A historical trauma in dominican-haitian relations: The haitian massacre of 1937

Abstract

The 1937 Haitian massacre, also known as “El Corte” or the “Parsley Massacre,” represents one of the most tragic episodes in Dominican-Haitian relations. Between October 2 and 5, thousands of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent were killed along the border and in other regions of the country, in a state-sponsored act of violence ordered by Rafael Leónidas Trujillo. Beyond the disputed number of victims, the massacre must be understood as a political project aimed at consolidating national identity through the rejection of Afro-Caribbean heritage. This article examines the event in its historical, political, and cultural dimensions, linking it to other twentieth-century genocides and to the dynamics of exclusion that persist today. The discussion incorporates recent contributions on historical memory, structural racism, and migration, emphasizing that the massacre represents a transgenerational trauma that continues to shape diplomatic and social relations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It concludes that recognizing this episode as genocide and promoting critical memory policies are essential to advancing a culture of peace, binational reconciliation, and respect for human rights in the contemporary Caribbean.