Well, the ugly little secret has reared its head once again.
The United States Embassy of Santo Domingo, has done something unprecedented. They have put a bulletin on their website to tell people of the discriminatory policies at the disco The Loft. It is in all the papers today, and it is an open-secret that most of those upscale clubs discriminate based on race (skin color).
I always love how people say that there is no discrimination based on race, just CLASS. Which is absolute bullshit.
Update: There is an interesting discussion on the message boards of DR1.
Another Update: Very interesting article in the Miami Herald. Seems the owner of The Loft is "black."
The United States Embassy of Santo Domingo, has done something unprecedented. They have put a bulletin on their website to tell people of the discriminatory policies at the disco The Loft. It is in all the papers today, and it is an open-secret that most of those upscale clubs discriminate based on race (skin color).
I always love how people say that there is no discrimination based on race, just CLASS. Which is absolute bullshit.
Update: There is an interesting discussion on the message boards of DR1.
Another Update: Very interesting article in the Miami Herald. Seems the owner of The Loft is "black."
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7 comments:
I was just about to write you asking if you had heard of this. WTF is going on down there???
No comment! I knowed it, I knowed it (LOL)
My family is from the Dominican Republic and honestly I cant believe the hypocrisy.
Racial discrimination? In the Dominican Republic? Nah! Somebody has their their story mixed up. Yeah, right...
From Puerto Rico,
Rafael
I've been many times to Loft and saw lots of *well-dressed* Black people as in Latin America it is taken for granted that you have to dress to kill when going to certain clubs...I despise this gringo attitude that you just have to be accepted everywhere just because you're American. The US Ambassador was too worried about being politically correct rather than than analyzing the question seriously.You cannot show up at a posh clubs in ANY latin country with baggy pants and baseball caps...It's just that.Let's not see the devil where there's none.
But dominican elegance, do you know for sure that the repeated instances of discrimination against black people was because of "baggy pants and baseball caps"? Surely you can't believe that. Do you really think the embassy employees went out dressed like that? Perhaps it is a good thing that American embassy employees were urged not to go near the place because no one needs to be abused in a foreign country. They can get that back home in the good old USA.
Plus are you unaware of the history of racial discrimination based on color and perceived ancestry in DR? Which includes a mixed-race dictator who slaughtered thousands of Haitians and his own fellow Dominicans who happened to be dark-skinned? On a DR1 thread people keep attacking Bullen, but what is a US embassy official supposed to do, allow Americans to be discriminated overseas, especially since the Miami Herald reports repeated discrimination. Perhaps addressing the persistent problems identified at Loft and Praia would make more sense than defending discrimination. You think?
Bravo to the above poster. And please let me add my two comments in response to Dominican Elegance.
First, please don't turn a blind eye to profiling when it appears in your own back yard. There have been too many stories in the past about Loft and other SD nightclubs turning away darker skinned people. There was a famed incident not too long ago that I believe led to a violent death in front of a nightclub(although I may be wrong about the death).
DE, you don't indicate whether you yourself are dark-skinned, or whether you have simply, "been many times to Loft and (seen) lots of *well-dressed* Black people." I have heard too many stories from friends who have experienced this type of behavior firsthand not to believe it is happening in Santo Domingo.
And it's not limited to night clubs. I have a Dominican friend whose skin color is best described as moderately brown. Not long ago, he was being shown to a table in a "high class" restaurant and was accosted by a customer who asked what his "like" was doing in that restaurant. Too be sure, the restaurant didn't have a problem with his color, but the clientele did.
Secondly, please don't assume all American Embassy employees are American and male. Indeed, many embassy employees are Dominicans (and female). And are you suggesting that women too wear baggy pants and baseball caps?
Since when was confronting blatant discrimination a "gringo attitude?" Methinks using that phrase belies a little bit of your own attitude on this matter.
Just my two cents worth. Thanks for listening.
George from SF
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