Cultural influences: The culture and how it developed can not be seperated from the colonial time. The spanish influence is the strongest, not only in the language but also in the way of building and even a bit in their personal conduct. Even their catholic relegion is a remnant from the spanish influence. Allthough the influence from the African slaves has not been as big here, as like the Voodoo-cult in Haiti, there are still some influence noticeable, like for example: carrying things on the head, cooking on small charcoal fires and even the way they treat illness with herbs.

Influence of the original population, the Tainos,who dissapeared within a few decades, are best seen today in the way they build their huts, called bohío. (This name was given by the Tainos.) Other influences are from the Canary Islands, the Jewish European, Asians, Cubans, Italians and Americans.

Haitians: The Haitians used to come accross the border to work in the sugarcane fields. Not always voluntarily because even in Haiti it was known that the labor conditions had gone really bad, and that the wages were very low as well. Haitians were lured to come to work by the most beautiful promises, whilst the conditions under which they had to work, were hardly any different than those of slavery.