No Soy Racista...I Am NOT Racist

As part of Hispanic Heritage month one of my favorite UW-L lecturers, Prof. Hibbert, a social anthropologist, presented  her sabbatical research on racism on the island of Dominican Republic-Haiti entitled : No Soy Racista, I'm not Racist. Structural conflict has existed due to both historic, economic and environmental circumstances ( an earthquake and 8 hurricanes wreak a lot of havoc).

How long does a person have to live in a country to be a citizen? Sound familiar? The citizenship rules keep changing and where once a child born of Haitian parents in the D.R. was considered a native, this has now changed with a new law.  There is no rhyme/reason why so few/who now is granted citizenship. * (Visually skin color doesn't distinguish Dominicans from Haitians as one's socio economic status determines one's skin tone designation- a topic for another day. )

Anyhow Dr. Hibbert's year research along the northern border in the Dominican Republic dealt with one specific cultural Dominican location, the 'colmado' the neighborhood corner grocery store where clients buy on credit (fiao). These small stores resemble mini markets like our Qwik Trips/ 24/7s without gas. Prepared food is sold and are also a social meeting place. 

The research was based on interviews, observation and past studies of the colmado's operation and who is considered a good customer.

Shopkeepers keep a book as to the purchases as it's the custom to run a tab. The system is based on 3 types of customer regardless of their nationality:
1. Gente responsable, responsible people, those with jobs who pay off their tab as they receive their pay checks. It is never paid off all at once. 
2. Regalo, a gift, the client has no income and no possible means of paying off the tab. (i.e.: a single mother who needs diapers/formula for her baby) The shopkeeper doesn't even record these purchases and is even called Mami (mother of humanity)
3. The customer who doesn't have consistent work but either has family/a friend who is 'gente responsable.' Their 'fiao' is placed on this gente responsable's tab. (For you skeptics due to the  relationship these tabs are paid down.)

Studies showed that racism didn't factor into this interaction of who gets credit but rather on reputation. These transactions were dependent on trust, judgement and the economy. Many times jobs are tourist dependent and the colmados may even close due to the season and reopen during the tourist season/ go out of business. The colmados also buy on credit from their distributors. So it is a very 'fragile' system. 

Fascinating. Very rarely do we hear of businesses operating like this nowadays in the U.S. and it is not a surprise to hear disbelief that folks who buy on a tab, do pay it off. It is what Dominicans recognize as community. Gee a system built on trust and not greed.
Hmmm, maybe we Westerners could relearn some lessons about humanity and community from what we call Third World countries...

* Dictator Trujillo implemented a pronunciation test to decide who was illegal during his rule. In 2010 D.R. had an immigration problem where a law 169-14 stated any person born in the country of a Haitian parent wasn't a citizen without an ID card/ passport. In 2013 PNRE, a special law gave the opportunity for citizenship but out of 100,000 applicants only some 50 were granted citizenship.