Iona in Mission put on an event to showcase the work that they had accomplished in the Dominican Republic on April 30.

Thirteen students, along with moderators Dr. Tricia Mulligan and Dr. Tommy Van Cleave, took a 10 day trip to the Dominican Republic in order to experience the hardships that those native to the island have to deal with everyday.

There they were faced with the issue of the stateless Dominicans. Last fall, the Dominican constitutional court ruled that hundreds of thousands of Dominicans of foreign descent would be stripped of their citizenship. These people are now classified as stateless and are living without basic human rights.

Senior Ryan Bacci approached Mulligan about the trip last year with the original intent to visit Haiti. However, a travel warning about visiting the country was issued and the plans had to be changed.

“We decided to then go to the Dominican Republic since they share an island,” he said.

Bacci explained that the economic problems in the Dominican Republic were just as bad as they were in Haiti.

During the event, students who went on the trip presented photos and a video that showcased the hardships and struggles that they witnessed in the country.

One of the presentations showcased men and children who would go to the garbage dump and look for any scraps of food that were salvageable.

Another slideshow showcased the poor living conditions. The photos displayed houses that were flooded and children with no shoes on.

One of the projects that the group worked on during their trip was helping out with the construction of a new house.

Mulligan expressed her concern and sadness about the living conditions.

“It’s one thing to see poverty,” she said. “But it’s another to take what you’ve learned and take it to the next level.”

In the midst of the event, the group passed out post cards addressed to Congressman Eliot Engel, urging him to consider the matter of the stateless people in the DR.

Engel is the representative for New Rochelle and the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The group hopes that having the dozens of audience members sign these requests, it will put pressure on the congressman to bring action to the issue.

One of the most touching moments for Bacci was meeting Joel, a 19-year-old high school graduate who wanted to go to college, but couldn’t due to a recently passed law.

The law dictates that any person that is of Haitian descent, whether that be that they were born in Haiti or their parents or grandparents who were born in Haiti, is not a citizen of the Dominican Republic.

Therefore, Joel is prohibited from furthering his education since he is no longer considered a Dominican citizen.

Although no trip to the Dominican Republic is being planned for the near future, Mulligan is hopeful that she can go again.

“It was the most amazing experience,” she said. “I hope we can again.”