Dominican lawmaker Julio César Beltré introduced a bill in early September requiring all public schools to offer Haitian Creole courses. It faces fierce opposition and is widely expected to fail; President Luis Abinader said Sept. 14 that he opposes it.
Some Dominican nationalist groups see required Creole classes as a step toward island unification, invoking Haiti’s 1822–1844 occupation of the Dominican Republic. The article says nationalist rhetoric has long portrayed Haitian immigration as a “peaceful invasion”; scholars cited in the piece argue some anti-Haitian hostility reflects anti-Black attitudes. In July, the government announced it had deported more than 226,000 Haitians in the first half of the year. Abinader said the bill did not represent his party’s position.
Beltré says Creole skills would help Dominicans in business, work and social settings shared with Haitians. Haitian Creole is the Dominican Republic’s second-most widely spoken language after Spanish, but the article says it is excluded from public spaces such as hospitals where migrants may need interpreters. The author counts at least 15 schools and institutions already offering courses. The teachers union’s public-relations secretary now supports the proposal, reversing the union’s public opposition in 2017.
