IMMIGRATION

During this weeks class we focused on the global immigration. My country experiences immigration from many different places such as Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, and French. Some of them may bring good attributions to our country, however most of them don't. In fact, more Haitian immigrants than ever have crossed into the country looking for work and refuge since the devastating earthquake near Port-au-Prince. Government officials have estimated that the number of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic increased by 15 percent following the earthquake and they now account for more than a tenth of the nation’s 10 million inhabitants. Although there is a long history of strained relations between the two countries that share the island of Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic was the first country to provide Haiti with humanitarian aid and to help with rescue efforts after the disaster. According to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, U.S. President Barack Obama praised Dominican President Leonel Fernandez during a White House visit last July, saying the Dominican Republic’s response “saved lives, and it continues as we look at how we can reconstruct and rebuild in Haiti in a way that is good not only for the people of Haiti but also good for the region as a whole.” Many people have judged or argued that the Dominican Republic has not help develop the progress of Haiti. But we have. But because of the demand for cheap labor that keeps many Haitians employed in the Dominican Republic, increased immigration is placing unbearable strains on a country struggling to provide health care, education and social services to its own residents. They are indeed hard workers but they are taking away much of the Dominican's low income jobs. So is this fair? No. We must help them, but not put our country and legal residents to struggle.