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Dominican Republic Revokes Citizenship
It may be unproductive to hate someone but it’s beyond comprehension to hate yourself. Or is it? If you don’t know what that means I suggest you pay attention to what’s going on in the Dominican Republic. As of June 16th, 2015 (yes 2015!) Dominican Citizens whose ancestry can be traced back to Haiti as far back as 1929 will be deported unless they can produce legal immigrant status (Dominican birth certificates are not sufficient) to the Dominican government.
In essence, several hundreds of thousands of people may be deported to a country where they probably have never been, spoken the language or have any connection to. A humanitarian crisis is actually being coordinated and scheduled right before our eyes. Why you may ask?
Well in 2013 the Dominican high court came to the revelation that being born in their country wasn’t enough to be considered a citizen. So much so they made it retroactive 86 years!!! The goal is to rid themselves of as much blackness as they can possibly see. Having “Haitian” features puts you directly in the cross-hairs of constant harassment and social cleansing. No matter what you may have accomplished, contributed or owned in the Dominican Republic, it may be taken away from you due to your race or heritage.
This may seem incomprehensible to some but it’s been well documented that a portion of the Dominican diaspora denies their African roots and embrace their colonial masters. It’s as if Stockholm syndrome has a strangle hold on the influential parties that dictate the future while desperately clinging to the past. Columbus would be proud to see racial divide alive and well in the daily lives of the people of Hispaniola. His plan worked and is still working!
Another thing to note is that ever-present blind-eye that was turned towards “migrant workers” when they were used for cheap labor (sound familiar? See U.S/Mexico) and practically held captive on the sugar cane fields. That same blind spot is conspicuously omnipresent in the coverage this crisis is getting from major news outlets around the world. In particular, the silence in the U.S towards its’ neighbor is deafening. The lack of attention to our own backyard is yet another example of what “America’s Interest” really means. If it doesn’t earn America interest, we aren’t interested. How could this be? We’re quick to intervene in countries on the other side of the world with similar problems such as Israel & Palestine or Bosnia & Serbia. I get it…hypocrisy is also alive and well.
Almost every year for the past 6 years and on the same day, I’ve posted the same pic of me in the hospital during my temporary and untimely demise in 2015. A few weeks after I was back to “normal”, I asked Eric “Why’d you take the pics?” And he said, “I knew you would want to write about it if you lived.” Eric was right. Eric was often right and Eric always had my best interest at heart. I am going to miss my friend.
You ever meet someone and become friends immediately?! Well this was not the case with Eric. Before he was my manager at Morgan Stanley, I would often see this 6’4″, giant white guy walk up to the only black woman at work, say something then walk away without any hint of human emotion. Naturally I thought he was a jerk until I asked her “Yo, is that dude bothering you?” She laughed and proceeded to tell me he was a great person, which I ultimately got to experience first hand. Little did I know this Italian from Staten Island was more Brooklyn than most Brooklynites.
Eric was not with the shits!! If there were ever someone who lived their life in direct, honest and no uncertain terms, that would be Eric. He would ask me questions at work like “Why are the other consultants making more money than you?” I knew the answer to that question and so did he. Eric then proceeded to increase my salary by 15K. After arguing with all our managers that “You need to hire Alfred!”, they eventually did 1 year prior to the 2015 incident. In the hospital, one of my friends asked me, “What if you didn’t have health insurance when this happened?” I would be in debt for the rest of my life is the obvious answer. I still am in debt for the rest of my life but at least, it is to those who made sure I had a more enjoyable life and for that, I will gladly repay.
My mom loved to tell me the story of how she met Eric. After they told her I was going to be in the ICU for some time, she told the doctor “Well I’m not going anywhere.” She then hears a voice from that back of the room that says “Well I’m not going anywhere either!” That was Eric and in true form, he was at that hospital every single day until I was discharged.
Eric passed away in December 2021 of stage 4 cancer. After feeling faint on his way to my bbq, he went to get checked out and was diagnosed. During the past 5 years, Eric lost his mom, twin brother and dad. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have felt like but I’m glad that pain he was feeling is no more.
From being my manager to my business partner, writer, book editor, artistic director, and most importantly, my friend, I am going to miss you MC Krispy E a.k.a “Enrique Pollazo!” And although you told me Enrique means Henry in Spanish and not Eric, it was too late!
Sidebar. The day I was discharged, while everyone was deciding what was best for me, no one had remembered that I would need clothes in order to leave the hospital. Eric shows up (unasked) with all the clothes I had on the day I coded, laundered and ready to go. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve friends like this but i need to keep doing it! Sidebar complete.
Rest in Peace Eric. “Be Good.”
I had the distinct pleasure of participating in a panel discussion on writing your first book, presented by the Harlem chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Alongside Jim St. Germain, Author – A Stone of Hope: A Memoir and Dr. Keneshia Nicole Grant, Author – The Great Migration and the Democratic Party: Black Voters and the Realignment of American Politics in the 20th Century. We opined on pain points, benefits and strategies regarding our inaugural voyages into authorship. Feel free to watch for your self and I hope this provides some insight to all those looking to make the same voyage. Enjoy!
