Racism in the Dominican Republic has played a major role in the construction of Dominican government, culture, and identity. Since colonization, the Dominican Republic has negotiated the construction of racial hierarchies. The nation's historically fraught relationship with Haiti informed its Anti-Haitismo. Prejudice during the US occupation embedded racism in the structure of the state. Rafael Trujillo’s authoritarian regime leveraged white Dominican identities in anti-black and Anti-Haitian rhetoric. These historical contexts laid the foundation for contemporary struggles with racism.