People are people/La gente es la gente

I planned this post for a later date with the intent of observing more about Dominican culture and the way people behave with one another and with me. I don't think I need more time here to understand that Dominicans are pretty cool people.

In my week here, with 14 weeks ahead of me here, I've seen the best and worst of human nature between my two worlds. In America, I've experienced first-hand the worst of human nature: selfishness, rudeness, and hatred. In the DR, I've experienced first-hand the best of human nature: compassion, generosity, and acceptance. My peers in my home nation have treated me badly. My peers here treat me kindly, and they barely know me.

I have to admit to being foolish in thinking that the people in the Dominican Republic would be different from those in the US. I've found that here, we're all just people. We work. We attend school. We dance, laugh, eat, speak, and do everything that humans do. We share a world. So we're not so different in that, but we're different in how we relate to one another and how we treat each other.

I've experienced profound disrespect in the US. Someone's always there to tell me I'm wrong, with scorn. Someone's always there to put me down. In a word, haters. And yes, they are going to hate.

This is a stark contrast to the Dominicans I've met. I make mistakes daily here, beyond just the language. They're here to help me when I get words wrong or when I don't understand how to do something here. In America, there's a myth that there are no stupid questions. Rude responses to questions can leave you feeling stupid for asking, and deter you from seeking help again. Often times, seeking help is seen as a weakness in America.

Here, no question is stupid. A question is just another human interaction, a chance for connection and communication. Dominican kindness is abundant.

What blows my mind is that in the States, I am well known for what I can do. Especially in my work and my academics. And yet I've run into more than a few people who refuse to believe that I'm credible, or who behave like I'm an ignorant worm because I don't know all the things that they know. The Dominicans I've met don't even know what I can do. They don't know that I love baseball and I'm here to learn their game from them. They don't know that the beating of my heart moves in time with Latin jazz. They don't know that I'm fascinated by this region and if they'll let me, I'll dedicate my life to understanding them better and making the world understand them better. But they will know. Or maybe they already know why I'm here. Maybe they can see the eagerness to learn and to embrace a new culture and they're already responding to that.

I know that it's not perfect here. I'm sure if I looked hard enough, I could find examples of hatred and selfishness. But what I know is, I just be myself wherever I go. In the States, that's not good enough. Here, it's exactly what they want and need from me.

It leaves me to wonder why I should go back to a place that doesn't want me. Or, why I should go back to a place that only wants me so the people can feed on my fear and anger.

I'll tell you, if it weren't for the fact that I have a good job, a journalism career, my boyfriend, and a year-long lease in the States, I wouldn't be breaking my neck to go back. But those leases are a bitch to get out of.