Stephanie Holguin

Stephanie Holguin / 
Reconoci.do & We Are All Dominican /
Dominican Republic & USA (New York) / 

As the month of August comes to a close with a new season closely upon us, I am left reflecting on all that has transpired the past summer. The pandemic continues to affect our everyday interactions on a global scale, taking along with it many lives and leaving uncertainty for our future. In the same breath, I think of all the sustained uprisings that have taken place not only in the U.S. but globally, showing solidarity for the Black Lives Matter Movement and the unacceptable, unjust killing of George Floyd at the hands of police. The many lives lost at the hands of police.

In the past few months, I’ve been able to assist Reconoci.do and We Are All Dominican with several different initiatives that have uplifted the voices of many Dominicans of Haitian descent. This was done while combating anti-Haitian, xenophobic, and nationalist rhetoric, which surged with the transitioning presidential party and global protests. Both movements were able to host a series of virtual conversations geared towards the awareness of how current unjust state policies affect the lives of Black Dominicans of Haitian descent.

There are hopes that the newly elected President will bring about much-needed change. This September marks the seventh year since the passing of the Dominican Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling 168‐13, which rendered statelessness for about four generations of people. This year is especially important for the many who continue to fight for the state’s recognition of their legal identification documents, as well as the earlier generations who helped to build upon this state.

While this fellowship has come to an end, the work still continues. In the upcoming months, I will work alongside both partnerships and other activists to build community through workshops and ongoing virtual conversations. I am grateful for the opportunity both organizations have been able to provide me, and I’ve learned so much throughout the process.

In the present day, we have seen the ways in which injustices shape our society. Collectively, we must continue to fight and dismantle systems that prevent equal and just rights for everyone.

Stephanie Holguin / 
Reconoci.do & We Are All Dominican /
Dominican Republic & USA (New York) / 

During June and July, Reconoci.do and We are All Dominican (WAAD) put on a series of virtual conversations as a collaborative team. A few of these dialogues were geared towards amplifying the awareness of how COVID-19 has impacted one of the Dominican Republic’s most vulnerable populations.

Unfortunately, many Dominicans of Haitian descent have not been able to receive government assistance due to their denationalized status, since they cannot obtain government identification. Many have lost their jobs and continue to face disparities accessing healthcare and relief programs granted by the state. One of the ways the movements have worked to combat this is by initiating a “De aquí pa’llá” (“From here to there”) transnational mutual aid fund. It has raised more than $9,000 to help families gravely affected by the pandemic (consider donating and see the accompanying video to learn how the funds assist those most in need).

The virtual dialogues, which have included interviews of human rights defenders, have also furthered discussions on the varying experiences of Dominicans of Haitian descent, such as how specific laws currently affect them. Other topics included the use of art in the fight against anti-racism, how citizenship affects access to political activism, different ways activists can protect themselves, and how activists have had to mitigate violence perpetrated by ultranationalist right-wing fascist groups. The dialogues aimed to continue to amplify activist voices and to strategize ways to support activists in uplifting and advocating for all Dominicans of Haitian descent.

In regards to uplifting our communities, on July 25, the Muñecas Negras (Black Doll) Project celebrated the International Day of the Afro-descendant Woman, which started in 1992. I helped a few women from the Muñecas Negras Project create a video of themselves reciting “Me Gritaron Negra” (“They Shouted Black At Me”), a renowned poem by a prominent Afro-Peruvian activist, composer, and dancer, Victoria Santa Cruz. This poem is significant because it speaks to the anti-black rhetoric experienced within Latinx communities and how women reclaim and empower themselves through acknowledging their beautiful Black features and Afro-descendant history.

In assisting to produce this video, it became ever-present to me that Black joy prevails, that Black pride always remains, and that Black women hold and use a collective power to uplift each other despite the anti-Black systemic oppression they face in society. On July 25, numerous organizations and movements all signed a declaration to support and reaffirm the work that the inaugural International Day coalition sought to do in 1992. The statement speaks to feminism and includes anti-racist and anti-capitalist objectives in the fight for the rights of Afro-descendant women of diverse backgrounds. It was also made as a guideline and as demands for the new incoming Dominican government to uphold.