Social Health and Equity in The Dominican Republic
This Immersion Project invites participants to explore the interconnected factors that shape social health and community well-being through engagement with local communities, organizations, and social initiatives. Grounded in the Dominican Republic’s complex histories of migration, identity, and inequality, this experience encourages participants to examine how access to resources, social systems, and cultural practices influence the health and well-being of individuals and communities.
Gettysburg College initiated its Dominican Republic Immersion Project in 2010 in response to student interest in the experiences of Haitian migrants and Haitian Dominican communities living in the Dominican Republic. This interest was sparked by conversations surrounding the film The Price of Sugar, which highlights the experiences of Haitian immigrant workers in the sugar industry and the difficult living and working conditions in the bateyes (sugar cane communities). The project continues to engage with questions of migration, belonging, citizenship, and the lasting impacts of antihaitianismo, the racialized discrimination against Haitians and Haitian Dominicans that has shaped social and political relationships on the island. The project will examine rural and urban disparities, the relationship between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the effects of economic inequality, and the ways communities respond through resilience, cultural traditions, and collective action.
Sample Itinerary
| Day | Activities |
|---|---|
| Day 1: Travel to Santo Domingo | Transport to Rancho el Campeche Orientation |
| Day 2: Communities of Duveaux and Franks | Visit Shrine of Mana Presentation about San Cristóbal |
| Day 3: Day trip to Santo Domingo | Visit MUDHA Visit Batey Matamamon Meet with MOSCHTA |
| Day 4: Drum class | Presentation on Dominican popular music Meeting with member of US Embassy Film |
| Day 5: Visit school in Franks | Tour religious sites in El Limon |
| Day 6: Visit bateys and Boca de Nigua | Presentation by Xiomara Fortuna about sugarcane economy |
| Day 7: Sight seeing and museums in historic capitol city | Visit university for conversation with college students Evening concert |
| Day 8: Travel home | - |
Contact Us
Email cps@gettysburg.edu or call 717-337-6490.