Sonia Pierre and the Struggle for Citizenship in the Dominican Republic Barnard Center for Research on Women

Sonia Pierre (1963-2011), mobilized communities in the
Dominican Republic to advocate for citizenship and human rights for
Dominicans of Haitian descent. As the director of Movimiento de Mujeres
Dominico-Haitiana (MUDHA), she used legal challenges in domestic and
international courts to defend the citizenship rights of first and
second generation children born on Dominican soil. This panel highlights
the activism of young women who are moving forward with Sonia Pierre's
work on behalf of Dominicans of Haitian descent, and addresses the
question of how international pressure impacts efforts by marginalized
groups to demand recognition. Panelists include Manuela (Solange) Pierre, Sonia Pierre’s oldest
daughter, and the founder and coordinator of the Dominican Network of
Young African Descendants (Red Dominicana de Jóvenes Afrodescendientes);
Ninaj Raoul, the Executive Director of Haitian Women for Haitian
Refugees; Monisha Bajaj, Associate Professor of International and
Comparative Education at Teachers College; Minerva Leticia Solange,
daughter of Sonia Pierre; and Miriam Neptune (moderator), video producer
and director of Birthright Crisis, an award-winning documentary
depicting the cycle of deportation and violence faced by Dominicans of
Haitian descent.