Historical Spotlight: Parsley Massacre
Good entertainment is more than just fun distraction from reality. It’s engaging, informative, and a well rounded body of content. It can also open your mind to new ideas or even teach you something that you never learned in history class. While watching a recent YouTube video by Phillip Scott, I was prompted to do some research after he mentioned a historical event that I had never heard of before. Join me as we shine a historical spotlight on the Parsley massacre and the long standing ramifications that continue to impact the region to this very day.
The Parsley massacre occurred in the northwestern part of the Dominican Republic from October 2nd to October 8th, 1937. Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo ordered a mass killing of Haitians as a response to reports of cattle and crops being stolen from the Dominican residents. Trujillo believed in anti-Haitianism, and sought to drive all Haitians away from the region.
Relations amongst the two groups have been strained by territorial disputes and competition for the resources of Hispaniola, an island divided into Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The close confines make conflict easy and a pretty frequent occurrence. There are economic and living condition disparities that also add to the tension. The economy of the Dominican Republic is ten times larger than the economy of Haiti, leading to many impoverished Haitians migrating across the island to seek a better life. This, along with other ethnic and cultural differences that date back to the time of colonization and the Atlantic Slave Trade make for a hostile environment.
Internal power struggles, rapid population growth, environmental degradation, and trade embargoes combine to make Haiti the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. There is a lack of resources, and the population density far exceeds that of the Dominican Republic’s. There’s also a pronounced language barrier - Spanish is the primary language in the Dominican Republic while French and Haitian Creole is spoken in Haiti - that add to the lack of work and opportunities.
Since the 1920’s, many Haitians have traveled across the border to find seasonal or long-term work to provide for their families back home, but have often faced racial discrimination by the Dominican population. While many Haitians have lived in the Dominican Republic for several generations, about one million people are effectively stateless as the two countries haven’t agreed upon a legal framework for the nationality of these residents.
During the Parsley massacre, hundreds of Dominican troops used rifles, machetes, shovels, knives, and bayonets to kill between 20,000 to 30,000 Haitians. Some were beheaded while others were thrown into the Atlantic Ocean to drown. Survivors that managed to escape across the border shared horror stories of what they witnessed.
Haitian president Sténio Vincent initially refused to speak about the massacre and instead tried to insist that the relations between the two nations weren’t damaged. Public outcry led to protests in Port-au-Prince after two years of relative silence from the leader. Unfortunately, since Vincent had a cooperative relationship and received financial support from the Trujillo government, seeking justice was more difficult for the Haitian citizens. After a failed coup attempt, the Haitian president was forced to seek an international investigation and mediation.
Eventually with the help of U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt, Vincent sought reparations of $750,000 (U.S.). The Dominican government paid $525,000 (U.S.), ensuring each victim would get about $30. However, due to the deep corruption in the Haitian government, survivors only received 2 cents of the promised reparations.
The Dominican government defended the massacre as a response to illegal immigration and further legitimized its anti-Haitian policies. After 1937, quotas restricted the number of Haitians into the country and strict, often discriminatory border control policies were put into place. Dominicans continued to kill Haitians in the southern regions and many refugees died of exposure, malaria, and influenza.
All in all, the Parsley Massacre was a calculated attempt to homogenize the country. Though it happened over 100 years ago, the effects can still be felt today through the recent closure of the Dominican border based on a water rights dispute, the economic hardships and political unrest in Haiti, and the ingrained racial discrimination experienced across the region.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
