“Eso no es Kreyòl”

Abstract Haitians have immigrated to the neighboring Dominican Republic in large numbers since the early twentieth century. Their language, Haitian Creole (Kreyòl), can be heard while walking down almost any Dominican street, and inside of Dominican schools, churches, restaurants, and office buildings. However, the language is highly stigmatized inside the country, which has led to varying levels of language shift and bilingualism among Dominicans of Haitian descent. This research offers a contemporary examination of language attitudes towards Haitian Creole in a community of Dominicans of Haitian descent. Using 4 ethnolinguistic interviews conducted in 2022 in a former batey (sugarcane mill) town in the Dominican Republic, the author provides a case study of the complex sociolinguistic situation that many Dominicans of Haitian descent face. Focus is placed on how demographic shifts and other sociocultural factors have impacted the language choices of Haitians in this bilingual context. This research finds that a speakers command of Haitian Creole – or lack thereof – greatly impacts their sense of ethnolinguistic identity and group belonging within the Haitian diaspora.