History of Hispanic Inter-Island
Caribbean Studied
Professor Zacair studies the
diverse culture of two Caribbean nations
By Valerie Orleans
March 17, 2005
As a native of Guadeloupe, Philippe
Zacair, assistant professor of history, has a personal,
as well as professional, interest in the Caribbean .
“The Caribbean region is characterized by
its extreme diversity. Consider Haiti and the Dominican
Republic , for instance,” he said. “These two Caribbean
nations share one single island situated east of Cuba .
They were subjects of France and Spain respectively. And
both won violent struggles for freedom. Yet they remained
separated in many ways by culture.
“In other parts of the region, colonial
powers such as the Netherlands , England and Sweden established
footholds and left their own distinct cultural traits.
In addition, African slaves brought an equally great variety
of religious beliefs, habits and customs. So when you think
about the Caribbean , it is the region's plural, often
antagonistic, features that come to mind.”
Today, the Caribbean people often have difficulties
recognizing their many common traits.
“Many ignore everything about their neighbors
living on a different island. This situation must be linked
with colonial divisions,” Zacair said. “Colonial planters
didn't want their slaves to develop a sense that the sea
was not a barrier to inter-island struggles for freedom.
They tried to entertain mutual ignorance among the different
slave communities of the region. However, what is fascinating
is that in spite of the language barriers, slaves engineered
amazing channels of communication between the islands.
“There are examples of coordinated uprisings
between Spanish-speaking Cuban slaves and their English-speaking
counterparts in Jamaica . Researching these currents of
communication between Caribbean peoples led to a strong
interest in the role of inter-island migrations as channels
of political and cultural exchange between the distinct
communities of the area,” said the historian.
One area of study for Zacair is how Cuban
exiles adapted to life in other territories of the Caribbean
basin, such as Costa Rica or Haiti . Recently, Zacair spent
time in the Dominican Republic , working in the country's
National Archives to research Cuban immigrants there.
“The people have integrated very well,” he
said. “And they have played a major role in the development
of the Dominican Republic in the 19th and the early 20th
centuries.
“The Cubans were experts in sugar-making,
and they brought this skill with them when they migrated
to the Dominican Republic ,” he said. “I studied how they
fostered strong personal, political and cultural ties with
Dominicans. The memory of their origin is still vivid among
people of Cuban descent in the Dominican Republic . While
the later generations are Dominicans by birthright, they
still strongly identify with Cuba .”
Doing research in the region does not have
the holiday-like atmosphere most people imagine. Most countries
of the region are struggling with great economic difficulties
and poverty. “When I was in the Dominican Republic , households
and businesses went 10 to 12 hours without electricity
every day. The National Archives were not spared by these
hardships.”
Yet, Zacair finds that the people, even
in the most difficult of circumstances, are very hospitable
and friendly.
“I received a warm welcome and amazing help
from the people of the archives,” Zacair said. “When I
was there, electricity shortages dramatically reduced the
amount of work I could do. But the people who worked there
were always trying to help me however they could.”
Many Dominicans immigrate to the United
States , as did Zacair from his own island.
“I grew up in a very small community,” he
said. “I had to leave to continue my education and pursue
a doctorate because there were no other options for me.”
Eventually, Zacair hopes to use this research
to offer a class on the history of the Hispanic Caribbean.
“The area is one of great interest because
of the many cultural influences there,” he said. “It truly
is a wonderful place to see how people have meshed to create
unique societies.”
« back
to News Front
|