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American Journeys Collection, “Letter of Dr. Chanca on the Second Voyage of Columbus” Document No. AS-065. Retrieved 30th Nov, 2017, from: http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/columbus/chanca.pdf

Anastasia Moloney, “U.N. urges Dominican Republic to prevent deportations of Haitians” Retrieved 29th Nov, 2017, from: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-dominican-haiti-immigration/u-n-urges-dominican-republic-to-prevent-deportations-of-haitians-idUSKCN0Q327820150729

Caribbean News Service. Desmond Brown, “Male law student raped at knifepoint by Guyanese man.” Retrieved 30th Nov, 2017 from : https://caribbeannewsservice.com/now/male-law-student-raped-at-knifepoint-by-guyanese-man/

Council on Hemisphere in Affairs, “From Haiti to the DR and Back” Retrieved 29th Nov, 2017, from: http://www.coha.org/from-haiti-to-the-dominican-republic-and-back/

“Dominican Republic Deports Thousands of Haitians in September” Retrieved 29th Nov, 2017, from: https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Dominican-Republic-Deports-Thousands-of-Haitians-in-September-20171008-0025.html

Kimathi Donkar, “Bacchus and Ariadne, Caribbean Passion: Haiti 1804 series.” Retrieved 30th Nov, 2017, from: http://www.edcrossfineart.com/artwork/kimathi-donkor+/bacchus-and-ariadne%2C-caribbean-passion%3A-haiti-1804-series/313/

NAN Contributor, “Sexual Assault or Just Another Good Time At a Caribbean Carnival?” Retrieved 30th Nov, 2017, from: http://www.newsamericasnow.com/sexual-assault-or-just-another-good-time-at-a-caribbean-carnival

Sarah Childress, “DR to Haitians: get lost”. Retrieved 30th Nov, 2017, from: https://www.pri.org/stories/2011-08-31/dr-haitians-get-lost

TheStar.com. Jacqueline Charles and Dieu Nalio Chery, “ Commerce, trade paralyze in Haiti’s border dispute with Dominican Republic”  Retrieved 30th Nov, 2017 from:   https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/08/28/commerce-trade-paralyzed-in-haitis-border-dispute-with-dominican-republic.html

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The course, Caribbean Civilization, aimed to provide students with a greater understanding through a revisionist point of view, of Caribbean culture and civilization. It links past experiences of the Caribbean to present day issues.

Honestly, I expected to gain very little or nothing at all from the course, having already done Caribbean Studies in secondary school. Therefore the best part of the course for me although very informative, was not the information provided from the lectures but rather hearing the experiences and viewpoints from other Caribbean persons from different islands. I think this provided a greater quality of education. This course was also very interactive, encouraging students to express themselves and nothing really was considered right or wrong but our own perspective. Ultimately, although I learned some new information, the skills I learned and further improved on were of much greater value. I learned the importance of seeking knowledge and not just blindly relying on the information fed to me in the past. I learned the importance of critical thinking in my day to day life and not just in the classroom setting and lastly, I learned the importance of having an open mind when interacting with different persons and undergoing new experiences as there are lessons that can always be learnt.

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In Caribbean society, sexual abuse is predominantly seen as a crime against women. There is very little focus or understanding on sexual abuse against men. Men are socialized into thinking that masculinity only encompasses confidence, authority, and control over situations and even people. Consequently, many think that men are incapable of being sexually abused if they possess such qualities.

There is a stigma and many misconceptions against sexual abuse against men, leading to men who experience such abuse being embarrassed and even shamed by society. This results in sexual abuse against males being under reported. Interestingly, many males do not even understand that they were sexually abused, especially if it is done by a woman, since it is a common view that men are supposed to like sex and these acts should be seen as fortunate even though they did not consent to these sexual acts. In addition, it is thought that men cannot be a victim since they are supposed to be able to protect themselves. Lastly, another misconception is that males are not seriously affected by sexual abuse however this is false. Although males may not react the same as women who experience sexual abuse, it does not negate the trauma they experience.

As a Caribbean society we therefore need to be mindful of the gender roles we place on both males and females. Gender roles cause bias and discrimination to those who do not conform to these roles which is evident by the way society reacts to sexually abused males.

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BY  Novelist Chimamanda Adichie

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story | TED

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The stories we hear, whether good or bad, true or untrue, shape our ideas of persons and places. Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discussed, ‘The Danger of A Single Story,” where she related its damaging effects. Having a single story creates a division by emphasizing our differences rather than our similarities.

The Caribbean is a victim to the effects of a single story. In her account, Adichie expressed that ‘power has the ability to make the story the definitive one’. Historically, in the Caribbean, the Europeans told our story, providing ethnocentric and Eurocentric views. This is evident when Columbus wrote his interpretation of the Amerindians, relating that they were uncivilized savages and cannibals. These Eurocentric stories molded the minds of the persons both outside and within the Caribbean. Consequently, the negative impacts of these stories were passed down from generation to generation and is even manifested in our society.

Presently,  western media has portrayed the Caribbean as an ideal vacation spot with beautiful people and beaches but also minimize the Caribbean by describing us poor, illiterate, or even dangerous. As a result, we as the Caribbean also view ourselves this way, some migrating from the Caribbean for a better life or better education. However it is important to note that we are much more than these stereotypes. We have pioneers in fields such as, medicine, politics and entertainment. For instance, Lall Ramnath Sawh,  a Trinidadian leader in the field of urology, who pioneered kidney transplantation in the Caribbean. Finally, a single story can never accuratly describe the Caribbean as we are very diverse.

In reality, there is no society or civilization greater than the other as we have many similarities. It is therefore important to seek information and educate others in order to not fall victim to the single story.

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Artefacts for The Danger of A Single Story

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THE IMMIGRATION SITUATION BETWEEN HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN ENVIRONMENT

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THE IMMIGRATION SITUATION BETWEEN HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN ENVIRONMENT

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The immigration situation between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is a prime example of how the effects of colonialism impact the Caribbean society we live in. The tensions between Haiti and the Dominican Republic began during colonial times. There was an ongoing conflict between the Spanish and French colonial powers to occupy the island. Even after they decided to cohabit the island tensions continued to rise due to their differences in language and culture.

Afterwards, Haiti later agreed to repay the French colony for the lost territory after they fought for their independence but exploited the Dominican Republic in an attempt to do so. This oppression reignited tensions between the two, leading to repeated battles. The rivalry was so high it resulted in the Parsley Massacre, where Haitians along the Dominican Republic border were assembled and killed if they were unable to pronounce the Spanish word for parsley, “perejil”, a word French speaking Haitians experience difficulty to pronounce.

As time progressed, the Dominican Republic grew economically while Haiti regressed. The natural disasters, rapid population growth and environmental degradation further hindered Haiti’s economic growth and many person migrated to the Dominican Republic to earn a living and for better living conditions. This migration also increased after the devastating 2010 earthquake which ravaged Haiti.

Moreover, in present day, as migration continue, there is rising tension between Haitian and the Dominican Republic people. The language barriers, difference in cultures and racial bias exasperate the tension. Many Dominican Republic citizens are concerned that the migration of Haitians would lead to a rise in crime, over crowding and disease outbreak. They also mistreat Haitians because of their dark skin color since they view dark skin persons as poor and uneducated. As a result, military power is used to remove both Haitians and Dominican born persons of Haitian decent. Often times the military personnel physically and mentally abuse these migrants. These events therefore illustrate how colonialism and the effects of two different colonial powers occupying a single island, have resulted in tensions that is evident in a present day Caribbean society.

The photo displays a man being forcefully removed from the Dominican Republic territory by authorities. The fence seen in the photo separate the Dominican Republic town Jimani and the Haitian town Malpasse.

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The Caribbean Civilization portfolio aims to both reflect on my journey throughout the course as well as to explore some issues related to the Caribbean. These issues include the Caribbean Identity and Caribbean Gender and Sexuality. These societal issues stem from the effects from our colonial history and these effects are manifested in our society today.