Spanish nationals feel they are "looked down" upon
Virgin Islands News Online sat down with several DR citizens, who for the most part stated that the jobs being offered to them are either in bars, supermarkets, construction and hair salons. Some work as domestic workers.
East End resident Johanna Christopher, who believes that the current population of Dominican Republic nationals are about 10 percent of population, has been living on Tortola for the past 25 years.
She stated that around 80 percent of her country mates are descendants of Virgin Islanders that worked in the old days in DR.“So many of our people are here for a better opportunity, I know of many persons who came here have a good education but because of the language barrier they can’t get the job they might have wanted,” she revealed.
She is suggesting that Government have a desk set up to deal solely with the Spanish community because many of the Government Departments employees do not speak the language, which could lead to frustrating situations.
“Sometimes the employee is not giving them a hard time, but they (DR nationals) just sometime feel they are being discriminated because of where they are from….many of them would approach me to assist in filling their work permit and visa forms as well,” Ms. Christopher stated.
Cognizant of the fact that persons may say “if you come to another country, you need to learn the language”, Ms. Christopher admitted that while that may be true some feel that because of the type of work they do, English is not a priority.
“But I know of some who have been trying to improve which is a good thing.”
In the interim though, Ms. Christopher is suggesting that some of the government related forms should have Spanish on them to make it easier for all.
Meanwhile, an attractive young woman, who works at one of the bars in Road Town, revealed that she has a Degree in Management from DR but when she arrived here the only decent job she could find was working at a bar.
Wishing to remain anonymous, the 23 year-old told this news agency that sometimes she has to fend off unwanted attention from the male patrons. "I know that I am one of the eye candies of this place, but sometimes it can be very disgusting. The men can be lewd and when you ignore them, some of them say why are you in our country. I think that is disrespectful.”
With a sigh she added, “To be honest the money is good and I am really helping out my family back home. Me being an ambitious lady will do this for another year or two then move on.”
Commenting on the perception that many of the women try “to take away the men”, Lousia Delgado, a hair dresser, laughed and stated, “That is so not true. As they say some bad apples have spoilt the whole barrel. We are being judged for what a few have done. Most times the Spanish women are linked to the Spanish men. We are loving people so maybe that is what men find appealing but I can assure you we are not here to steal anyone, that’s just ignorance.”
However, one young lady, who said her name was Ana, disclosed for the past three years she has been a domestic worker and is looking to better herself. With a heavy accent she admitted, “I am not treated well at all. I guess because of my English my boss takes advantage. I work for $3 per hour to clean their filth.”
According to her, the only reason she is enduring the situation for so long is because her husband and three children are depending on her in the Dominican Republic.
However, Ana is optimistic because she has applied to a Road Town hotel where she is likely to get a job with the Housekeeping Unit. “At least I will be paid more and will get tips”.
Furthermore, the daily sight of DR men standing around the O’Neal Gas Station in Road Town and the Purcell Estate main entrance was addressed by Miguel Rodrigues.
The experienced Mason stated that jobs in the construction field are dwindling. “Sometimes I don’t work for days on end, which can be very frustrating. It will boil down to the economy. Hopefully it will get a boost soon.”
Asked why he doesn’t return home, the DR national bluntly stated “things are not better there either. Unemployment is high, the crime rate is getting out of control, so I refer to stay here and if things don’t get better in construction I may just become a barber.”
While several others wished not be quoted, it was the consensus that they were looked down at by Virgin Islanders and other Caribbean nationals and are hoping that one day that trend will change and they can be looked at with respect.
The Spanish residents used in this article are also referred to as Hispanics or Latinos.
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