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“The Price of Sugar” Sugar Cane's Bitter Harvest inthe Dominican Republic

New York Times  September 28, 2007By: Steven Holden

Chris Edwards

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Dominican RepublicCapital City: Santo DomingoOfficial Language: Spanish

Ethnic Groups: 73% Multiracial, 16% White, 11% Black

Political System: Unitary and Democratic RepublicPresident: Leonel Fernandez

Population: 9,956,648 (July 2011 est.)

GDP (Nominal): US$ 54.912 billionGDP (per capita): US$ 5,855

Religion: 68.9% Roman Catholic, 18.2% Evangelical, 10.6% Nonreligious, 2.3%Other

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Retrieved 21 Nov. 2011.

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/harlandj/timelines/haitian_rev.html

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History of the Dominican Republic

•First settled by the Taíno Indians around 600 AD.

•Spanish arrived in 1492

•First shipment of slaves from Spain in 1510.

•Sugar cane introduced in 1516

•Trading port for European merchants

•Base of operations for Caribbean pirates.•Occupied by the United States from 1916 to 1924.

•1930-1961, The Trujillo Era. Rafael Trujillo ruled the Dominican

Republic under a military dictatorship.

•Current president, Leonel Fernández, is in his third term inoffice.

•Dominican Republic is considered a healthy, functioning

democracy.

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Geert-Hofstede CulturalDimensions

PowerDistance  Individualism  Masculinity  Uncertainty

Avoidance  Long-TermOrientation 

Trinidad  47  16  58  55  N/A 

Venezuela 

81  12  73  76  N/A Dominican

Republic (est.)  64  14  65.5  65.5  N/A 

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“The Price of Sugar: Sugar Cane’s Bitter 

Harvest in the Dominican Republic” 

New York Times article about a documentarydirected by Bill Haney and narrated by PaulNewman.

The documentary addresses the exploitation ofHaitian immigrants in the sugar industry of theDominican Republic.

Highlights the efforts of Spanish priest Christopher

Hartley to bring relief by fighting for their humanrights, addressing education issues, and providingmedical care.

Film addresses the human rights violations of the

Vicini Family; politically powerful family in Dominican

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Video

The Price of Sugar Trailer 

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Discussion Questions

What can be done to alleviate human rightsabuses of the sugar industry workers?

How can a monopoly be broken-up on a small

island nation?

Should the US subsidize sugar imports from theDominican Republic?

How does one address the Dominican racism ofHaitian immigrants?

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ReferencesCentral Intelligence Agency. (2011, November 20). Dominican Republic. In

World Factbook . Retrieved November 21, 2011, fromhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dr.html

University of Flordia. (2011, November 20). Chronology of the Haiti in the Ageof Revolution. In Chronology of the Haiti in the Age of Revolution .Retrieved November 21, 2011, fromhttp://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/harlandj/timelines/haitian_rev.html

Wikipedia. (2011, November 20). History of the Dominican Republic. InDominican Republic . Retrieved November 21, 2011, fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Republic

Holden, S. (2007, September 28). The Price of Sugar: Sugar Cane's Bitter

Harvest in the Dominican Republic.The New York Times 

. RetrievedNovember 21, 2011, from http://movies.nytimes.com

Haney, B. (Director). Newman, P. (Narrator). (2007). The Price of Sugar  [Online video]. New York: Uncommon Productions. Retrieved November21, 2011, from http://www.thepriceofsugar.com/contact.shtml

Interview. (2011, November 20). Kelly Edwards