The origins of anti-Haitian and anti-black nationalist ideologies in the Dominican Republic have long been central to debates among the historians, political scientists, and journalists who wish to understand the relationship between popular expressions of Dominican identity and official nationalism.

In The Mulatto Republic, April Mayes looks at the many ways Dominicans define themselves through race, skin color, and culture. She explores significant historical factors and events that have led the nation, for much of the twentieth century, to favor privileged European ancestry and Hispanic cultural norms such as the Spanish language and Catholicism.

Mayes seeks to discern whether contemporary Dominican identity is a product of the Trujillo regime--and, therefore, only a legacy of authoritarian rule--or is representative of a nationalism unique to an island divided into two countries long engaged with each other in ways that are sometimes cooperative and at other times conflicted. Her answers enrich and enliven an ongoing debate.

April J. Mayes is associate professor of history at Pomona College.