Throughout our world, border disputes are nothing new. Between Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel and Guyana and Venezuela happening right now alone, We have and have had conflicts over land and border disputes as long as colonization has occurred. Throughout most of human history, Conflicts have been relegated to the region and the people directly involved due to inability to communicate efficiently and quickly with one another, especially across land and sea. However thanks to so many incredible advancements in technology and communication, we have entered the digital age where that is no longer a problem. We are able to communicate effectively and honestly with each other about what is going on in real time. However, this doesn’t mean bias isn’t/ can’t be present. To this, I point to how Latin America/ The Caribbean has been viewed and perceived by news sources within the United States. Oftentimes these countries are often only having the bad be shown with no desire to explain why the bad is occurring. For this project I am choosing the New York Times article “Desperate Haitians Who Fled to the Dominican Republic Are Being Sent Back in Cages” by By Hogla Enecia Pérez and Frances Robles.

While I will give credit that this piece is a more nuanced look, I think it perfectly displays how the US tends to look at LATAM, which is to look down with pity, and (sometimes) sympathy. Within the article, we hear mentions of why Haitians feel they are being persecuted, the Dominican arguments and even a deep-ish analysis as to a “why”, but we don’t hear much about the deeper contributing factors. While I think they do a good job at briefly glossing over why there is so much division amongst Haitians and Dominicans, and even the racial elements at play, I think a deeper view of why is needed. Why cages as the method to ship them back is missing. Why are some people so keen to risk life, limb and precious time away with family just to go to DR is missing. I think that article is a good jumping off point, but like most other views of LATAM it is missing the deeper cultural knowledge that I think is necessary. And in this case, I believe that because it glosses over the deep political uncertainty that is going on in Haiti, in addition to a deeper assessment of all the (literal) bad blood between the countries, it misses the reason why it feels ( and is ) so especially cruel. While the article touches on instability in Haiti with the lines “Since Haiti’s last president was assassinated … the country has been convulsed by gang violence that has left more than 12,000 people dead and forced nearly 800,000 from their homes.” to explain why and “Ms. Florvil, the pregnant woman, said …If we had a president in our country, I don’t think that Luis Abinader would mistreat us the way he is mistreating us today,” she said, referring to the Dominican leader. “He does it because he knows that we don’t have a president who speaks for us.”. I think this article, while again, not being the absolute worst, just feels shallow on a topic that ought to be deeper expanded upon. It feels like an open invitation to pity and look down on Haitians for needed aid and Domicans for being so cruel to their fellow islandmen. Not having a president is not something that just happens, I think things like that are often left out/ not deeply explored just hurts the people involved by giving readers from far away reductive ideas about who they are without proper context. It reminds me of the dollar a day ads. While obviously I understand the sentiment and am happy somebody is willing to help (hopefully help, that is) A lot of these ads do more harm than good. By portraying 3rd world nations as nothing more than disease ridden, desolate wastelands filled with those that cannot help themselves, it becomes a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy, where they cannot help themselves and become dependent on aid and help, and the cycle continues. 

Works Cited

Hogla Enecia Pérez, and Frances Robles. “Desperate Haitians Who Fled to the Dominican Republic Are Being Sent Back in Cages.” The New York Times, 9 Dec. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/world/americas/haiti-dominican-republican-cage-trucks.html?searchResultPosition=5.