The Borders of Dominicanidad

"A magnificent far-ranging volume that examines the history, politics, and meaning of Afro-dominicanidad in all its glorious thorny complexity. Lorgia García-Peña pursues her claim with a wide-ranging intersectional rigor . . . For those who seek to pierce the murky racial legacies that continue to envelop the Dominican Republic—and by extension the rest of our world—The Borders of Dominicanidad is a beacon." - Junot Díaz

"In this groundbreaking and unique book Lorgia García-Peña brings the oft-forgotten Caribbean to the center of analysis of both U.S. empire and subject formation. Instead of capitulating to the argument that Haiti bears the burden of signifying blackness in the Hispanic Caribbean, she presents case studies in violence as national history that move us away from the gravity point of the Trujillo regime as the most important period in the definition of dominicanidad. The Borders of Dominicanidad will be the pivotal and necessary bridge between Dominican and Haitian studies." - Nicole M. Guidotti-Hernandez, author of Unspeakable Violence: Remapping U.S. and Mexican National Imaginaries

"[A] contribution to the emancipation of translocal histories and of individuals as well." - Pedro Reina-Pérez, ReVista

"[A] valuable addition to the body of literature on the subjects of Haiti–Dominican Republic relations and Dominican anti-Haitianism.”
  - F. S. J. Ledgister, Hispanic American Historical Review

"Rich and insightful. . .  Peña’s work is an interesting read and should provoke scholarly discussion and debate on the topic for a long time to come." - Richard T. Middleton IV, Ethnic and Racial Studies

"A historically grounded, meticulously researched, and thoughtful analysis. . . . Among the book’s many strengths are its readable and jargon-free prose, its detailed analysis of events that have received little attention in Dominican history and literature, and its investigation of 'never-beforestudied evidence based documents found in historical archives in Santo Domingo, Port-au-Prince, and Washington D.C.' (15). . . . A brave and successful effort to unearth and honor the truths that get silenced by hegemonic narratives." - Sobeira Latorre, The Latin Americanist

"García-Peña’s book stands out as historically and culturally far ranging, socially aware and sensitive, yet analytically tight with its clear framing of borders as real and borders perceived as constructs to be interrogated and challenged. . . . At a time when so much commentary seeks to divide and separate, both within and between nations, it is refreshing to find a work that, at its heart, is about unifying humanity. By revealing contradictions that subvert establishment control over language and history, García-Peña successfully unmasks and undermines border mythologies designed to define dominicanidad in terms of difference. In doing so, she makes a compelling argument for giving voice to dictions that speak not of separation but of unity among people." - Jeffery Morris, Journal of Global South Studies