The Black Americans of Samaná (Short)



There are hundreds of African Americans living in the Dominican Republic, and they aren’t passport bros! And they’ve been here since the 1800s.

I sat down with anthropologist Ryan Mann-Hamilton to talk about the free African Americans who built a community in Samaná with their own culture and language. Though the exact number of folks who still speak Samaná English is still disputed, what’s undeniable is that their culture has survived hundreds of years.

Check out the full story (with all the nuance I couldn’t fit here) on my channel.

Sources:
Library of Congress
World Atlas
El Caribe
Penn Museum
Forgotten Migrations from the United States to Hispaniola Forgotten Migrations from the United States to Hispaniola by Ryan Mann-Hamilton
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#samaná #samanacity #dominicanrepublic #blackhistory #dominicanrepublictravel #dominicanhistory

22 Replies to “The Black Americans of Samaná (Short)

  1. Great reminder of true history; However Dominican, and Hatian has a fragile relationship, because of that same colonisation.
    Same to some extent across the Caribbean.
    Look what has, and is happening in Cuba.

  2. My father is from Samana. The majority of last names over there are English including my
    Johnson, pool,
    My grandfather spoke English. Never taught his children to speak English Now I Iive in the United States. 😂

  3. It's amazing how FBAs history is being manipulated with other immigrants history! 1st speaker dwells in your own identity. Clearly, you're not an FBA! Learn about yourself, and embrace your own history…

  4. Education and knowledge is free (until it's colonized). Thank you for sharing golden nuggets of information that help to expand my curiosity. I get to do my own diligence through reading more about the rich stories of black indigeneity, beyond the fears of the opaques.

  5. To the people who commented here about Samaná. Is not about the content. Samaná has always been a tourist destination, which is why its people are kind and welcoming; they live from tourism, and that is perfectly fine. However, living there or visiting, as well as traveling to Punta Cana, does not make someone knowledgeable about the island. That is not the same reality. Tourist areas do not represent an entire country, one marked by segregation, classism, corruption, and poverty. It's so sad seem how people think our country is and how they describe our society just based on a tourist place.

  6. This is so enriching! I am in the Dominican Republic right now, a few hours from Samaná. I need to check this out. ✊🏾💪🏾♥️. Thx sis!

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