INTRODUCTION

An internship is a very important step in the academic life of a student, it

is this first contact of a studentpupil with a real- work environment where he/she
can put into practice a big part of his/her knowledge, besides a challenging an
enriching experience for any one. Furthermore make this periodhaving an
experience abroad is a double challenge since it can give the student a new
perspective of his/her professional life, potentialities and opportunities.
For the students of modern languages with a minor on International
rgani!ations there are different options, one of them is related to with the tourist
and hotel business. I considered this kind of organi!ations a good option to make a
good internship,
"he #a$estic %olonial &unta %ana, in 'ominican (epublic was the
organi!ation that I chose to domake my period of internship. It is a new hotel in of
the region that according to its characteristics it is considered, positioned since its
inauguration, the first hotel in occupancy of the area, and according to the target
of its guest represented a good option in order toof practicing the languages learnt
at the university.
"his touristic complex providesd not only the accommodation service to the
visitors of the island, but it also offersit has a variety of services in a huge
property that includes )*+ bedrooms distributed in different categories, from the
-tandard .unior -uite, to the &residential -uite. "he #a$estic %olonial offers six
restaurants, two buffets and five a la carte: "he supreme /uffet, &ortofino /uffet,
"aino, 0e 1ourmet, #atsuri, (odeo 1rill and "res %arabelas (estaurant. /esides,
2
it has eight bars around the property including a swim up bar. Also, this resort
gives propose to its its guests a variety of services such as a gym, casino,
discothe3ue, -pa, shops, business center %atholic chapel, wedding ga!ebo,
supervised kids club for children, tennis courts, pharmacy and medical center.
'uring my internship#y position as in at the intern in #a$estic %olonial
&unta %ana I worked at thewas in &ublic (elations office, the 1uest -ervice and
in the Front desk. "he internship period lastedcomprehend from August )
th
untiltill
'ecember 4
nd,
4556.
In this report I am going to describe my internship experience in six
sections., Ffirst, I describe the host institution, its historical background,
ob$ectives and organi!ational structure. -econd,ly I offer anyou will find an
explanation of my principal tasks as an intern at the &public (relations and
1guest -service 'department.
I"hen in the third section, I present a reflection essay about my whole
experience wof working for the first time in the hotel business at the #a$estic
%olonial &unta %ana, describingshowing all the process of learning and adaptation
to this organi!ation , as well as how I put into practice the knowledge ac3uired at
the 7niversity.
"he fourth section is presents theconcern of the conclusions that I made
afterof the whole experience., besides/esides, I provide some suggestions to the
#a$estic %olonial &unta %ana, and to the -school of #modern 0languages.
Finally, I present a cultural aspect of the 'ominican (epublic that I
consider very interesting and that deals with theconcerning, about the
4
'ominican8s anti- 9aitian attitude whichpre$udice ,that has serious implications
for the respect of human rights of the 9aitian immigrants who lived in the
'ominican (epublicthat country.

:
PROFILE OF THE HOST INSTITUTION
"he #a$estic %olonial &unta %ana is a five-star hotel located in /;varo
beach, 'ominican (epublic that combines luxurious accommodation with the all
inclusive modality. It belongs to /atle group which is a series of tourism-oriented
businesses based on the /alearic Islands and with over *5 years of tradition. <hat
was once a small family transportation business has developed into a solid,
modern, diverse group of companies, which includes= %adena #ar (esorts, >ia$es
y "urismo /alear, and "ransunion.
/atle group manages nine hotels, eight in #allorca and one in #enorca. In
'ecember 455*, they expanded its business opening its first hotel on the beautiful
%aribbean sceneries of /;varo beach, a new brand of *-star resorts with the name
of ?#a$estic.@
"he #a$estic %olonial &unta %ana /each (esort, golf, casino and spa was
designed to be integrated into the exuberant scenery of the island, it was planned
to get an exclusive kind of tourist who is looking for the best beach resort in order
to relax, practice a3uatic sports, taste the %aribbean gastronomy, and en$oy the
daily and nightly entertainment.
ne of the main characteristics of this enterprise is the fact that it is a
family business. #r. .aime /atle, 'oAa (osa de /atle, -antigo /atle, and
Francisca /atle always have the last word in any decision related to the hotel, and
they pay particular attention to every detail when offering a ma$estic service.
As a business that offers an intangible good such as accommodation,
entertainment and vacations in general, main ob$ective of this enterprise is to offer
B
a 3uality service that can compete with the numerous 3uantity of hotels and
resorts of the !one and other %aribbean destinies as %uba, &uerto (ico or Aruba,
%onse3uently, they try to offer the highest standards of 3uality and excellence to
the guests.
At the #a$estic %olonial &unta %ana, details are the key to provide an
excellence service, so the area of public relations and guest services, with its
entire staff, accomplishes numerous activities in order to guarantee 3uality and the
total satisfaction of the visitors. "hese two departments are unified to provide all
the information, special attentions, and all the re3uirements to the hotel8s guests.
"his department works from 6=:5 am to 22= pm in two shifts= from 6=:5 to
B=55 pm and from B=55 pm to 22=55 pm. Among the main activities of this
department there are=
#aking reservations of a la carte restaurants, golf, cars, and briefings.
&reparing orders for special services like= birthday cakes, romantic dinners
on the beach, flowers8 decoration, honeymooners8 breakfasts and dinners.
&reparing a daily report of operation.
&reparing a list of special attentions for >I&s, honeymooners, and
anniversaries
"aking room service8s orders.
&roviding general information about the hotel and tourist attractions.
(eporting incidents like accidents or robberies.
#aking courtesy calls to the guests.
*
(eporting problems and needs in the rooms.
Answering e-mails of guest coming to the hotel, travel agents or $ust
people in general.
"ranslating the mass on -undays.
#anaging complaints
#aking 3uestionnaires of comments for the guests leaving the hotel.
)
-antiago /atle
%hairman
-antiago /atle
%hairman
.osC #arDa 1utiCrre!
1eneral
#anager
.osC #arDa 1utiCrre!
1eneral
#anager
scar (amire!
(oom8s 'ivision
#anager
scar (amire!
(oom8s 'ivision
#anager
(eception
(eception
Food and /everage
Food and /everage
1uest -ervice
&ublic (elations
1uest -ervice
&ublic (elations
9ouse Eeeping
9ouse Eeeping
0aura %ortCs
1uest -ervice
#anager
0aura %ortCs
1uest -ervice
#anager
Fmely (odrDgue!
1uest -ervice assistant
Fmely (odrDgue!
1uest -ervice assistant
Angela
1uest -ervice
%oncierge
Angela
1uest -ervice
%oncierge
1abriela 1il
1uest -ervice
Intern
1abriela 1il
1uest -ervice
Intern
.enny 9idalgo
1uest -ervice Intern
.enny 9idalgo
1uest -ervice Intern
'iana "oro
1uest -ervice Intern
'iana "oro
1uest -ervice Intern
Earina AragonCs
1uest -ervice
%oncierge
Earina AragonCs
1uest -ervice
%oncierge
(icardo Fspino!a
1erente %omercial
(icardo Fspino!a
1erente %omercial
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART MAJESTIC COLONIAL PUNTA CANA
NATURE OF THE INTERNSHIP
I was assigned to the public relations and guest service department during
my internship, my position was hotel concierge. -ince the first day of my
internship I was introduced to each activity of the department which includes
tasks of direct attention to the guest as well as office work. Also I had a two-week
training period at the front desk which includes other different responsibilities as
receptionist.
At the guest service department I was under the supervision of #iss
%ortCs, #anager of the department, and her assistant, #iss (odrigue!. "here were
five concierges who carry out all the activities of this unit.
-ome times I had to work in the morning and others in the afternoon and
during each shift I had different tasks to accomplish. For instance I had to make
principally reservations for two of the a la carte restaurants G0e 1ourmet and
#atsuriH, also I had to give all the information that the guests re3uired and I had
to make golf reservations for the guests who demanded for this service.
Also all mornings I had to give 3uestionnaires of comments to the guests
checking-out for them to evaluate the services of the hotel. "his activity was very
important since the maintenance of 3uality standards are an essential part of
ma$estic direction.
In addition, early in the morning I had to ask for the re3uired flowers for
each day, delivered the orders of birthday cakes, special attentions and the orders
6
for romantic breakfast and dinners for honeymooners to the main kitchen and the
main buffet. "hen, it was mandatory to ask the doctor, at the medical center, for
the daily medical report. "he guest service department was responsible for
verifying any irregularity in the guests8 health such as recurrent stomachaches or
people falling down in the hotel8s installations, because any person could suit the
hotel for some accident during their vacations or if they had food poisoning.
<hen working the afternoon shift, I had to perform tasks specific to this
time of day= making the daily report Gsee appendix IH, typing the list of special
attention for the next dayGsee appendixH, sending different informative e- mails to
other departments and to the general manager of the hotel, as the description of
romantic dinners on the beach and ga!ebo, the description of >I&s arriving to the
hotel, the list of courtesy calls made each day, and the briefings expected for the
next $ourney.
/esides, during both shifts, the department was in charge of receiving and
reporting any problem, inconvenience, and needs in the guests8 rooms, thus I had
to follow the following steps in order to solve any kind of problems= making a
report with each incident, taking note of the room8s number and the department
and person in charge of the solution, such as house keeping or maintenance. "he
final part of this process was calling the guests in order to check if they had been
taken care of.
Another main activity during the day was managing all the complaints. If
any guest was unsatisfied with the service they could talk to us and fill a form in
order to explain the incident or problem. -o, if a person talked to me, I had to try
+
to solve the problem or talk to the manager in order to find a solution or
compensation for the guest.
It is important to point out that the guest service department was a support
for the reception and for the commercial department. -o we helped with some
activities of latter departments such as making check- in and sight inspections to
travel agents in order to show then all the installations and services offered by
#a$estic.
ne of the ob$ectives of the room8s division manager was that guest
service and the front desk have a staff that can support each other and work
together to offer the best service to the guest. "hus I made two weeks8 training
period in the reception where I learnt how to make some of the basics activities of
this department as make check- in, check-out, prepare the envelops for guests
arriving, makes room8s keys and sell tickets of internet.



J
REFLECTION ESSAY
My Internship Experiene !t M!"esti C#$#ni!$ P%nt! C!n!
From the beginning of the degree I have had a lot of expectations about the
internship as the first step of a good professional experience. 9owever, choosing a
place for this important period is not an easy task since the alternatives are
limited, especially for the students of the minor in International rgani!ations.
-o, I started to analy!e my possibilities inside and outside of the country, I
wanted to go to a place that would allow me to practice the languages studied,
develop my capacities as intermediary among different cultures, facilitate the oral
and written communication in Fnglish, French and -panish, as well where I could
demonstrate my potentialities as a professional with new ideas and perspectives,
besides that it could show me good working opportunities.
In my case, as a technician in tourism, I never discarded the idea of
working in the hotel business. Although I did not have experience in this kind of
organi!ation, I had worked with public before and I knew that I had good
perspectives in the tourism field.
<ith this considerations in mind and after the recommendation of the
internship coordinator, &rofessor lga #uAo!, about "he #a$estic %olonial 9otel,
in 'ominican (epublic, as well as based on the experience of other students who
had had internships in that country, I selected this organi!ation for my internship
25
period, despite the comments of many professors of the -chool who consider
working in a hotel something inappropriate for a modern language student.
Finally, I arrived to 'ominican (epublic on August B,
"h
4556. After a 24
hours wait at the airport, I was exhausted but excited about the things that were
waiting for me. 9owever, my first impression was confusing and overwhelming, I
got to the lodging and I had no idea of what to do, fortunately one of my
roommates was very kind and took me to the 9uman (esources department and
introduced me to the manager. 9e gave me many paper works for me to fill out
and sign. "hen, he asked me about some medical exams that I was supposed to
bring with me, but I knew nothing about it. 0ater, he sent me on a Moto Concho, a
motorcycle the most popular way of transportation in 'ominican (epublic, to a
laboratory in the nearest town to undergo some analysis. "his situation made me
feels uncomfortable, because I only had been there for a couple of hours and I was
a little scared. "hey should have informed the internship office of the university
about this re3uirement in order to avoid this unpleasant situation.
0ater, after having lunch, I was called to the back office of the reception in
order to meet my boss and institutional responsible, #iss %orte!. 9er welcome
was warm and kind and she told me that I had to star working the next #onday
and that I should rest during the weekend.
'uring my first day of work I was a little nervous, but I was ready and
disposed to learn everything that I need soon as possible to make a good
impression. 9owever, I did not have a formal training. I $ust learnt by watching
others and be doing some easy tasks as make 3uestionnaires of comments of the
22
guests leaving the hotel. #y boss, #iss %orte!, showed me the hotel that first day
and gave me a fast introduction to the characteristics of the position. -he was
strict and very clear, she did not want any fault, and she even threatened me with
sending me back to >ene!uela if I made a silly mistake.
"hus, I felt a lot of pressure, besides when I arrived to the hotel it was high
season, and the occupancy 255K, which meant that each room of the hotel was
occupied, so everybody was stressed and busy. 9owever, my partners were very
kind and they tried to teach me all the process and tasks of the department. "he
problem was that there was a lot of information that I had to handle and I was
petrified of making some mistakes after the threat of my boss who was not very
good at teaching and lacked patience.
I started to reali!e that working at a hotel was not easy and less guest
service department where although the ma$ority of the activities were simple to
handle, there was a lot of pressure from the guests, the managers, and the owners
of the hotel. I think that the beginning of the internship could be improved if the
direction were more conscious about the importance of giving proper training to
the staff. Fnough preparation can generate better levels of efficiency for the
organi!ation avoiding recurrent mistakes and the dissatisfaction of the employees.
Levertheless, in a couple of days I was adapted to the routine of the
department and I could take care of the guests by myself giving then all the
information that they re3uired as well as making their reservations and providing
all that they needed.
24
As a modern language student one of the first difficulties that I had to
overcome was trying to understand the different accents of the guests. I listened to
Fnglish from different parts of the world G1reat /ritain, %anada, and the 7.-.AH
and from people who were not native speakers of Fnglish like 1ermans or
(ussians. -ometimes it was not easy to comprehend what they wanted, especially
on phone, and some of then got upset and I had to handle some unpleasant
situations. Fven so, I analy!ed the situation and I reali!ed that the problem was a
lack of vocabulary of the terms used at a hotel, because I had $ust started working,
so I began to study every night when I arrived to my bedroom and after a couple
of days practicing and listening to the guests demands, I got used to the
vocabulary and I did not have problems understanding them.
After two weeks at the guest service, I was transferred to the reception
department without any warning. I felt uneasy about this change because I was
barely starting to manage all the process at the guest service when I had to start in
a different department. /esides, this change implied a further knowledge of the
hotel business. 9owever I tried to be positive and to learn everything I could.
<hile I was in the reception I could learnt the basic activities of this
department, and I became skilled working with the operative system of the hotel
called Timon. I spent only two weeks at the reception when #iss %orte! asked me
to go back to the guest service because one of the concierges had been dismissed
and she needed more staff. At that moment the manager of the reception, #r.
&ollantis, asked me to stay there, he liked my $ob and he needed employees who
could speak Fnglish and French.
2:
#r. &ollantis was really kind with me, he likes to teach and I consider that
he is a really good manager, since he is reasonable as well as considerate with the
the staff under its supervision. 9e made me feel comfortable working at the front
desk, however I had to take an important decision, because although I feel better
in that department I also reali!e that I did not practice languages as at guest
service, because the principal contact that I had with the guests where at the
moment of the check-in and the check-out, conse3uently, I only can use a couple
of repetitive phrases, in that way I decided that working at guest service were
more challenging and enriching.
<hen I returned to guest service I was more confident, and after a short
time I finished learning all the process of this department which were easy
because most of the activities were repetitive tasks that I had to do every day, as
the reservations of the restaurants or answer the phone to attend the guest8s
demands. Actually I had the same responsibilities as the others employees, so I
started to become conscious of any decision taken to resolve the problems of the
guests. In the same way I had to be proactive and wok under a lot of pressure,
especially in delicate situations such as complaints and robbery reports.
#y partners helped me a lot in this initial steps for managing all the
different situations presented every day. -o I can say that in general I had a good
relationship with my coworkers, with then I understand the meaning of $oint effort
as well the importance of respect everybody opinions, I think that we made and
excellent team and we proved this, when our manager went on vacation for two
weeks and we accomplish all our tasks in a outstanding way.
2B
Analy!ing all the activities that I had to carry out I think that some of them
were truly enriching as share everyday with people of different parts of the world,
as put in practice my Fnglish and French and feel that my communication skills
were really useful. For instance, I really en$oy when I had to do the inspections for
travel agents from 7.-.A or %anada, "his was commercial activity and according
to my performance the hotel could gain important contracts with tour operators
and travel agencies, I regard this activity interesting because I had to give my best
in order that they had a good impression of the hotel and its staff.
Also it was really rewarding when I serve as a link when people wants to
communicate something really important in their language, for example I helped
some people in the medical service to describe their symptoms to the doctors, or if
somebody had specific re3uirements for the restaurants, the animation team or
even the house keeping department.
(egarding the service field I think that I had a lot of empathy at the
moment of organi!ing special attentions for the guest, because usually I were like
an accomplice for somebody who wants to prepare a romantic dinner, flowers o
$ust a cake for their wives, husbands or friends. #aking these activities I could
prove myself my vocation for the service, making feel good people in their
vacations was a wonderful experience.
n the other hand, I had to carry out some tasks which I was not prepared
for, such as translate from -panish to Fnglish the mass of -undays. At the
beginning this was not a $ob of the department, but since ctober the room8s
division manager ordered that somebody of guest service must to be every -unday
2*
in the mass. "hat situation was a huge polemic among my coworkers because
nobody felt the capacity of doing that task. I told my boss that translates
simultaneously was not an easy task, moreover, that a translator was a prepared
person in that field and although we studied languages we had not the tools to
make a good translation.
/ut without any right to protest, our boss told us that the interns had to
accomplish that assignment because we studied modern languages. -o, I decided
not discuss and make what she asked for, then I looked for some vocabulary and
instructions about the catholic service, at the end, I only had to translate the main
sermon and it was really easy, of course that more than a translation I made a free
interpretation of what the priest said.
0ike this situation, many of the managers8 decisions were taken lightly and
without planning, for instance they order that we have to help the front desk at the
time of making massive check-in, but then they told us all the contrary, they said
that was awful seeing many people at the reception. I $ust not could understand
this kind of management.
#oreover one of the characteristics of #a$estic is being a vertical
organi!ation, where every decision must to be approved by the general #anager
#r. .osC #arDa 1utierre! and by the owners. %onse3uently he has to sign almost
everything. -o in my opinion I think that this situation slow up many of the
process in the hotel and making them less efficient.
"here was also some activities that I considered totally frustrating,
particularly when I reported something that some guest want in his room to the
2)
house keeping or maintenance department, and those department did not
accomplish its labor, as a result, I had to deal with unsatisfied, irritated guests.
"his problem was a constant issue of argument with the personal of house keeping
and maintenance, they did not do their $obs and it seemed that the staff of guest
service had the fault.
-o, I had some discussions and disagreements with the employees of those
departments, and even with its managers because I felt totally frustrated by the
lack of teamwork and cooperation, but at the same time I reali!ed that the root of
the problem was a lack of motivation of the employees. It was shocking listen all
the complaints and the dissatisfaction of most of #a$estic workers.
"his issue was something that really concerned me, because after a short
time I began to feel the discontent of the ma$ority. &rincipally, due to the situation
mentioned above, as well the irrational behavior of my boss and some factors
related with the food, transportation and the lodging that the hotel provide me.
For example, when I arrived I was assigned to an executive lodging, it was
a very comfortable room, /ut one day the owners and the manager of the hotel
decided that the executive building was only for managers and they moved all the
staff living there, including the interns, to a new building that was unfinished, the
bedrooms were small and they assigned as many as six persons per room, they
only had one bathroom, without closets or place to put the personal ob$ects, It was
a really depressing place. GAppendixH
26
"his situation discouraged me a lot, $oined to all the pressure in the hotel, I
decided reduced my period of internship to four months, instead of the six months
that the hotel demanded me because I felt that all my effort was no appreciated.
Another fact that made me reflect about the challenges of a real work
environment, was the attitude of my boss, for me it was clear that she could not
tolerate much pressure, she avoided a big part of her responsibilities letting the
interns and the other employees of the department resolve all the problems and
hard situations. #any times I and my partners got angry with the selfish and
arrogant attitude of our boss but I took all the bad and unpleasant moments that
she made us go trough and I wanted to show her that I was able of succeed in my
$ob and give much more that she thought.
9owever I can not say that everything was negative, regarding the
experience as a whole I reali!e all the things that I learnt and I consider that my
performance during the entire internship was really good, I was always disposed
to learnt and accept the changes that the managers propose although I not agreed
with some of then.
Furthermore I tried to have a good relationship with all the staff of the
hotel, despite the bad moments. besides, I overcame the difficulties and I gave my
best, in fact, in ctober I was selected as the employee of the month Gsee
appendixH, /ut what made me feel better was the smiles, gratitude and
encouraging words of many of the guest who felt totally happy with my $ob and
the treatment that I gave them. Fven some guests write good things about me in
the web page trip advisor, Gsee appendixH that is an important site for the hotel
2+
because many people who visit #a$estic is due to the recommendations of that
web page.
"o conclude I think that as a student of modern languages and my
knowledge of the tourism field I made a good combination. I think that this
experience showed me a new perspective for a future $ob in the hotel business or
even in another kind of organi!ation. -ince I could manage different situations
and challenges which allow me grow up professional and personally.
Also this internship encourages me to follow my preparation, studying
other languages as 1erman, Italian and &ortuguese and in that way continuing
giving my best, in order to be prepare for the competitive labor market of theses
days.

2J
CONCLUSIONS
'uring four months #a$estic %olonial &unta %ana was the place where for
the first time I developed myself as a modern language professional, offering it all
my knowledge ac3uired at the university, while I learnt many things about the
hotel business and not only at the guest service department but also I had contact
with the daily activities of other units as reservations, commercial, reception,
animation and administration. All this contact and relation with the different areas
of the hotel open me a door in an organi!ational world that it is really interesting
and presented me new $ob opportunities in the tourism and hotel field.
Furthermore, I consider that with this experience I grew up as a person and
as professional, since I had to take many important decisions in a work
environment and I went through differences hard situations, which taught me and
show me things which I prepared for and the things that were I real challenge.
'efinitely my internship at "he #a$estic %olonial &unta %ana made me
more responsible and conscious about a real work environment, now I am aware
for example of how to behave in front of superiors or how to show courtesy and
respect with co-workers, and how to relate myself with any person using the
languages learnt at the university, as well as the responsibility of being an
45
important part of a team work, and what is more, the disposition of helping
everybody to achieve the ob$ectives of the organi!ation.
In addition, due to the nature of my $ob in ma$estic I not only could share
with people from different cultures, but also I had the opportunity of learning in a
real context different varieties of Fnglish and French that I had never used in the
classroom, as well as idioms and informal expressions. At this moment I feel
myself more confident and I think that I improve my public speaking abilities.
n the other hand I understood that not everything could be as one
expects, and even though my internship experience was in an organi!ation that has
some failures in the area of its administration of the human resource, I reali!e the
importance of enduring all the difficulties and to give the best in order to obtain
good results.
I regard e3ually important, the fact of living in a different country that
allowed me to know its way of living, customs and some aspects of 'ominican
society like the theme of my cultural essay about the anti-9aitian pre$udice.
"o conclude, I $ust can say that despite the limitations I am very pleased
with the results obtained after this process of internship, now I reali!e that
learning goes beyond the classrooms and that I have begun the path to accomplish
my professional goals.
42
RECOMMENDATIONS
After this important experience of my internship as the last step of my
academic formation to obtain my degree, I would like to give some
recommendations, first to my host institution #a$estic %olonial &unta %ana and
then to the school of #odern 0anguages of the 7niversity of 0os Andes.
I consider that the biggest deficiency in #a$estic %olonial as organi!ation
is related with the treatment to its human resources. %urrently the staffs of the
different departments of #a$estic %olonial have a lack of motivation and
identification with the organi!ation, most of them work $ust for a salary and to
receive tips of the guests. -o I think that in order to improve this situation the
direction of this hotel should=
1ive much more value to its human resource, implementing training
programs in different areas, as languages, or specific labors of the tourist
service, in order to give the opportunity to its workers of growing up with
the organi!ation.
(egarding the guest service department they should have a proper office
where the employees as well the guests feel comfortable, and with enough
spaces for developing the tasks of the department.
Also I think that if they want to follow hiring interns from our school of
modern languages they should give them a better treatment, in relation to
the lodging, food and transportation.
44
T# the sh##$ #& M#'ern L!n(%!(es)
In order to improve the academic 3uality of all modern languages8
students, as well to motivate them, especially those of the International
rgani!ation option, the school of #odern 0anguages should=
9omogeni!e the criteria of International organi!ation8s professors, thought
meetings between then, because so far they do not know each other and
they do not have and coordinate scheme and a main ob$ective of the
option.
&romote seminars and conference related to the area of International
rgani!ations, for example on public relations, management, $ust to name
a few. "hat could help a lot to improve the profile of the students
graduated from this option.

4:
CULTURAL ESSAY
The D#*ini!n Anti+H!iti!n Pre"%'ie
Fvery culture is characteri!ed for different manifestation that can
differentiate one from another and that make it uni3ue and shapes its identity.
'uring my period of B moths of internship in 'ominican (epublic, I had the
opportunity of share with its people who are very friendly and kind. Also I could
appreciate some aspects of their culture as music, gastronomy, dialect and so on.
In this process of knowing and adaptation to their way of life I could appreciate a
phenomenon that really surprise me and belongs to 'ominican identity, the
discrimination against 9aitian immigrants or anti - 9aitianism.
According to Frnesto -ag;s, ?Anti - 9aitiansm is actually the present
manifestation of the long-term evolution of racial pre$udice, the selective
interpretation of historical facts, and the creation of a nationalist 'ominican false
consciousness@. G-ag;s, F. 2JJJH
In other words, the problem of racism and re$ection to the neighbor
country and its immigrants is a result of a long historic process that has developed
a wrong 'ominican national identity, full of pre$udices, intolerance and in$ustices
that has brought with it a series of problems related with violation of human
rights.
In this essay I $ust pretend show the perception that I had about this issue
as a part of the 'ominican8s identity, explain its origins, and give a general idea of
the problem of human rights violation as well some perspectives for this problem
in the future.
4B
Perei,in( ! pre"%'ie
In every 0atin American country due to our past as colonies of Furopean
emperies, and the influence that they made in the construction of our identity, we
have something that the experts call ethnic shame, that means that we are no
proud of our roots and many people always think, even if they do not recogni!e it,
that the Furopean or north American cultures are better than our.
9owever in >ene!uela I had never feel o see an obvious and notorious
re$ection for any ethnic group, so when I start to see how was the conception ant
treatment that the ma$ority of 'ominican have for 9aitians and even some black
natives from the country, I was totally surprise, because it is very clear that
'ominicans have strong African roots and a ma$ority has a dark skin color.
At the moment that I arrived to the island, in the transfer that picked me
up in the airport, I listened something from the driver ?Los haitianos nos quieren
cojer el pais@ that means that the 9aitians want to take the 'ominican territory. In
a short time I reali!e that that sentence reflect the sentiment of the ma$ority of
'ominican people.
"he anti M 9aitian pre$udice can be appreciated since racist8s $okes as a
constant scorn from the language, religion and any cultural manifestation of the
9aitian people. I could observe how 'ominicans some times treat 9aitians as they
were animals, saying that they are stupid, smell bad or that they are like a pest for
the country, that came to 'ominican (epublic to occupied its $obs, increase the
poverty and social problems as health and education.
4*
I had to see this phenomenon every day in the streets or even in the hotel
that I worked where the employees of 9aitian origin where the blank of continues
offenses and many discriminations, so I started to in3uire and asked about this
issue to my 'ominican partners that although they said that they were nor racist,
all the time was evident all the pre$udices that they have.
0ikewise, I had the opportunity to meet some 9aitian people and I found
that the problem goes beyond simple pe$orative commentaries, the violations to
human rights have been a common issue in the country for many decades, and it
seems that nobody have the solution for this problem rooted in 'ominicans
identity. "he 9aitian has a lot of resentment and many of then rather be in their
country but the difficult situation in it, promote more emigrations each day.
9owever, I think that for having a better comprehension of this problem it
is important to know the origins and causes that have generated this pre$udice.
The Ori(in #& ! Pre"%'ie
'ominican (epublic and 9aiti are two nations that shares the Island of 0a
9ispaniola, located in the %aribbean and that is politically divided between those
countries. /ut they also share a complicated past full of conflicts and struggle for
dominating the territory, that marked the historical identity of 'ominican people.
"he first expressions of anti M 9aitian feeling was born in the colony
times when the -paniards considered the black African slaves an inferior race and
the status of each person was determinate for its skin color
/ut what is considered the true origin of this phenomenon was the 9aitian
occupation of -anto 'omingo in the 2J
th
century, from February J, 2+44 until
4)
February 46, 2+BB, leaded by .ean &ierre /oyer, a president of 9aiti who wanted
unified the territory in $ust one nation. 9owever this unification only took
disaggregation and restriction for 'ominicans, who became second rate citi!ens,
and were a minority at the same time 'ominican elites who were white -panish
descendants not tolerate that people who they considered inferior occupied the
important positions in the government and in the army.
-o after twenty two years and a hard independence war commanded by
.uan &ablo 'uarte, 9aitians were expelled from the eastern part of the island, so
the govern and the high powerful elites started to disseminate the ideas of
re$ection for 9aitians in order of exalt the national patriotism and increase the
cohesion and the feeling of unification of 'ominicans, this added to repeated
9aitian attempts of invasion, increase the hate and re$ection that most of
'ominican felt about their neighbors.
/ut many years later although 9aitians did not wanted to invade
'ominican (epublic any more, and even they helped 'ominican patriots in their
struggle against the -panish. "he anti-9aitian feeling increase due to the pre$udice
that the high elites propagate, creating stories that were supported by the writers
of the that time, like the myth of the 'ominican Indian portrayed as the ancestors
of 'ominican instead of the African slaves, although all the native population of
the island were eradicated in the first 255 years of the Furopean occupation and
ma$ority of 'ominicans are the fruit of the mixture among whites and black
slaves. 'ominican mulattoes started to think that they descend from those first
Indians and the -paniards colonist.
46
Another important factor in the process of straightening the anti-9aitian
sentiment of 'ominican people was established during "ru$illo8s dictatorship
between 2J:5 and 2J)2 when this anti-9aitian pre$udice became a politic
ideology that pretend exalt 'ominican nationalism trough the re$ection of any
foreign influence. "he government of "ru$illo then initiated a policy of developing
the border region by encouraging light-skinned 'ominicans to settle there, this
process finished in 2J:6 with a massacre of 26.555 till :*.555 9aitians, the
numbers change according the different versions of historians.
Also he started to include his racist ideas in the educational curriculum,
reinforcing the theory of a false 'ominican identity and the pre$udice about
9aitians and black people in general. -o for more that :2 years 'ominicans were
victims of a brainwash, and although today the anti-9aitian is not a government
policy, sadly it is part of its culture and national identity.
Anti - H!ti!nis* T#'!y) i$$e(!$ i**i(r!ti#n ,s. h%*!n ri(hts ,i#$!ti#n.
'ue to the miserable socio-economic situation of 9aiti as the poorest
country of this hemisphere, since the beginning of 45
th
century many 9aitians
have migrated to 'ominican (epublic looking for $ob opportunities and better
living conditions, traditionally they have been used for working in the sugar
plantations and more recently in construction and tourism business.
"oday some population reports estimate from *55.555 to a 2555.555
9aitians living inside 'ominican territory, however official figures are not
available. #any of these people are third, fourth or fifth generation
9aitian/'ominicans who have never been to 9aiti. thers have legal papers to
4+
work as migrant workers and many were born in the 'ominican (epublic, which
gives them the right to citi!enship at least in theory.
-ome of the most notorious and concerning problems with these
immigrants and their descendants are the inhumane conditions of working and
living that they have, plus the massive deportations that the government made
with any consideration and violating a big part of the most important human
rights. According to the Amnesty International report issued on #arch 42 of 4556,
International 'ay for the Flimination of (acial 'iscrimination, ?each year, 45,555
to :5,555 of 9aitians workers are deported, with no $udicial supervision@.
Another issue that worries all the 9aitians immigrants is the problem of
identification, when 9aitian a woman get birth a baby in 'ominican territory is
almost impossible that she obtains the birth certificate of the child, so that boy
grow up without the papers that prove his nationality. According to the testimony
and denounces of many people many children have no access to education or they
can be included in one of the massive deportations. -o in this way is violated a
right that any child born in 'ominican (epublic has according to the law.
9owever, 'ominican authorities denied these allegations made not only by
International Amnesty but for many other international organi!ations including the
L7, for instance in recent declarations made by 9omero 9ernande!,
Ambassador of 'ominican (epublic for the L7, denies that in his country exist
racist conditions, alleging that the government has migratory policies as any other
country in the word and that they respect the human rights.
4J
F3ually, although denounces are more fre3uent each day, the government
wants to make invisible this huge problem $ust to protect the image of the perfect
tourist destination. In fact while many tourists en$oy the paradise in the big
-paniard resorts built by 9aitian labor, thousands of men, women and children
suffer the stigma of having a different culture and skin color.
-ometimes while I was living there I sought past the trucks full of 9aitians
workers so I felt that I was in the colony times, $ust that the sugar and cacao
plantations were substituted by the construction of touristic empires. In fact for a
moment I felt myself infected by the racist pre$udice against 9aitians, because
everybody told me that they were dangerous people, without education and
usually killed many people. %onse3uently when I saw a big group of black men in
the street I felt nervous and a little scared.
In one occasion I had to see a totally disturbing image when the police beat
violently two 9aitian men because they tried to rape an American tourist by the
beach of the #a$estic 9otel. For me that situation was confusing, besides the
comments of my 'ominican coworkers who yell that ?the police should kill those
animals@. bviously I did not agree with the crime of those men but I neither
support the brutal behavior of the police and the cruel thoughts of my partners.
-o I started to analy!e the situation, it is very clear that many of 9aitians that
arrive to 'ominican republic are people without education and opportunities of a
good life, so they usually end inside the criminal world, selling drugs, stealing etc.
thus I felt shame of myself for having in a way or another some pre$udices against
people from a culture that I did not know.
:5
It is hard to believe that in 42
st
century racial and discrimination issues
follow being the head lines in the newspapers of world, this reality is beating in
'ominican society and the future for this problem it is not clear yet, negatives and
positive aspects shows a contradictory but hopeful scene.
F%t%re Perspeti,es
Fvery day the case of anti-9aitians with all its implications is
denounced by the most important International organi!ations, governmental and
non governmental, For instance, last year, 4556, two L7 experts in minorities
and racism visited 'ominican (epublic, #rs. 1ay #c'ougall and #r. 'oudou
'iNne, which investigations8 results show a discouraging panorama with all the
problems mentioned above, however both experts agree that it is possible start a
real fight against these issues making emphasis in education and media in order of
erasing the pre$udices and profound re$ection that the 'ominican people have for
its neighbors. In the same way they made a call to the authorities to respect all the
different treaties about human rights sign in different opportunities.
F3ually, inside the borders of 'ominican (epublic are emerging many
civil association in order of defending 9aitians8 rights, as the movement for
'ominican-9aitian women, G#7'9AH for its abbreviation in -panish. -o it is
possible that the hope of a better solution lye in the empowerment of those local
rising L1s, and of course of important rgani!ations like L7, 9(< or
International Amnesty.
Levertheless the 'ominican and 9aitian governments probably are the
responsible to find the appropriate solutions to this endless situation, supported of
:2
course by the international community. Also it is important to mention that many
'ominican citi!ens are taking conscious about the situation and are trying to
change the long history of pre$udice and abuses, however it is not easy since the
greater part of the population are still influenced for a manipulated past.
Finally, I can say that this theme is really broad and has many directions,
with a problem that includes from the re$ection for the African roots till a covered
racism that ends in multiple human right violations. <ith this essay I did not
pretend $ust show a negative side of 'ominican culture, but for me was
undeniable the persisting sentiment of anti-9atianism and the constant abuses that
those people are victims of. /ut what is much more worrying is the fact that at
this point of 42
st
century the possible solutions seem to be far away of a good
ending. 9owever is good to know that there is some hope for 9aitian immigrants
all their descendents who are looking a better future.
:4