The Dominican Republic is home to the largest stateless population in the Western Hemisphere. In 2013, an estimated 200,000 Dominicans were stripped of their nationality after the country’s Constitutional Court overturned birthright citizenship and retroactively revoked citizenship going back to 1929. 86% were Dominicans of Haitian descent, who mainly reside in the bateys, small communities that formed around the country’s sugar cane industry.

Within the past few years, the crisis has escalated. Gang violence and a humanitarian crisis sent thousands of Haitians fleeing into the neighboring Dominican Republic. In response, the Dominican government unveiled a plan to deport 10,000 people each week and Dominicans of Haitian descent are facing unprecedented violence and detainments.

The goal of “Somos Dominicanos Como Tú” is to show life in the batey through all facets which includes joy, beauty, and resilience, but also poverty and the fear of deportation. The photographs are made after a decade of building trust and relationships with the community members who share their stories, dreams, and worries for their future in the Dominican Republic, the only country they have ever known.