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BiggerThe debate between Abinader and a student at Columbia University about racism in the Dominican Republic
During a conversation at Columbia University in New York, President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic faced an uncomfortable moment when a student confronted him about racism, homophobia, transphobia, and colorism in the country. The student, Lizzy George-Griffin, asked about his plans to address these issues.
Abinader initially denied there was a race problem in the Dominican Republic, emphasizing that 85% of the population is of mixed race. The student disagreed, insisting that there is indeed a race problem in the country. The president responded, “Well, that is your opinion.”
The moderator intervened, reminding everyone that the exchange should be respectful. Abinader then explained that in any society, there might be isolated problems, but he believed it was not a widespread issue in the Dominican Republic due to its mixed-race population. He also pointed out that many maternity hospitals in the country are occupied by Haitian women, emphasizing that the Dominican Republic is not a wealthy nation.
The student mentioned Haitian men being forcibly removed and injured, to which the president responded, “That is your opinion, but it is not the real problem we have in the Dominican Republic.”
The exchange ended with the student turning her back on the president while he was still speaking to her, and leaving the room.
He has to keep up the good fight against the destructive woke ideology…do not allow it to be transplanted here…
I am not 100% sure what woke is but I do know that Christian principles are very important and also that hate has no place in any society. I also believe that it is wrong to deliberately try to embarrass a President in public like that girl did.
Hate to break it to ya, but hate is indeed ever-present in DR society against Haitian immigrants. There’s legal and illegal immigration. I’ve seen and heard plenty of comments from Dominicans directed towards Haitians (who are legal immigrants) to suggest a significant amount of hatred. So, if no one seeks accountability from the top (Abinader) as well as the bottom, what kind of people are we?
In one word…immature.
They can always go back to their country if they think that they are being mistreated in my country. The problem with the Haitians is that they come here, filled our schools and hospital with their children because they breed like rabbits and then our own children have no empty stool at school and no empty beds at the hospitals when they need them. And they don’t pay taxes. So tell me how do you think that we should react to an invasive group of people. There are towns in which more than 70% of the students are Haitian children and the hospitals beds are occupied by Haitian patients.
Sure, but Dominicans do the same in the U.S. More Dominicans than Haitians migrate to the U.S., many undocumented.
And the americans don’t like them either…..what’s your point?
It is absolutely not the same scenario, get your facts straight. Dominicans do not immigrate to the US to overpopulate hospitals and public schools. Name one city in the US where pregnant Dominican women occupy more than 70% of hospital beds…
well and what the us goverment do with those dominicans that ere illegal here they deported them right so any state it have the right to back up their rules we dont going to accept that this people do where ever the one in our country they destroyed their country is not our problem
bernie speaks the truth. I am married to a dominican woman and we bought a home together. this is a problem and it is the same as the southern border in the usa, I support the president, he watches over the dominican republic. this girl from usa a typical dumbass eastern coast democrat who probably has not paid a tax in her life. dominican republic support your president and tell the usa liberal dems to f–k off.
If you’re Dominican or have lived in DR, you KNOW that they often get abused (and that has nothing to do with wether or not “they go back to their country”).
Even sadder is that the very language you are now using against Haitian migrants has also been used against Dominican migrants!
Please understand the difference between being a Nationalist and a Racist, most Afro-Americans don’t know the difference, but you want to talk about racism, Declaring your country a Black only country is racist, and Haiti is the only country in History to claim a country to be Black only!
Nothing wrong with that. Countries and societies have every right to declare what they are. Haiti is a “negro” republic. I would even formally put in the country’s name/ THE BLACK NATION OF HAITI.
The issue is simple. Dominicans are dumb enough for not realizing that before every general elections, there is a Haitian problem. Note that most of the weapons using by gangs transit from DR despite their strong intelligenceand Army at the border. I dont think Haitians destroy their country, the UN does.
So have I.
Hate is ever present against in every society….somebody always hates somebody else….it’s human nature. I hate to say this but, if I’m in a place where people hate me (and it’s their place) I have the option to leave. It’s simple.
well that is the problem the haitians ar3e not very cristhian
Agreed, don’t need to mess up what’s going well here in the DR.
you cant really be that stupid. Just say you like being a racist. No one wants to hear your bullshit about destructive woke ideology. Its only offensive to you because it calls out your racist bullshit Alfredo.
While probably well intentioned, I suspect the student, coming from a position of not yet having lived life ‘outside the classroom’, will learn through life experience that solving complex real-life social and political problems is much harder in practice than in theory as taught in a college book. When we’re young we all come from the perspective of, “why can’t we all just get along” and it’s not until we lived through life a bit we realize if it were so easy, it would have been done centuries ago.
In the end, there’s nothing wrong in the exchange above that took place. She, as a student, challenged the status-quo and President Abinader, as the leader, presented his perspective. Everyone played their part. (although I don’t necessarily agree with the student turning and leaving the way it’s reported but in a way, that’s also her part.)
For her to turn her back on the President of any country and walking out because the answer was not to her liking, is shameful. She will learn that if one is to be taken seriously, then respect that others may have different opinions, but to disrespect others doesn’t help in dealing with it.
Racist and liberal people don’t care about someone else opinion, only their opinion matters and when things doesn’t go their way they behave like an uneducated and angry person.
she is a dumba— liberal from the east coast . you cannot fix her in her lifetime. all the damage is done already. I just want to take their food away from the midwest. they will learn when they are starving
The student has every right to respect or disrespect any president. If the president can’t stand the heat, he should stay out of the kitchen. A president is just another public employee.
The president was acting properly….she was the one who needs a lesson in manners. Her disrespect indicates her poor upbringing.
i respectfully disagree, this statement shows the erosion of cultures and how there is no respect for another, any other, more less a standing President. She has every right to her own opinion, but to stomp away Iike a whiny little brat when someone disagrees with her will never serve her well in her Journey of life.
thats true only if you put the numbers, the statictis otherwise she is just doing her schedule
what’s the students name ?..
This was a set up from the get go…
worry about racism in your country…
You can’t afford to look at someone’s back yard telling it’s dirty ,and not cleaning yours…
Probably another degenerate trying to look “smart”
No we are not any of those things that you are mention here. Tell me the first case of a white person killing a black person in the Dominican republic because the person was black, it doesn’t happen. Abinader went to the wrong school to have this debate and that student is nothing more than a racist.
The ironic thing is that the student visited the Dominican Republic in the past for vacation purposes and even posted a picture on her Instagram account with the Dominican flag hanging in her bedroom. She says she “stands up for Haiti” but yet has never done any humanitarian work for that country. What a clown…
true
to much woke in school usa, theres no racism in DR, that famale student who turn back on abinader should go to haiti to see was going. i got friend who are hatian dosnt want to go is dangerous
Please. I volunteer in Haiti and have been to the DR plenty of times. The hatred and racism toward Haitians is so palpable that it’s uncomfortable to be there unless you lock yourself in an all-inclusive resort. America, too, can’t seem to shake it’s racism, and it’s just as ugly when it rears its head. (Which is often.) The sad thing is that Black Americans (and Haitian Americans) helped build our country just as Haitians helped build yours. There would be no DR sugar empire or construction boom without Haitian workers. Columbia should never have invited the president after he closed the border.
It seems that, for you, everything is racism. There are other reasons if you would open your mind and educate yourself. Not everything is about race.
there is not hate in dominican republic for the haitinas if that were be true they will not be seelin products and making money with out paying any taxes tell me in what part in this world you see that
and also you have the haitinas woman crossing the borfe with the only intention of been givin birth in the country with not cost a all they have the obtion to the live the country if the want
i should know it, your from one of those ONGs that want the domican republic to get Haiti entire in our back.
My wife is a Dominican native and very dark skinned. She has told me many times that people treat dark skinned dominicans differently.
Ever been to a sugar cane field?
A lot of you sound like indoctrinated buffoons. Blind loyalty to a lousy career politician. The student was 100% correct and brave for speaking on this subject
I agree, but she soured that (her) moment by not ending in civil manner.
Who cares if there is racism or anti-Haitianism in DR. No one is forcing Haitians to go into DR. DR should seal its border and break all relations with Haiti. There is no reason for these two countries to have any relations. The problem is with my Haitian people who cannot take a nationalist stand. Hopefully the canal issue will deteriorate and reinforce anti-haitian sentiments among dominicans.
Lol, is this what they teach you all in Dominican schools?
i need to say one thing about our presidnt if he dont fell confindent to hold a debate wiht someone he should be accopanied by someone that know how to speak english because he goinfg to have this tipes of confrotentions and he need to be prepared because they going to do evrything in their power to making him look bad
he just looked awsome!
there arte haitians trying leaving their country beacause the violence there what make you think that the dominicasn republic want to deal with that we have our safety problem in our country we have enough