Indiani Santana

Oral History of Lidia Santana

by Indiani Santana

Lidia Santana is a 75 year old mother of ten chidren She is dominican. She was born in The Dominican Republic she came to america when she was 55. She was lives in the Bronx. We sat together in her room. It was a Monday and she was not busy so I interviewed her with the following questions.

In the time in Dominican Republic the Dominicans and the Haitians had Problems because Haiti wanted the Dominican Republic to be a part of them. The domnican people didn't like he Haitians because they went to Dominican Republic and killed the children and abused the women.

Before the Haitians couldn't go in the Dominican bus because they didn't want the Haitians next to them because they were bad. When The Haitians went to Dominican Republic they were kicked out because the Haitians were bad in the Dominican Republic. For me the Racism still exists because of how People look at you different because of the way people look or by your color.

When I came to America, the Dominicans and the Haitians were having a lot of problems because the Dominicans didn't have a president so that the president could take The Haitians out of the Dominican Republic. My life changed when I came to america because in The u.s you could have a better life and a lot of opportunity.

My children in The Dominican Republic were not so bad because my husband helped me a lot He was working a lot so that we could eat. The Dominican Republic and the haitians had to be separated because they didn't like each other, The President Trujillo killed all the haitians because they were killing a lot of Dominican people and their children.

When the Haitians and the Dominican people were fighting, I was defending the Dominican people because I am Dominican. When I was born, racism existed because i was living in the camp, so when i went to the capital the people were looking at me with a nasty look. I think my life was Better when I came to america because I brought all my kids and my husband.