigrating remarks... Crazy global phenomenon. We all have a long way to go, not just Americans, North Americans, Latin Americans, etc.
Thanks for this and many other thoughtful stories.

Sent by swltn | 3:00 PM ET | 07-19-2007

Thank YOU for sharing...this is some deep stuff, isn't it?

It's interesting to me how we can sometimes harbor opinions we don't even know we have until we are confronted with them or are confronted with something that brings them out. And it makes me wonder whether, for some of us, these even ARE our opinions...or just received social context passing as such

I remember when I went natural...I was 9. I was emulating a woman I saw on TV (!). My mother made the mistake of letting me go to the B-shop by myself and I came back with a 'fro. She was outraged. Of course I had to keep it natural, just for spite :) For years she would pull at my short hair, as if she were willing it to grow. I would tell her, "it does grow, I just keep cutting it."

Now of course she wishes she had not put so many chemicals into her hair...assumptions...assumptions...

Sent by Michel Martin and the Tell Me More team | 6:32 PM ET | 07-19-2007

This is a great story and a topic that isn't very often addressed. As a black Dominican who???s lived on the island as well as the US, I think the writer is right on the money when she refers to the deep denial Dominicans have about colorism. Yes they will talk about black people and call them Haitians, and there is no doubt a color hierarchy. But it is so ingrained in the society, that I think it is very hard to admit or even see that it is there. I remember in school there being a great emphasis placed on our Taino and Spaniard ancestry, but goodness forbid we embrace our blackness. Even tough it's on our skin, it's in our music and it's certainly colored our traditions.

As I grew older I started to embrace my African roots, but it's not really something I'm sitting down to talk to, say, my grandparents about. I grew up hearing them call my father Haitian and it was obviously not an insult, as much as a jibe at his darkness, and still I instinctively knew that wasn't really an ok thing. So I hardly think they'd be on the same page with me. When my older sister became involved with an African American man, there were jibes there too, especially as she is very light. These are the cues you get growing up, so that's how you learn.

All the women do straighten their hair, and I could easily see a woman being harassed when trying to go natural. It is only now, as a 27 yr old woman, that I've considered maybe not straightening my hair (which has been a ritual since I was 11), after experimenting with some products and styles. However, there is something to be said about the magic touch of a Dominican hairdresser, so I will probably just alternate my styles as my mood sees fit!

I love my people, but they don't always love themselves.

Sent by Cynthia in Boston | 10:39 AM ET | 07-20-2007

Re: "In the case of those Carribbean people who choose not to embrace their african heritage could it be that they want to distance themselves from the legacy of American slavery?"...Carribbeans look at American slavery as a stigma that they'd rather not be associate with, hence their desire not to be seen/treated as African-Americans".
While I agree with the premise of this comments, I disagree with most of the specifics...the reality and experiences of this caribbean american is far and wide as...from the comments mention therein. I think the author's attempt to differentiate american and caribbean slavery falls flat on its face...(My Parents are old enough to remember slaves and slavery...and I think you might be SURPRISE to hear their comments. it's a fact that caribbean americans DO NOT USE THEIR PAST TO JUSTIFY THE PRESENT, rather we use it as MOTIVATION TO OVERCOME THE PAST...AFRO-AMERICAN HAVE NOT IN MY EXPERIENCES OF 25 YRS of living in Brooklyn, NY, ever embraced "caribbean culture"...matter of fact, I have meet other Americans who have over the years embraced "caribbean culture" or otherwise show far more curiosity and willingness to learn more, than Afro-Americans. I have meet and worked with a lot of wonderful, interesting, Afro-Americans...and consistently, they are unable to differentiate simply the differences among people of caribbean desent and caribbean-americans...if I am able to recognize floridians from polish, jewish, italian americans, then why is it so difficult for an afro-american acknowledge the differences among people of the caribbean...it's easy to refer to Mr. Walcott's comments as arrogant, but the fact is we're not all "from the islands" as most of our afro-american brothers and sisters so easily ask us when they detect an accent which is such a powerful reminder of African heritage

Sent by Chip Lancaster | 11:06 AM ET | 07-20-2007

self-hate is a biotch fo' sho.

Sent by lookyloo | 2:26 PM ET | 07-20-2007

Thanks for your feature on Colorism. I had the opportunity to view the online series by the Miami Herald "Afro Latin Americans: A rising voice". It is very well written and illustrated. Frances Robles and her colleagues has stirred the proverbial hornets' nest with this piece. Hurray !!!!
This story is a prime example that you will never overcome an issue until you first acknowledge you have a problem. The race issue among people of color is such a sensitive and complex one. I commend you Michel, your team and the Miami Herald for bringing this issue out of the closet. Thanks again.

Sent by Zanetta J, NC | 2:53 PM ET | 07-20-2007

does stanley think the africans sailed over to the americas and landed in st. lucia then managed to fight off the white people who tried to "settle" the island?

scratching my head.

newsflash - from bolivia to argentina, to mexico to the united state and yes, to st. lucia, black folks were enslaved.

Sent by lookyloo | 3:02 PM ET | 07-20-2007

I feel that the issue at hand is only a result of generations past stuck to a fading ideology of nationalism as opposed to embracing the entire race of mankind of one. I am a American Black man of a known African slave descent, but I however have a Spanish last name due to my ethnically mixed heritage. My name often causes other Blacks to question whether or not I'm a "real Black man". I respond by telling persons that not only do we share the same complexion but we also share the same culture. Responding to a previous comment, I realize that while being Black may be looked at as shameful or as a curse, there are a large portion of us who while being ethnically diverse have no idea how to describe our mixed heritages other than what members of our family have told us. For that matter, if more of us had a direct link to the past in identifying our genetic roots, it would be easier for us to accept the truth because things so obviously seen aren't always believed.

Sent by Alfred Munoz | 9:08 AM ET | 07-21-2007

Colorism is a legacy of colonialism. Look at any country that's been colonized by Europeans and you will see this issue. All of Latin America has color issues and when you see the color of people in power you can understand why. People are in denial of this, because they are not even aware of their roots or know how this issue came about. I have often heard family members, since I am Mexican American, ask others when a child is born, "Is s/he dark or light skinned?" this before they ask you if the baby is healthy or not. But forgive them, they know not what they do. It's not just denying African roots, but being aware of an embracing indigenous roots, which you know where not seen in a favorable light either to say the least. Black blood is not the only blood that is shunned in Latin America, but indigenous blood too and when you put all this together it is easy to see why being White and looking it is so coveted.

Sent by Sylvia | 1:06 PM ET | 07-23-2007

C'mon, folks. Please READ comments carefully. What's there in my comments is there in my comments; what ain't, ain't. Sheesh.

Sent by Stanley | 6:21 PM ET | 07-23-2007

Black, White, Yellow, Indian.
What are the social ramification of these brandings?
Which group established these brands and why?
Yes it was established by the European Colonial elite, giver their peasant class a psychological lift from the bottom rung of their society.
They then used this peasant class to wage war on the rest of the planet.
I will no longer contribute to stereotypes.
I am a person identifiable only from the region or area to which I was born.
I address myself in that manner, and insist to be referred to as such.
I am neither black white Indian yellow brown pink or other.
Question :What if I carry the genes of a unmixed Ghanaian, German, Comanche, Chinese, Indian(south) Dravidians , am all of the above....
I definitely cant go to the top of the heap.. WHITE
Why not? Because i am not 100% European.
Chinese, No because I am not pure
Do you see where this is going
If you are not 100% African you can???t be black.
Or is black a catch all?
So I have to scramble to squeeze in some were, while keeping an eye on who is at the bottom of the rung in the region I happen to find myself.
What a load of crap!!!!!
Conclusion :I will allow no person or institution to define me, I alone have the right to define myself. I am Canadian

Sent by Cuniverse | 11:24 AM ET | 07-24-2007

I 'm an African American man, who lived in the Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo) for three years. There are many stories about this subject that I could share with you. I would first like to say that I love the country and the people there "es mi gente". As an educated professional man (with an upper middle class lifestyle) I was floored by some of the comments by different groups of Dominicans. I'm a medium brown black person, but I noticed that most of my colleagues in the DR where more white. I never had a problem being accepted there. My Spanish was fine and my money/ education spoke for itself. I dated women from the working class neighborhood of Alma Rosa, a darker skin beautiful woman (a dominicana). Not only where my colleagues rude to her, but they also implied that I was making a mistake. When I asked why, they merely directed me towards lighter skinned Latinas. On another occasion the aunt of my girlfriend said to me that I can't possibly be serious in her niece because of the broader selection of lighter skinned Dominican women who where available. It wasn't often but the temperament was clear. In a country where well over 70% of the people who look black it's strange to me that the largest newspaper (www.listin.com) always features white Dominicans in the society page. This level of pathology has a strong hold on the mind of my beloved people and we/they will find it difficult to move forward until they break that colonialist mindset.

Sent by Eli Lewis | 12:41 PM ET | 07-24-2007

stanley, what are you saying then? i'm amazed when people like to say that slavery in jamaica was drastically different from brazil whose system was drastically different from the us. it really wasn't that different. it was not more or less harsher. they have the same "stigma" of being the descendants of slaves. i mean, what were they doing in the caribbean that would allow them to rise above the stigma of slavery? the reality is that all blacks in the americas are tainted by the stigma of slavery.

Sent by lookyloo | 1:19 PM ET | 07-24-2007

Censorship is the only way man !!!
Ha! Ha!

Sent by cuniverse | 2:16 PM ET | 07-24-2007

Black, White, Yellow, Indian.
What are the social ramification of these brandings?
Which group established these brands and why?
Yes it was established by the European Colonial elite, giver their peasant class a psychological lift from the bottom rung of their society.
They then used this peasant class to wage war on the rest of the planet.
I will no longer contribute to stereotypes.
I am a person identifiable only from the region or area to which I was born.
I address myself in that manner, and insist to be referred to as such.
I am neither black white Indian yellow brown pink or other.
Question :What if I carry the genes of a unmixed Ghanaian, German, Comanche, Chinese, Indian(south) Dravidians , am all of the above....
I definitely cant go to the top of the heap.. WHITE
Why not? Because i am not 100% European.
Chinese, No because I am not pure
Do you see where this is going
If you are not 100% African you can't be black.
Or is black a catch all?
So I have to scramble to squeeze in some were, while keeping an eye on who is at the bottom of the rung in the region I happen to find myself.
What a load of crap!!!!!
Conclusion :I will allow no person or institution to define me, I alone have the right to define myself. I am Canadian

Sent by cuniverse | 2:55 PM ET | 07-24-2007

Sadly, it seems to me that people of African heritage here and other parts of the Americas. Are more obsessed by their [imagined] curse of dark-pigmented skin or features. Than any other [minority]groups I have interacted with! As a Indo-Guyanese, I consider myself truly blessed with the ability to judge OTHERS on their [noble] character & sincere simplicity; rather than the degree of darkness/or paleness of their skin. Consider this: if we allow our thoughts to FOCUS on those who have intentionally HURT us, in our lives. Most likely, the deep painful scars embedded in us may never heal. Instead, you may agree as I have, that most likely, "THESE SORTS" were self-hating individuals to begin with! In any event, "GOD is: [as quoted by my much loved Naani] A SMILE at a [stranger] you first come across in the morning." Cheers, & bless you!

Sent by Leila Singh | 3:13 PM ET | 07-24-2007

If it were the blacks that enslaved and abused whites, white people would be (and nowadays some ironically do as as form of passive apology) getting hair texturizers, corn-rows, and nose-broadening plastic surgery. Such acquiescence is a tragic consequence of human nature, vulnerability, and psychology. I am a black woman with hair styles as whimsical as the vagaries of beauty, but I perceive a distinct difference in how I am received when I stroll down Broadway in Manhattan or 125th Street in Harlem with my kinky (FYI: kinky is NOT a pejorative) natural hair versus the rare occurence that I have pressed it until it resigns to the soupy summer humidity. The time to revolutionize constructs of beauty are long over due. We must first love ourselves before we can expect to be appreciated in the mainstream beyond the forms of exoticism and misogyny broadcasted as a misrepresentation of a multi-dimensional, enduring people.

Sent by Nasozi | 4:27 PM ET | 07-24-2007

Hi Eli -

"...and my money/ education spoke for itself."

This observation seems to say a lot more about the culture there.

Also, might I ask, what happened with you and the darker-skinned woman? Are you still together? If not, I'm wondering if the reception of you two as a couple had anything to do with your separation.

Thanks for sharing.

Sent by Lee Hill with TMM | 5:40 PM ET | 07-24-2007

i am 20 yrs old and was born in the domincan rep but raised in nyc. I am of a medium brown tone, when i lived in DR i was never really aware of any stigma that came with having my color of skin. My mother has no African blood but my father does and because of this me and my brother look nothing alike yet we were never treated differently. I became more aware of my skin tone when i moved to the US. People speak to you a certain way (bro, son, sup yo) thinking that because of the color of your skin this is the way you speak. Because of this is why i have a problem when some people think i'm African America. I don't hate my how i look i just don't want to be associated to a culture that is not my own and that i don't like, i'm proud of beeing Dominican and don't really care for who's blood i have. The stereotyping that comes along with beeing dark is why many dominicans don't like to be associated with African-Americans and Africans.

Sent by Martin | 9:35 PM ET | 07-26-2007

Martin -

Pause for a minute. It seems as though you're discounting the entire African American "culture" and experience.

The greetings you mention (also used in other cultures, might I add) may be a PART of the culture, but I challenge your suggestion that it IS the culture. You complain about people "thinking that because of the color of your skin this is the way you speak...," but is that not what you're doing?...Counter-stereotyping?

If this fuels your lack of interest in being identified as "black" in America, it could be very telling that your OWN perceptions might deserve some re-evaluation.

Given your skin tone, I wonder how you might have benefited from the struggles of the African American "cultural" movement -- past and present -- since being in the U.S.

Think about it.

Sent by Lee Hill with TMM | 12:49 PM ET | 07-27-2007

SAY IT OUT LOUD --> I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD =)

Sent by african | 11:57 AM ET | 07-28-2007

Hello Ms.Robles. Un reportaje sin numeros es solo un educated guess, Ms.Robles.

Mostly, American "understand" things in one of two ways: Counting them or LABELING THEM. Other way, they cannot have a sense of 'understand".

Scientist cited this as a possible reason why American are afraid to learn a second language.

However, in the Dominican Republic people DO NOT LIVE THEIR LIVE SELF LABLEING THEMSELF. We don't say 'YOU ARE ACTING WHITE" or "You are acting black" . Those are two American's favorite labels. We just don't see things on colors term.

The color issues and the hairs issues is a shame that we are all somehow had got to share. The use of color to entirely define someone else just limited s/he potential. While...

The stupid white man do not regard other whites based on s/he hair style., we do so. They, in the other hand, go to Dominican Republic and pay up $300 and more for a "Tencitas" . They do it all without lost any of their whiteness.

The white man has in fact take ownership of everything to the extend that sound sometimes ridiculous. (e.a: The World Baseball Series. [How can you make a word event when your country is the only one competing?!) I But thy do it any way and make money out it.
They don't care if it white, yellow, red, and they don't look for our approval.

While you and me, the black still have a chain attached to our imagination. Stupid US.

So, Miss Roble you report could be a controversial one's since you seem to be happily putting your finger on our wound... you may want to abrir los ojos... you may be putting your finger into an electric fan that could ruin your well done Taiwan's nails!

Sent by George Ri. | 5:45 AM ET | 08-21-2007

After listening that, I further understand why many Dominicans have such a self hate and identity crisis. I am an Black American female who lives in New York and have encountered many Dominicans who ranged from many different hair types and complexions. For the most part, many of them were not aware of their "blackness" until they arrived to the United States. But what's even more disturbing about it is that many people from older generations pass on their brainwashing to their children which leaves them even more confused. Since many Dominican youth living in the United States live side by side and attend school with other black people, they are often living with a personal self identity crisis. They are caught between two worlds: the American norm of "blackness" and the wishy washy idea of blackness taught to them by their parents. Once encountering other Black Americans, who do not have issues acknowledging the fact they are black, they often run into conflict. Not only is it a miseducation in the Dominican perspective, but a miseducation in the American perception of blackness. The majority of Americans think being African American (I hate that term because of its' ambiguity) and BLACK are synonymous. African American is an ETHNIC group, not a race, while Black would be considered a race. That's like saying French Canadian is a race. With that being the case, most Dominicans are confused and shocked about what it means to be black.From personal experience, I recollect events in my life when I was in scenarios with Dominicans and every time something related to Africa or blackness was mentioned, it automatically did not apply to them. Another example would be a time in middle school when I got into an altercation with a student and afterward,the first thing that flew out of his mouth was " oh this f-ing negra" and such and such. There were was another incident when a friend of that kid called me a "morena fea" but at that time I did not realize how blatantly racist and derogatory those comments were. Those personal experiences have made me look at Dominicans in a different light now. That might be ignorance on my part, but until I am proven wrong and see some more black consciousness in the part of the Dominican community, I still have weary notions about Dominicans and their disdain for blackness.

Sent by Elle | 8:29 PM ET | 08-22-2007

THE ONE THING THAT I LIKE ABOUT PUERTO RICANS AND CUBANS IS,AT LEAST THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR AFRICAN LINEAGE.

I HAVE SEEN SOME DOMINICANS WHO ARE BLUE BLACK. YOU CANNOT TELL A DOMINICAN FROM A HAITIAN MOST OF THE TIME OR AN AFRICAN AMERICAN FOR THAT MATTER.IT IS OFTEN DOMINICANS WHO ARE MISTAKEN FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS MORE THAN ANY OTHER LATINO GROUP, BUT HEY LET ME GUEST IT IS THE SUN RIGHT, LOL.

DARK SKINNED DOMINICANS ARE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST JUST LIKE OTHER DARKER SKINNED LATINOS. THE WHITE SKINNED LATINOS TREAT THE DARKER SKINNED LATINOS JUST LIKE AMERICAN WHITES TREAT AMERICAN BLACKS. MOST DARK SKINNED DOMINICANS LIVE IN THE SLUM PARTS OF THE TOWN WHILE THE WHITE SKINNED DOMINICANS ARE LIVING THE ARISTOCRATIC LIFESTYLE. DO NOT FRONT MOST OF YOUR WHITE SKINNED PEOPLE LOOK DOWN ON YOU. I BET YOU A MILLION DOLLARS THAT MOST(NOT ALL)WHITE SKINNED LATINAS WOULD ONLY MARRY A LATINO OF AFRICAN DECENT ONLY IF HE HAD SOME STATUS.JUST LOOK AT SAMMY SOSA'S WHITE SKINNED LATINA "TROPHY",I MEAN WIFE. MOST OF THE WHITE SKINNED LATINO MEN WOULD ONLY WANT TO HAVE DARKER SKINNED LATINAS AS MISTRESSES OR SEX OBJECTS,WHICH IS ANOTHER SAD LEGACY FROM SLAVERY;HE WOULD GO HOME TO HIS WHITE SKINNED, CAMERON DIAZ, OR JENNIFER LOPEZ LOOKING WIFE. I AM AFRICAN AMERICAN, AND I AM GOING TO SAY THAT YOU MIGHT COME FROM A DIFFERENT CULTURE,BUT YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN US. WE AS A PEOPLE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND LETS STOP ALL OF THIS NONSENSE. THIS IS A WHITE MAN'S WORLD(I AM NOT A RACIST, JUST SPEAKING THE TRUTH) AND IF YOU ARE NOT WHITE YOU ARE GOING TO FACE THE SAME ISSUES AS ALL PERSONS OF COLOR. AFRICAN AMERICAN+AFRO LATINO=AWARENESS AND CHANGE.

Sent by Denise | 9:51 PM ET | 08-23-2007

Black, White, Yellow, Indian.
What are the social ramification of these brandings?
Which group established these brands and why?
Yes it was established by the European Colonial elite, giver their peasant class a psychological lift from the bottom rung of their society.
They then used this peasant class to wage war on the rest of the planet.
I will no longer contribute to stereotypes.
I am a person identifiable only from the region or area to which I was born.
I address myself in that manner, and insist to be referred to as such.
I am neither black white Indian yellow brown pink or other.
Question :What if I carry the genes of a Ghanaian, German, Comanche, Chinese, Indian(Indus valley) Dravidians , am I all of the above....
I definitely cant be classified to the so called (top of the heap).. WHITE
Why not? Because I am not 100% European.
Chinese ? No because I am not 100% Chinese or Japanese
Do you see where this is going.
Therefore If you are not 100% African you can't be black.
Is Black a Nationality? Is it a specie? Is a less than ?
How do you define a black person?
Or is black a catch all? Liken to the term "Indian" which connotes ??? All indigenous Nations and their peoples of the Americas
So I have to scramble to squeeze in some were, while keeping an eye on who is at the bottom of the rung in the region I happen to find myself.
What a load of crap!!!!!
Conclusion : Tyrannical Humans have always defined, and imposed negative adages to their victims.
Should you accept your Tyrannical conquers definition of you ?
For me, no!! I will not accept any Tyrannical conquers, persons or their institutions to define or brand me to their liking,
Those who do, will be for ever wallowing in despair, inevitably it always leads to their extinction as a people.

Sent by cuniverse | 7:14 PM ET | 09-06-2007

As a young journalist, I see this article with no middle point. This issue is not so black and white as it is made out to look and she didn't meet us in the gray area. I'm a Dominican girl whose heritage comes more from arabs and spaniards. Should I just scream out African heritage when in fact I don't have it?. Yes, it is true, Dominicans are very racist and African topics or heritage are not embraced as widely as our Spanish roots.I guess that would make me another dominican girl denying "my african heritage? Do Americans with polish or finnish or swedish background embrace it just as much as people wants us to embrace our African heritage?......The day that everybody understands that our race not only comes from Africans maybe articles like this one will have much information and will not focus in just on one thing.

Sent by Virginia | 8:38 PM ET | 09-17-2007

hola Lee
I feel your correct about money and education, they trump color (El E.E.U.U. es igual). I'm no longer living in the D.R. and the distance took its toll. It had absolutely nothing to do with her color, and we're still goods friends
Chao

Sent by Eli Lewis | 1:32 PM ET | 09-26-2007

Im dominican, im light skinned but when i came to the US i was always asked if i was mixed? i believe is because of my hair, even thou my hair curly but not all tight curls like some dominicans. i would answer with; im latina, and that would be it. im pretty sure someone might wonder why didnt i say im dominican? well they didn't ask where im from? i have spanish features but my hair raises the question. what i dont like when african american ask someone about their race based on hair. great example; my niece is 3 yrs old and both parents are mexican and they both have curly hair and they went to the store and african american woman asked my sister in law if my niece was mixed, my niece looks white with fine curly hair with a mexican mom and dad. I dont say im black cause im not 100% black i have other mixtures in my blood but if you ask me if have some african in my blood i would say yes most latin american have african in their blood as well and even if it doesnt show. But i guess it wouldnt bother anyone because i do look spanish besides my hair. Actually i dont have any dominican friends, i wish i had some thou. my circle of friends go from asian to afghanistanian but i have to say the fewest would be african american, people think they dont fall under stereotype, cause they like skateboarding, rock n roll, they are articulate etc. im still in touch with my domincan side atleast by music.

Sent by marisa | 10:47 PM ET | 10-01-2007

Firstly as a Caribbean Hispanic, I can clearly tell that close to 80% of Dominicans are of the Black race and the balance are mestizos and quadrons. After the revolt of Tousaint Levouteor all the whites left Hispaniola for Cuba, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

Sent by Carlos Dominicci | 5:42 PM ET | 02-26-2008

People kill me. Most people don't know every ancestor that's in their family tree. People need to realize that SPANIARDS / Spain was colonized and overrun for many years by the moors. Why do you think the dish Moros Y Cristianos is named that? Black beans and rice. So the person that mentioned that they are arab and spanish probably does have some african ancestry on both accounts.

Sent by Marietina | 10:38 PM ET | 07-20-2008

I was very dissapointed in this piece. NPR and Robles had such a special oppurtunity to truly delve deeper into this subject and yet you both simply label the Dominican Republic as a "Black" country in Latin America. You both also fail to discuss minority cultures impact on the island nation. Like the Chinese, Jews, Germans, Spaniards, Arabs and others. Since when has simply focusing on the so-called "majority" cut it. Imagine if we only focused on blonde, "white" people in the U.S and not give the African-American, East Asian-American, etc. experience a chance. Also, you both failed to mention Trujillo or even Columbus finding the island full of Indians or native peoples, not Africans. The most troubling thing is that these phenomenons are happening the world over. Women in Africa are bleaching their skin. African-American men call one another "N****" and use other humiliating and negative language to describe one another - so the fact that "Black" Dominicans use such language is not as bewildering as Robles makes it out to be. Robles sounds too naieve to be discussing these issues. India's hierarchy does not allow darker skinned Indians the freedom to progress at will. Turkish hairdressers are world renowned for their hair straightening capabilities and indeed, 85% of Turkish people have naturally curly hair and yet try their best to "look European" by dying, straightening their hair, even using color contacts of green or blue to appear "white European." These ideas are nothing new and yet Robles protrays the Dominicans as so odd because they say or think certain things. Brazilians also don't consider themselves "Black" or African. In fact, despite the strong African population and history, Brazilians don't consider themselves "Black" unless both parents are wholly of "Black" or African roots. Then again, what about those we consider "white" in the U.S. Many of them have Native American, African, Hispanic and other ethnic backgrounds, but we never call them by anything else than "white."
This piece should not be titled Colorism: the hierarchy of color or race in the Dominican Republic which denotes a story on how skin color is recieved in the Dominican Republic. No, instead, it should have been titled, How Afro-Latino hair is recieved in the Dominican Republic. Get real.

Sent by ASLI | 12:23 PM ET | 08-05-2008

Also, in the U.S it is so important to say whether or not, one is Black, White, etc etc. For example, in the U.S Barack Obama is considered "Black" despite having a "White" mother. Isn't that hurtful to his mother. He is not considered to have the same culture or heritage as her. In the U.S, just a little bit of African or Black blood, constitutes one as fully African or Black. I should, that BY NO MEANS, am I trying to assist in Black denial. People have to learn to love themselves and what they are. But I think that the U.S places too much importance on ethnic labels. Perhaps, it makes us safer, makes life easier, so we better know how to "deal" with each individual. Ridiculous and sad, no?

Sent by ASLI | 1:00 PM ET | 08-05-2008

It is not our business to tell people what they are. Even if someone appears to look a certain ethnicity, one should not assume that they know what that person should be labeled. No matter how badly we would like to. This is such a silly and really dissapointing piece. I am still so upset.

Sent by ASLI | 3:11 PM ET | 08-05-2008