Victoria Thomen  (2011 - 2016)

Since early childhood, I have been drawn to documenting life in the bateyes scattered throughout the Dominican Republic. These communities, often isolated near sugar cane fields, shaped this long-term project through years of observation and research. 

From its earliest history, Hispaniola was a major center for sugarcane cultivation and processing. In the 16th century, when Bartolomé de las Casas lived on the island, the indigenous labor force was quickly replaced by African slaves forcibly brought to work in agricultural production.

In the 19th century, migration across the Dominican Republic's border with Haiti intensified, as Haitian workers entered the country to meet the growing demands of the sugar industry. Over time, plantation owners allowed these laborers, known as "braceros," to settle in small communities called bateyes. Often overlooked and underserved, these villages grew around the needs of the fields, with little support from either the private or public sector.

Despite the Dominican Republic's position as one of the world's leading sugar producers, the benefits of the industry have rarely reached the workers who cut sugar cane by hand. While plantations have profited from high yields, the bateyes have remained marked by overcrowding, isolation, and neglect.

The residents of the bateyes, whether born there or brought there by circumstance, continue to live with limited access to education, healthcare, transportation, electricity, and sanitation.

Early sexual activity among adolescents in the bateyes has been linked to higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases and early pregnancy among vulnerable girls. Research shows that first pregnancy can occur at a very young age, often around 14, with some cases of sexual initiation beginning before age 12. 

The natural energy and sexuality of young people in the bateyes emerge in an environment shaped by limited education, unstable family structures, economic hardship, scarce employment, few recreational opportunities, and overcrowded living conditions.

The purpose of this project is to offer a truthful glimpse into the daily lives of batey residents. It seeks to portray their hardship, routines, joys, sorrows, and customs while honoring their humanity. The intention was to approach them without judgment and to document their presence with respect.

In the bateyes, life moves slowly, and many inhabitants endure severe deprivation beneath the silence of night.