Alan Cambeira

Ayití-Kiskeya, in the ancient language of the pre-Columbian indigenous Taíno-Arawak people, meant “High and Mountainous Land” [Ayití ] and “Mother of All Lands” [Kiskeya]. This is how the original inhabitants of the island called their homeland. Upon invading and conquering the territory, the Spanish renamed it Hispaniola [“Little Spain”]. Today the island mass is shared jointly by Kreyòl and French-speaking Haití in the western one-third of the territory, and Spanish-speaking República Dominicana in the eastern two-thirds.

In this compelling and personal narrative, author Alan Cambeira, himself born in Repúbica Dominicana, presents a thoroughly researched overview of the historical and cultural evolution of the Spanish-speaking nation. By focusing on the three principle groups that contributed to the ethnic mix of the island --- the indigenous, the Spanish, the African, the author illustrates how the “Gran Encuentro” [“The Great Encounter”] and subsequent merger of the three distinct cultures across time have resulted in a unique Dominican culture. Cambeira also paints a realistic and clear historical linkage between Haitian and Dominican culture ---absolutely vital since one cannot possibly talk about one side of the island without automatically talking about the other side. In this manner, Cambeira offers explanations for the resurgent anti-Haitian phobia in the Dominican psyche. The book includes abundant geographical coverage and three appendixes that describe language peculiarities and other contemporary cultural and social concerns.