[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17032]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE WORK OF WYCLEF JEAN AND HERMAN MENDOZA IN STRENGTHENING 
                      DOMINICAN/HAITIAN RELATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 21, 2005

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the humanitarian 
efforts of Mr. Wyclef Jean and Herman Mendoza in addressing the needs 
of the Dominican and Haitian communities through their newly formed 
organization, ``One Voice'' in a much needed effort to create goodwill 
between Haitians and Dominicans on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.
  Hip-hop musician Wyclef Jean, founder of Yele Haiti, a nonpolitical, 
nonprofit foundation that provides education and other opportunities 
for children in his impoverished nation, is working with Herman 
Mendoza, co-founder and director of operations for Stepping Stones 
Ministries, a College Point, New York nonprofit organization that 
provides humanitarian aid to countries hit by disasters and funds 
programs for troubled youth.
  ``One Voice'' is geared toward uniting Dominicans and Haitians 
through mutual support and aid. Its design is to encourage Dominicans 
in the U.S. to help Haitians in Haiti, and Haitians in the U.S. to help 
Dominicans back home.
  Relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic have been 
fractious for generations. Haiti--a prosperous French colony known as 
St. Domingue in the 17th century and later, the first black republic--
annexed the Dominican Republic (when it was known as Santo Domingo) in 
the 19th century. Haiti ruled all of Hispaniola from 1822 to 1844, when 
forces led by Juan Pablo Duarte established the Dominican Republic as 
an independent state.
  Other conflicts between the two countries have fueled mutual 
distrust. In 1937, under orders from President Rafael Trujillo, 
Dominican soldiers killed close to 30,000 Haitian sugar cane workers 
along the border. These events occurred in a matter of weeks for 
various reasons but mainly because the skin of the Haitians was a few 
shades darker than that of the Dominicans.
  The historical events surrounding the Dominican/Haitian relationship 
have continued to divide the Dominican Republic and Haiti so deeply 
that there may as well be an ocean not only around them but between 
them.
  The tenuousness of the Dominican/Haitian relationship remains, but 
the efforts of Mr. Wyclef Jean and Herman Menendez are an important 
first step in developing a mutual understanding between the two 
nations.
  I applaud their leadership on this issue and am pleased with their 
commitment to giving back to their communities in an effort to ease 
long seated resentment and unify the island and its people to achieve 
political, social, and economic development that will benefit the 
people of both nations.

                      [From Newsday, July 3, 2005]

                Haitians, Dominicans Join Voices to Help

       A popular Haitian-American entertainer and a Dominican-
     American have joined forces to create goodwill between 
     Haitians and Dominicans on the Caribbean island of 
     Hispaniola.
       Hip-hop musician Wyclef Jean, founder of Yele Haiti, a 
     nonpolitical, nonprofit foundation that provides education 
     and other opportunities for children in his impoverished 
     nation, is working with Herman Mendoza, co-founder and 
     director of operations for Stepping Stones Ministries, a 
     College Point nonprofit organization that provides 
     humanitarian aid to countries hit by disasters and funds 
     programs for troubled youth.
       Jean said the movement he and Mendoza started, called One 
     Voice, ``will encourage Dominicans in the U.S. to help 
     Haitians in Haiti, and Haitians in the U.S. to help 
     Dominicans back home. This never happens,'' he said. 
     ``Believe me.''
       Relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic have 
     been fractious for generations. Haiti--a prosperous French 
     colony known as St. Domingue in the 17th century and later, 
     the first black republic--annexed the Dominican Republic 
     (when it was known as Santo Domingo) in the 19th century. 
     Haiti ruled all of Hispaniola from 1822 to 1844, when forces 
     led by Juan Pablo Duarte established the Dominican Republic 
     as an independent state.
       Other conflicts between the two countries have fueled 
     mutual distrust. In 1937, under orders from President Rafael 
     Trujillo, thousands of Haitian sugar cane workers in the 
     Dominican Republic were massacred.
       Jean pointed to striking disparities between Haitians and 
     Dominicans. He said in his country--which has been wracked by 
     coups and invasions and is now the poorest nation in the 
     hemisphere--most Haitians live on less than $1 a day; 
     unemployment is close to 80 percent; more than 50 percent of 
     the people are illiterate. In contrast, he said, there is 15 
     percent unemployment in the Dominican Republic and 15 percent 
     of the population is illiterate.
       Mendoza said he did not notice tension during a recent 
     visit to his homeland, but he said numerous Haitians are 
     there looking for work and are subject to checks by 
     immigration officials. ``As far as Dominicans embracing 
     Haiti, I don't see a problem,'' Mendoza said. ``We want to 
     work out our differences socially, politically and 
     economically. People will see there's no bias.''
       One Voice is reaching out for medical and educational 
     supplies for needy areas of both countries, sections of which 
     were devastated by floods last year. Jean and Mendoza are 
     asking the public to share some of what's in their medicine 
     cabinets. They are collecting items for babies and adults, 
     such as disinfectant and toothpaste, plus pens, crayons and 
     notebooks, among other things.
       ``Numerous humanitarian service organizations as well as 
     entertainment and music celebrities have pledged their 
     support of this drive,'' Jean said. ``If each family puts 
     together one kit, it can mean so much to our countries.''
       A service that Stepping Stones Ministries sponsored on 
     April 15 in Washington Heights--home to many Dominicans in 
     New York--raised $1,000 to support the cause. A similar 
     service is scheduled for July 30 at the True Worship Church 
     in the East New York section of Brooklyn.
       One Voice hopes to help children in both countries fulfill 
     their dreams.
       ``Despite what history tells them about the conflicts 
     between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, we want them to 
     know they are one,'' said Jean. ``Our project is set up to 
     show them that at least Dominicans and Haitians in the U.S. 
     can live that reality.
       ``The first step,'' Jean added, ``is for us to send aid to 
     the most impoverished communities, not as Haitians or 
     Dominicans, but as One Voice.''

                          ____________________