Push for Creole courses in schools stokes historic anti-Haitian feeling in Dominican Republic

A Dominican lawmaker, Julio César Beltré of the ruling Partido Revolucionario Moderno, introduced a bill in early September 2026 requiring public schools to offer Haitian Creole courses, arguing it reflects practical need in border communities like his home province of Azua. The bill triggered swift backlash rooted in nationalist narratives dating to the 1822–1844 Haitian occupation, with critics framing it as a step toward unwanted unification.

Haitian Creole is already the Dominican Republic's second most spoken language, reflecting a Haitian immigrant population estimated at 500,000 to several million, yet it remains excluded from signage and public services like hospitals. Similar proposals have been rejected before, including a 2017 statement from a teachers union president warning it would make Dominicans ‘think like Haitians.’

President Luis Abinader, also of the PRM, publicly said on September 14 that he does not support the bill ‘in the slightest,’ distancing the party from its own member's proposal even as the government reported deporting more than 226,000 Haitians in the first half of the year.

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