The Parsley Massacre (oct 2, 1937 – oct 8, 1937)

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The Parsley Massacre, also known as the Hispaniola Massacre or El Corte, occurred in 1937 in the Dominican Republic. This brutal campaign was initiated by Rafael Trujillo, the country's dictator at the time, targeting the Haitian population living along the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Trujillo believed that he needed to "whiten" the population, thinking that the nation would prosper more by eliminating Haitian influence and African heritage, while infusing European ways of life.

Motivated by a desire for a singular national identity and fueled by fear of Haitians, Trujillo's regime launched the massacre. In October 1937, thousands of Haitian immigrants and Dominicans of Haitian descent were killed. Dominican military forces stormed the streets and attacked anyone suspected of being Haitian with machetes.

The name "Parsley Massacre" comes from one method used to identify Haitians. Soldiers would ask suspected Haitians to pronounce the word for parsley in Spanish, which is "perejil." If a person's pronunciation included difficulty with the "r" sound, they were deemed Haitian, as Haitians primarily speak French or Creole and typically struggle with that pronunciation. Those who could not correctly pronounce "perejil" were executed.

It is estimated that between 20,000 and 30,000 Haitians were killed during this horrific event. The ramifications of Trujillo's campaign and the massacre continue to haunt the Dominican government, even decades after his assassination in 1961. Trujillo's oppressive policies still exert influence over Dominican society and politics today.

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