Posted on 08/05/2002 6:48:49 PM PDT by 4Freedom
For two days across the treacherous Mona Passage, Enerolisa Paredes prayed, clasped the wooden slab beneath her until her fingers went numb and kept her eyes tightly shut until the canoe-like vessel packed with other Dominicans finally made landfall.
But the most intimidating part of the harrowing journey came as a shivering Paredes hid beneath the thick brush that grows along Puerto Rico's western coast, barely breathing, for fear that U.S. Border Patrol agents searching nearby would find her.
"I could see them and hear their footsteps," said Paredes, 26. "There was a cow that kept stepping all over me. I kept thinking, 'God, please don't let them see me.'''
Eight months later, Paredes has become the mother of a newborn girl who is entitled to the same U.S. benefits as Puerto Ricans. The two have become part of a flourishing immigrant community whose growth is fueling tension between locals and the newer arrivals.
Dominicans have been using Puerto Rico as a stepping stone to the U.S. mainland for years, but with increasing vigilance over illegal immigration to the continental United States, a more permanent community has settled here.
An estimated 250,000 of Puerto Rico's population of 4 million, or one out of every 16, are Dominican. Although hard data does not exist, officials estimate that about 10,000 immigrants enter annually, and more than half stay.
The overwhelming majority of illegal entrants are Dominicans who venture across the Mona Passage in smuggling vessels known as yolas.
Here, where at least 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty level, accomodating the newcomers is a challenge.
"We are doing what we can to address the needs," said Mariana Binet Mieses, director of the Department of State's office of Orientation and Services for Foreign Citizens. "The biggest problem is that most of the immigrants are not documented," making it difficult to enroll them in government funded programs.
The culture clash between locals and foreigners has become apparent with numerous allegations of discrimination over the years involving the police, employers and government services operators.
But the most sensitive complaints surround educators accused of altering Dominican students' grades to keep them behind, punishing them more severly and even barring them from eating in the cafeteria or drinking from the water fountain "because they might get them dirty," said Pedro Ruiz, director of San Juan's municipal Office of Immigration Services and Civil Rights.
Even though most of the claims are difficult to prove, the perception that Dominicans are unwelcome has fostered resentment among many in the immigrant population.
"If you are Dominican, you don't get treated the same," said Rafael Tejeda, a grocery store owner who has lived here for 20 years. "You can feel it just from walking in through the door of government offices and businesses owned by Puerto Ricans. Even the homeless will say that being in the streets is better than being Dominican."
Tejeda, who lived in Miami for five years before moving to Puerto Rico, became a U.S. citizen in 1990. Still, he is making plans to sell his successful business and return to his homeland.
"The majority of Dominicans here don't really want to be here," Tejeda said.
As temporary stays become more permanent, Dominicans are slowly gaining clout by launching successful businesses and filling low-wage positions in restaurants, agricultural fields and other manual labor sectors.
"There is a little bit of jealousy because Dominicans take jobs that Puerto Ricans don't want," said Iris Figuereo, a vice consul at the Dominican Consulate. "People complain that Dominicans are taking over. Racism does exist here."
Not everyone agrees.
Paredes said that when she arrived in Cabo Rojo, she turned to a Puerto Rican family for help. The family took her in for a few days, clothed and fed her. Then they drove her into San Juan.
There, she found a job taking care of two disabled Puerto Rican children, earning enough to pay $50 a week for a room in a cramped apartment. And when she began to weaken from hunger and pregnancy, it was a Puerto Rican social worker who came to her rescue. She even named her daughter, Adriana Maria after the social worker.
"I am very grateful to the Puerto Ricans," Paredes said. "They have helped me more than my own people."
Among the latest concerns expressed by community leaders and the Puerto Rican government officials who help them is the apparent rising number of pregnant women arriving in yolas.
"We are seeing a lot more of that," Ruiz said.
More than half of the 49 Dominicans on Parede's trip were women. Although she was among only four people who slipped away, smugglers tend to have a better success rate.
The Border Patrol sector here is understaffed by at least 15 agents, and it estimates many more Dominicans get away than they apprehend.
"If we get anywhere from 10 to 11 percent, we're doing great," said Antonio Solis, lead intelligence agent.
In two recent landings, only 10 of an estimated 30 immigrants were apprehended. According to figures from the Dominican Republic, authorities there destroy some 25 to 30 yolas a month to prevent them from going out to sea.
Paredes, who arrived on Nov. 1, had to borrow about $1,000 to pay for a trip that should have taken only a day.
Paredes said she contemplated the risks involved for a month before deciding she had no other choice.
"My mom was sick and I didn't have money for the operation; I did it for her," she said.
Paredes, who has two other children in the Dominican Republic, is the eldest of 15 siblings. The entire household shares a two-room wooden shack, and her meager earnings as a school janitor did little to help care for the family.
"Things are very critical over there," she said. "My brothers and sisters are like my children, too, because I have to help provide for them."
"My mom told me not to leave because she was afraid I would drown. But I said, well, it's my life. I'm going to die at some point. What does it matter if it is here or there?"
Who is the Bush Admin working for anyway and exactly who dictates US policy???
All we need to do is start enforcing the laws that are already on the books against the employers of illegal aliens and the illegal aliens that are apprehended during the Border Patrol's routine interior sweeps.
If the Border Patrol is allowed to resume making interior sweeps for illegal aliens, that is.
The resultant prosecutions, fines, prison sentences, car, home and personal property confiscations will start the illegals stampeding for the borders.
They will deport themselves!
Take a look at the thousands of elderly foreigners, that never have and never will work a single day in the USA, that start receiving $1,400 in Social Security Disability benefits monthly, Medicaid and free housing immediately after they enter our country!
Whose bright idea is this?
I'm sure if Puerto Rico is as unprejudiced and predominantly black as you say it is, that shouldn't be hard to do. Right?
Most of the Miss Puerto Rico Pageant winners must have been black.
The only recent winners I can think of look like 'Casper the Friendly Ghost' and Puerto Rico's present governor, Sila Calderon.
LOL!
It's much easier to come here and tell us what's right for them.
So which ones are the Buchananite/Tancredo loving Bush haters again?
Dick Cheney has a better chance of winning the Miss Puerto Rico Universe Contest than a beautiful, intelligent, black girl born in Puerto Rico to Dominican parents legally residing in Puerto Rico.
What's your opinion, Boricua?
Hey, if you can't name or produce any pictures of black Miss Puerto Ricos, how about some pictures of black contestants?
LOL!
Take a look at these pictures:
2003 Miss Puerto Rico Universe Candidates
2004 Miss Puerto Rico Universe Candidates
Out of these 100 contestants, which ones look black-skinned to you?
LOL!
Hey Boricua, where'd you go?
I was doing some research for a book I'm writing and came a cross your interesting little comments about Dominicans dated 8/2/04. And I thought I'd take the time to go over your comments with you. So you're tired of Dominicans, isn't that too bad for you. It sounds to me that someone needs to come out of his little dark world a little more often. Most Dominicans are on welfare, huh. Well let's see. The store you shop in, WE OWN IT! When your girlfriend/boyfriend, whatever- wants to look pretty, the place they go to, WE OWN IT! According to a recent article, there are more Dominicans in college than Puerto Ricans, so guess what, WE OWN THAT TOO! The Reggaeton you're all going crazy about, guess who puts together most of the beats, yeap, we do, so guess what - WE CAN OWN THAT TOO! That's the real problem facing Puerto Ricans. Sure, you were here first, but you've got nothing to show for it. We're a bunch of drug dealers, drug pushers? Well take a little walk around the bronx and meet your compatriot dope users and crack heads. I'm usually way above all of this cattiness but for today, I'm coming down to your level. Steal your jobs? You don't want to work anyway so why do you care. Lazy Dominicans - how can we be lazy if we're stealing your jobs? Think about it genius. Get over yourself and stop making excuses to dislike us. Everywhere we go we leave a positive mark. Dominicans are black and racist? Why are you so caught up on skin color. You may write down "white" on the census but at the end of the day the real "whites" see you differently. Don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise. I'm tired of Puerto Ricans trying to put Dominicans down because they've got personal issues since the entire latin community looks down on you. GET SOME THERAPY AND GET OVER IT!
Oh yeah? Well... I OWN THE ZOT!!!!!
Pity you don't OWN a prescription to HALDOL.
""People complain that Dominicans are taking over. Racism does exist here.""
So exactly what race are the Dominicans? They must be a different race that the Ricans.
Nah don't need it - you can have it all for yourself. Suddenly the truth requires medication. My goodness!
Look who's talking! I'm Puertorican and I'm ashamed of the lack of progress we have had after being introduced to the U.S. almost 100 years ago. How dare you bring judgment on the Dominicans for looking for an opportunity in the island when the welfare/common wealth minded people in P.R. are always complaining about the man and taking for granted that they are blessed to be immediate American citizens, yet they come here and 2 generations later the majority still don't encourage a college degree from their children. The vast majority don't take advantage of being here in this great country. The island is at an economic crisis because they don't want to pay taxes yet wreak the benefits of the government's aid. Mediocrity runs rampid, social stupidity, immorality and the wrong ideals are passed on to the next generation. They are happy with their low paying jobs while they act like they are the hottest thing on the block, imitating the urban/reggaetton style instead of improving their social skills and raising more politicians, doctors, architects, etc... Not too many out there per ca-pita in the U.S. is there! Dominicans in NY have had more progress in 20 years than the Puertorican community has had in 60. The racism towards Domincans and the horrible jokes I hear coming from the native Puertorican people makes me sick. Amazing, from a race that amongst other Hispanic races are considered as lazy, ignorant, arrogant and simpleton people. Shame on you! Here's some food for thought; the same way Puertoricans joke about how Dominicans are dumb, stupid, ugly, etc... Cubans also make jokes about us Puertoricans as inferiors. I guess we all have some part in the racial comments food chain. Look at yourself and your race in the mirror before you go belittling others. I'm Puertorican and I have full right to opinion-ate my observations. It's the sad truth but it's our reality. One more thing, you actually call the Dominicans prostitutes, drug dealers and welfarers. Look in to the stats in Orlando, FL. Their is a major influx of Puertoricans moving their and crime, and murders have gone up. Allot of them are movig in bringing their old ways with them. They already speak of the South side of Orlando which is mainly Puertorican as a low life area. How about them apples!!! Use your energy for a real reason. Shame on you, shame on me! There are many great thing about the Puertorican people, like their big hearts and friendly,festive ways, but the foolish, anti-gringo idealism they follow supersedes all other attributes they have to offer. Instead of "Yo soy Boricua" how about "My son is a Doctor" I think that says allot more.
bump
Keep it in mind the next time a politician or FReeper from Puerto Rico calls the U.S. Taxpayers racists, because we don't want to squander $30 BILLION DOLLARS on their Liberal/Socialist/Marxist island of ingrates anymore.
Add another white Miss Universe from Puerto Rico to the list for 2006.
What a bunch of race-baiting hypocrites.
I'll try to get those reports.
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