La Linea AA 

“La Linea Doble A” is a popular saying from the 1980s when people were asked how they will travel to Puerto Rico and eventually to New York. The answer was “agua por delante y agua por detras” - meaning water in front and water behind. This phrase was a lighthearted way to describe the dangerous journey through the Mona Canal where thousands of people have lost their lives in the pursuit of a better life.

“Apocalyptic scenarios like the one described above are not unusual in the daily lives of Dominicans. Hundreds of undocumented boats exit the eastern coasts of the Dominican Republic every year with thousands of people in search of life. Many encounter only death in the journey. Others are returned. Others reach their goal. The question still remains, Why do people risk their lives? What is the meaning of “there is no life here” (aquí no hay vida). In the search for life Dominicans engage in a suicidal attempt to remedy their misery in the homeland. In their attempt to cross the Mona Strait in fragile embarkations (yolas), they have also created one of the saddest tragedies in the history of the Caribbean… beyond poverty and other structural forces, the ideology of free trade is an important component pushing Dominicans to migrate.”

“The Dominican Republic is a good example of massive international migration. During the 1980s, hundreds of thousands of Dominicans—mostly women—abandoned their homeland seeking a life abroad. The Dominican Republic was the leading nation sending new immigrants to New York City during the 1980s and 1990s (Ricourt 2002). From 1989 to 1991 more than 20,000 Dominicans have migrated to Spain, and a similar number migrated to other European nations. The Dominican population in Puerto Rico has grown from 1,812 people in 1960 to 61,455 in 2000 (Duany 2005). The restructuring of the Dominican economy plays a significant role in this development in a number of ways. For example, the Dominican Republic’s economic growth is higher than any other country in Latin America and the Caribbean, showing success in global economic developments and free trade.”

Ref: Ricourt Milagros . Reaching the promised land: Undocumented Dominican migration to Puerto Rico. Centro Journal [en linea]. 2007, XIX(2), 324-343[fecha de Consulta 11 de Febrero de 2024]. ISSN: 1538-6279.

Disponible en:https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=37719212