Haitian Americans


Haitian Americans are Americans of Haitian origin. The largest proportion of Haitians in the United States live in the South Florida area. In addition, they have settled in major Northeast cities such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. and in Chicago in the Midwest. Most are immigrants or their descendants from the mid-late 20th-century migrations to the United States. Haitian Americans represent the largest group within the Haitian diaspora.
In 2009 the US Census estimated that 830,000 Haitian Americans live in the U.S. During the 1960s and 1970s many Haitians emigrated to the U.S. to escape the oppressive conditions during the dictatorships of François "Papa Doc" and his son Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier. Political unrest, economic strains and natural disasters have supplied additional reasons for people to emigrate.

History

During the 18th century, the French colony of Saint-Domingue was the richest in the Caribbean, due to its massive production of sugar cane. This wealth was concentrated in the hands of a small minority of mostly French and European planters, who used slave labor from Sub-Saharan Africa to cultivate, harvest, and process their crops. Beginning in 1791, slaves revolted against their masters, fought against invading forces, and succeeded in forcing France to abolish slavery.
When France attempted later to reintroduce slavery, the former slaves again revolted and won their independence in 1804, declaring the Republic of Haiti, the second republic in the Western Hemisphere. The rebellion proved disruptive to the country's economy, however. Many wealthy colonists left, both white and free people of color. The freedmen wanted to cultivate their own plots rather than work on plantations. Many refugees from Saint-Domingue emigrated to the United States, taking their slaves with them, particularly to the New Orleans region, where they reinforced the existing French-speaking and African populations. Though France and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean were other major destinations for many immigrants, the United States was a much more popular destination.
While most of the early 19th-century emigrants from Haiti were from the upper classes, persistent conditions of poverty, as well as political unrest, eventually prodded many lower-class Haitians to emigrate as well. Altogether, there have been four periods of major migration to the United States in the history of Haiti: the initial wave at the turn of the 19th century, following the U.S. occupation from the 1915 to 1934, during the 1960s and 1970s to escape the Duvalier regime, and following the 2004 overthrow of Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
During the early 19th century, many Haitian immigrants helped found settlements in the French Empire, which would be later be the sites of Chicago and Detroit in modern day United States. After the Haitian revolution, many white French left Haiti for the New Orleans region, because of its strong French connection, despite being a part of the United States by then. They brought their black slaves with them, an action which doubled the black population in the New Orleans region. Haitian influence includes, that of Haitian Creole on the Louisiana Creole language and Haitian Voodoo on the Louisiana Voodoo religion.

20th century

Between 1957 and 1986, when the Duvaliers ruled Haiti, their political persecution of the opposition and suspected activists resulted in many Haitian professionals, the middle class, and students to emigrate to others countries. Haitians sought political asylum or permanent resident status in many countries such as the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, France, Dominican Republic and Canada. Between 1972 and 1977, 200,000 Haitians landed in South Florida, many of them settling in the neighborhood of Little Haiti.
In the late 20th century, there was a significant brain drain from Haiti as thousands of doctors, teachers, social workers and entrepreneurs moved to New York City and Miami. Other Haitians worked in restaurants and music stores. In the early 1980s, 40,000 Haitians who came to the United States seeking political asylum achieved permanent resident status. In 1991, there was another wave of Haitian boat people. But the administration of President Bill Clinton tried to discourage Haitian immigration. People were either detained and/or sent back to Haiti. Still, between 1995 and 1998, 50,000 Haitians obtained temporary legal status.

Immigration today

Political strife, marked with corruption, and intimidation led to many Haitians leaving the island for an opportunity of a better life. In addition, most of the migrants were from the poor masses; vast disparities existed between the Haitian wealthy elite and the poor. Suffering from less education, many have had difficulty flourishing in the United States. Waves of Haitians made it to the shores of Florida seeking asylum. Most of the foreign-born Haitians arrived during the mid to late 20th century
Today, Florida has the largest number of people of Haitian heritage. In 2000, Florida had 182,224 foreign-born Haitians, 43.5% of the total foreign-born population from Haiti in the United States. New York had the second-largest population of foreign-born Haitians, with 125,475, approximately 30% of the total. Haitian illegal immigrants continue to attempt to reach the shores of Florida and are routinely swept up by the United States Coast Guard; they are often repatriated. Civil rights groups have protested this treatment, remarking on the contrast to the asylum granted between the late 1950s and January 2017 to Cuban refugees.

Culture

Language and religion

Most recent Haitian immigrants speak French Creole and are either familiar with, or learn English. In Haiti, although French is an official language it is not widely spoken and understood. Most Haitians speak Creole in daily life.. Most native-born Haitian Americans speak English fluently, as do many immigrants. Many Spanish speaking countries like Cuba and Dominican Republic have significant Haitian populations, many Haitians who have lived there before moving to the United States, have some knowledge of the Spanish language, if not fluent.
Most Haitian Americans, like their counterparts in Haiti, are Roman Catholic. Some smaller Protestant and Mormon communities of Haitian Americans also exist, as does a population of Jehovah's Witnesses. Some individuals practice Vodoun, either in combination with Christianity or separately. Religion is very important in the life of Haitian Americans.

Adjustment and communities

The Haitians who emigrated to the United States brought many of their cultural practices and ideologies, as do all immigrants. Many foreign-born Haitians have set up their own businesses, initially to serve their communities. Thus, many established barbershops, bodegas and restaurants.
Haitian Americans have a visible cultural presence in Little Haiti, Miami and several nearby communities, such as Golden Glades and North Miami. The northern portions of the Miami metropolitan area have the highest concentrations of Haitians in the country, including Broward County and northern Miami-Dade County. Other significant Haitian-American communities are found in several neighborhoods of New York City, such as Flatbush, Crown Heights, Flatlands, East Flatbush, Canarsie and Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, Queens Village, Springfield Gardens, Laurelton and Rosedale in Queens, as well as Long Island and Rockland. However, Central Brooklyn, especially the Flatbush section, has the largest Haitian concentration in the NYC area, and the 2nd largest in the country outside South Florida.
The Mattapan section of Boston is considered the main center of Haitians in the city, though there are many other parts of the Boston area with significant numbers of Haitians. Growing Haitian communities have also formed in many other cities in the Northeast, like Providence, Philadelphia and North Jersey, as well as Orlando in Central Florida. In such centers, everyday conversations on the street may take place in Haitian Creole. Second-generation Haitian Americans have begun to gain higher-paying occupations, such as doctors and lawyers, and achieve higher levels of education. Several Haitian Americans have become professional athletes, mostly in the National Football League.
Significant Haitian populations are located in the US territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, Haitians receive refugee asylum, similar to the Wet feet, dry feet policy for Cubans going to Florida.

Youth

Since the 1950s, a new generation of young Haitian immigrants have entered the nation's schools. They have been the fastest growing and most ethnically diverse segment of America's child population. These Haitian youth are very diverse in the ways that they identify with Haiti and participate within their different communities.
These youth vary between those born in the US of immigrant parents, those who immigrated with their families as small children, those who immigrated recently under duress, and those who have come to attend colleges and universities. Many scholars refer to these Haitian youth as the “new second generation.” They say that identity formation among Haitian youth is based on many different factors, including first-generation modes of adaption, parental socio-economic status, length and place of residency, certain social constructions of a pluralistic American society, as well as others.
Education is a significant factor in the lives of Haitian American youth, particularly among those who aspire towards certain professions such as medicine and law. Many Haitian youth who immigrate have been trained in top Haitian middle schools, high schools, and colleges that prepare them for such pursuits. Because of this, many Haitian youth come to the United States in order to enter college.. In other cases, parents who do not have access to high-quality schools in Haiti may move to the United States to offer their children better opportunities.
Haitian-American youth express themselves creatively in different ways. For many immigrants, creative expression allows a certain connection to Haiti that keeps them bound to their roots, and allows them to maintain a sense of pride for that country while abroad. They may speak French and Haitian Creole in friend circles and in places such as home and church. Cooking traditional Haitian food, following Haitian music and musicians, and participating in Haitian styles of dance are other ways to keep connected with their roots. These aspects of creative expression allow Haitian youth to maintain a strong tie to their Haitian communities that, while informed by an American experience, also adds elements and nuances to American culture.

Media and social media presence

The Relief Effort

After the 2010 earthquake, the United States, the Government of Haiti and many countries around the world worked in tandem to manage global responses. The United States used social media platforms to keep up to date intel about the progress of relief/aid working in Haiti.
By the end of the first week of social media use, post earthquake, Haiti was the topic of one-third of all Twitter posts and the outlets to raise funds for relief aid had amassed $8 million.
Social media was also used to updates outside aid of on the ground happenings of relief for the subsequent Cholera outbreak. Haitian-Americans and Haitians living in the continental U.S. used social media listservs, such as Sakapfet to inquire about loved ones living on the island. Twitter also provided up to date information and continues to do so in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. Twitter also serves as a platform for Haitian Americans to speak out against the above-mentioned U.S. aid. Some Haitian Americans argue that the donations amassed in 2010, have had little effect on actually changing and/or aiding Haiti. Also in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Haitian Americans in Georgia and South Florida have created their own organizations, for example the Haitian American Nurses Association of Florida, to provide aid to Haiti, themselves.

Bloggers and social media

Haitian-Americans have been taking advantage of digital technologies and developments since they become available; for example the employment of radio shows, such as Radyo Lekol, to talk about Haitian life in an American context. In more recent times, however, Haitian Americans have taken to the internet as a forum. Many have sought to fill in, what they believe is, the void of diversity among influential social media users.
The Bien-Aime Post has agreed with this cause and has provided a list of Haitian American who use the internet to influence others and provide for the Haitian American audience; this list includes: Alice Baker, Ilio Durandis, Kat Cherie, Vivens Joachin, Kathleen Felix, Nelson Dehommes, Jan Venel Casseus, Garry Pierre-Pierre, Jean Junior-Joseph and Carel Pedre.

Demographics

U.S. states with largest Haitian populations

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there were 881,488 Haitian Americans living in the U.S.
The 10 U.S. states with the largest Haitian populations are:
  1. Florida - 424,101
  2. New York - 190,718
  3. Massachusetts - 73,201
  4. New Jersey - 49,340
  5. Pennsylvania - 21,178
  6. Georgia - 20,782
  7. Connecticut - 18,628
  8. Maryland - 12,148
  9. Illinois - 7,409
  10. California - 6,766

    U.S. metropolitan areas with largest Haitian populations

The largest populations of Haitians are situated in the following metropolitan areas:
  1. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL MSA - 308,605
  2. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA-CT MSA - 222,193
  3. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH MSA - 65,658
  4. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA - 36,443
  5. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA - 17,884
  6. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA MSA - 17,693
  7. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT MSA - 12,094
  8. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA - 11,554
  9. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA - 10,187
  10. Jacksonville, FL MSA - 7,767

    High percentages of Haitian ancestry by community

The 36 U.S. communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Haitian ancestry are:
%CommunityState
33.5%Golden GladesFlorida
33.0%North MiamiFlorida
23.0%El PortalFlorida
23.0%Spring ValleyNew York
19.9%North Miami BeachFlorida
18.3%RandolphMassachusetts
15.7%Lauderdale LakesFlorida
14.8%BrocktonMassachusetts
14.5%Lake ParkFlorida
14.4%EverettMassachusetts
13.9%Ives EstatesFlorida
13.8%ImmokaleeFlorida
12.1%Pine HillsFlorida
11.5%Belle GladeFlorida
11.4%OrangeNew Jersey
11.3%New CasselNew York
11.1%IrvingtonNew Jersey
10.8%North Valley StreamNew York
10.7%ElmontNew York
10.5%Delray BeachFlorida
10.0%MaldenMassachusetts
9.2%Biscayne ParkFlorida
9.2%Mangonia ParkFlorida
9.1%LauderhillFlorida
8.5%UniondaleNew York
8.3%Miami ShoresFlorida
8.1%Lake WorthFlorida
8.0%RoselleNew Jersey
7.8%NyackNew York
7.6%South NyackNew York
7.3%MedfordMassachusetts
7.0%RamapoNew York
7.0%Oakland ParkFlorida
6.9%Fort LauderdaleFlorida
6.7%Florida CityFlorida
6.7%North LauderdaleFlorida
6.7%Wilton ManorsFlorida
6.5%Boynton BeachFlorida
6.4%Asbury ParkNew Jersey
6.4%Fort PierceFlorida
6.0%MiltonMassachusetts
6.0%MiramarFlorida

Notable people