The Dominican Capital has a “Little Haiti” at its core

Santo Domingo — The surroundings of the Mercado Modelo, in the section between Del Monte and Tejeda streets between Hernando Gorjón and Mexico Avenue, provide us with a trip to Haiti in miniature. This mass of immigrants controls trade, becoming notable from the beginning with Creole as a standardized language.

“I speak little Spanish” is a typical response among the vendors in this area, which is dedicated to varied businesses that include the sale of warehouses, improvised beauty salons, clothing stores, used appliances, and lottery tickets.

The eyes of this population of Haitian nationals follow all the travelers, who see that many remain on the rooftops of the boarding houses where they reside despite the latent threat of recurrent raids by the General Directorate of Migration agents.

An underage girl consulted about the sector’s activities and worked as a businesswoman “holding” the shift at her father’s backpack stand. She did not seem to show the slightest concern about the deportation measures, but her tone changed when she said that members of the National Police patrol at night.

This small sector, located in the San Carlos neighborhood of the National District, the Dominican capital, boasts more sophisticated businesses, such as a pawn shop (better known as buying and selling) and currency exchange stores.

Other positions aren’t quite as formal, such as selling hair strands or flower arrangements, returning to second-hand electronics stores where you can find an infinity of items, and even computers given to students with the Digital Republic program.

There, they live in boarding houses, in an atmosphere of notable neglect on the sidewalks and containers with unpleasant smells for those who make purchases and, in another case, pedestrians who must take to the streets because the shops reject them.

The destination formerly known as Little Haiti is still on the surface, as indicated by the Haitian-made beers, the music, and the declaration of Creole as the mother language because the sounds of Spanish are rare.

In the heart of Santo Domingo, a world apart from Haiti, Haitian nationals continue their characteristic traditions and daily lives.