Reading Response 3
The author says that Dominican blackness is a representation of a concept that is not only performed but also engraved on social processes linked to political as well as economic realities of the country regarding history and imposition of the U.S. imperialism (Garcia-Pena 11). I believe the presentation that the author gives here highlights the social processes that blacks have encountered over the years. Blacks were socially disadvantaged because they were looked down upon, mainly because they were taken to Dominican Island as slaves. As a consequence, blacks were denied economic empowerment and political representation. Blacks were to work on plantation farms, meaning they were to participate in the generation of financial wealth, which they hardly benefitted from. This argument about Dominican blacks may be a superficial representation of the meaning of blackness in the country. However, I believe that from a deeper perspective, it becomes evident that darkness in Dominican is inherently linked to ethnic identity, economy, as well as political negotiations with western powers, particularly the U.S. and Europe.
Torres-Saillant (1088) confirms that race is unknown, and it is considered a peculiar practice and ensures that the whites in the country do not obliterate the black people. I would argue that the Dominican people are striving to rise above racialism that provides the opportunity to categorize people differently. When people are treated or receive equal consideration, they can participate fully in their countries. While Western nations created the impression that blacks do not measure to the standards of other races, especially the whites, the Dominican people are working towards creating a society that enables everyone to thrive without discrimination.
Works Cited
Garcia-Pena, Lorgia. Translating Blackness. The Black Scholar, Vol.45, No. 2 (2015): pp. 10-20. DOI: 10.1080/00064246.2015.1012993
Torres-Saillant, Silvio. The Tribulations of Blackness: Stages in Dominican Racial Identity. Callaloo, Vol. 2, No. (2000): pp. 1086-1111.