Questions On

Merengue and Dominican Identity:
Music as National Unifier

(Homework 2)

(1) assignments appear in the syllabus on the day assigned, not the day due

(2) You must submit your written work by blackboard

(3) BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE FILE-NAMING CONVENTIONS FOR THIS COURSE (5% penalty if you do not).

All files should be saved on your computer as: your last name, followed by an underscore ("_"), followed by the first two letters of your first name, followed by an underscore ("_"), followed by the assignment number. So if a student named Saddam Hussein were to submit assignment number 2A, the file name would be:

hussein_sa_2.doc

THIS IS ASSIGNMENT 2

Chaper 2, Dominican Identity and the Haitian Other

1) Using your own words, describe what the author means by the concept of "Self vs. Other." Be sure to read until the end of page 28 before coming to your conclusion.

(10 points)

 

2) Fill out the following chart regarding how DOMINICANS see the distinctions between Dominicans and Haitians. Then, having filled out the chart, explain how the concept of Self/Other can help us understand Dominicans’ self-identity. Be sure to answer both parts of this question.

 

	Dominicans	Haitians
Race
Religion
Language

(16 pts total for both parts of question)

3) Why does the author consider it ironic that Dominicans consider their racial and cultural background as primarily Hispanic?

(5 pts)

4) explain how and why the author thinks that the dolls for sale at the museum reflect a form of Dominican racism? In other words, explain which aspect of the dolls, according to the author, helps reveal Dominican hatred for what they see as African traits and why. Building your response around specifics from the text will make for a more persuasive response.

(5 pts)

 

5) How and why does the author think that Dominican prejudices against Haitians mirror the prejudices by many in the United States against Mexicans? In short, (A) what is similar in the two set of prejudices and (B) how did both emerge?

(5 pts)


Chapter 6: Merengue in the Era of Trujllo

6) What about Trujillo’s rise to power meant that he had to make his rule seem legitimate to Dominicans? Another way to think about this question is: why might Trujillo’s status as leader have been shaky and why might he have felt the need to shore up that status? Be sure to read through to at least p. 87 before coming to your conclusion.

Answering this question will require thinking about the chapter as a whole up until page 87. In short, there’s no one line that answers the questions. But you have the power to craft the answer yourself by thinking.

(10 pts)

7) According to the authors, did Trujillo create the hatred of Haitians among Dominicans or did he merely exploit it? Be sure to provide specifics in backing up your argument. Specific references to evidence from the text will help you create a strong argument here.

(10 pts)

8) Thinking about the chapter as a whole, what is--according to the author—the relationship between Merengue and Dominican nationalism (and identity)? Specifics in support of your own argument will make for a stronger argument. It will likely take a pargraph or two to answer this question.

(39 points)