After two weeks of reading, In the Time of the Butterflies, a historical novel set in the Dominican Republic during the authoritarian reign of Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961), my Global Hispaniola class had the remarkable opportunity to meet with its acclaimed author, Julia Alvarez. Alvarez has published twenty-four books of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry and has received many awards, including the National Medal of Arts.
Dr. Alvarez, a former professor at Middlebury College, visited St. Mary’s College on September 25 to present the Francis A. McAnaney Humanities Lecture. After our professor, Dr. Karen Richman reached out to her to tell her about our unique class on Haitians and Dominicans, Dr. Alvarez enthusiastically agreed to meet with us.
Before our meeting with the iconic author, I expected a formal Q&A session, but it turned out to be a real conversation that tied history to our lives. We began with introductions: each student told a bit about themselves and their heritage. I shared my background being born in Haiti and coming to this country at the age of four. Dr. Alvarez also shared her story: she was ten years old in 1960 when her family fled to the United States.
She then presented slides she had made just for us. She talked about the Trujillo dictatorship and her work with Border of Lights, an organization she co-founded to promote peace between Haitians and Dominicans. She showed us photos and videos of the people involved. Seeing the faces behind the work made the history feel alive.
Professor Richman brought up Christopher Columbus and his complicated legacy, both at Notre Dame with its Columbian murals and in Santo Domingo, with his monument lighthouse tomb. Dr. Alvarez linked that to her novel and explained how Trujillo used history to create a false national identity.
She said, “Trujillo had Congress pass a declaration that we were officially a Spanish, Caucasian nation, even though we’re 80% mixed race.” Learning that Trujillo had a Haitian grandmother while spreading anti-Haitian sentiment made the politics of that time hit harder.
When it was our turn, we each shared something about ourselves and how our stories showed how deeply this topic connects us all. We were able to ask two questions before the session ended. Mariya Grace ‘26 asked about the relationship of Dominican spirituality to language. Dr. Alvarez answered by invoking the concept of silence, a theme that runs through much of her work.
She said, “It’s the silence that contains all languages,” and that through art, we can “touch the silence.”
My question was also about silence–the suppression of the massacre of up to 20,000 Haitians in October 1937, under Trujillo’s orders–and the way that the perpetuation of this silence continues to contribute to prejudice against people of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic today. Dr. Alvarez explained that the lack of media and free press have let the government control the story.
This session provided me with a new perspective on the book and history itself. It stopped feeling distant or academic. It felt close, like something still shaping our lives. History isn’t stuck in books. It’s in our families, our memories, and what we decide to stand for.