Dear Friends and Families,
Today was Immigration Day. It was our first breakfast away from Onaney’s. We had bananas and passion fruit juice with a chicken sandwich. We visited the Dominican and Haitian border and got to experience how the immigration between Haiti and the Dominican Republic relates to the American and Mexican immigration issues. Visiting the open border from the Dominican Republic side let us see the peaceful flow between Haitians and Dominicans. Comparing our way TO the border and FROM the border, we noticed a large difference in the amount of checkpoints. This led us to realize how much easier it is to leave the country than it is to enter deeper into the country. The reason why there were so many checkpoints going back into the Dominican Republic was because they were checking to make sure people in vehicles were not smuggling undocumented Haitians into the DR.
We visited a museum that today ironically honors Haitian history but was built by Dominican dictator Trujillo who committed a genocide against Haitian people in the Dominican Republic. This museum showed the similarities between the Dominican and Haitian culture and lifestyle. After visiting the museum, we took a stroll through the cramped market that was shared by both Haitian and Dominican people which is the reason why the border today was open. This happens every Monday and Friday. On these days, Haitian people coming from Haiti can stay in the Dominican Republic until 6pm.
Later in the afternoon, after coming from the border, we had a chance to come back to English tutoring. But this time, we got to depend less on our Dominican Youth Ambassadors and adults, and also teach more and become better teachers on our own. We ended the day reflecting on what we saw today and also relating this again to our issues back in the states. We compared how both issues affect different people and their rights.
Thank you Marc and Fernando for such a great summary of your day! Sounds like you all had a full meaningful one! Lauryn- hope you are having a great experience. Miss you a lot!!! Love you!!!
Mom and Dad
Hi Connie,
Sounds like you had an awesome day!
I miss you so much~~~
Stay healthy!
Love you.
Hi Isis. Glad to hear everything is okay. Continue to enjoy yourself. Have fun! I love you so much. I cant wait to see you. Missing you more than ever. Kisses and hugs. Your Mommy!
So they open the border for commerce? That’s really interesting. I hope you all got keepsakes from your trip in the marketplace.
Hi Mya from Dad an Jenn
We miss you and are so proud of you and the Glimpsers!
I hope your hanging in there and having an incredible time 🙂
Dominican and Haitian border..?
The museum..? Wow..So excited to see some more photos! I’m so happy you’ll have these memories and experience for life.
I Love you so much xoxoxo
Hi, we don’t have a Mya on our trip. Maybe you are responding to the wrong delegation?
Hey bar ❤️ So great to read about your trip. It seems like you are having an amazing experience, and it’s super dope that you have immigration day because my GG trip didn’t have that. I can’t wait to hear more, and me cheech and a$ miss you a lot! ❤️❤️❤️
Connie this looks like so much fun!!! I’m so glad you get to see San Juan like I did. Tell Damarit and Sixto that I miss them!! and “so so quickly”
Connie!!!!!
Omg I miss you so much!!! I’m so excited to see all of the amazing things your doing in the DR and I can’t wait to catch up with on everything! Hope you’re having an amazing time! <3
PS from Rahul:
Can you please tell the advanced two class that I miss them and I hope that they all remember their idioms!!! Please take pictures of all of them for me (':
Jenna ❤️
Missing you tons! It is VERY quiet around here without your antics, daily stories, and your “loud” greetings and playfulness with your sis and bubs. Seems we are realizing you are the catalyst to the energy in this house lol. Love it and miss it. We can’t wait to hear your blog when it comes. Continue the hard work and enjoyment of it all!!
Love you – the fams and kitties❤️ ?
Hey cons!!
this sounded like an awesome day and i wanna hear all about this day cuz our trip didnt have it!! I hope you’re learning a lot and ofc im missing u tons!