Diaspora

One of the most distinctive aspects of Haitian culture is generousity.  If you are well and truly screwed, somebody will step up to help you.  Since the start of the pandemic, Haitian immigrant and Miami resident Doramise Moreau has cooked 1,000 meals a week on top of her job as a janitor.  The next time a politician disparages Haiti or the Haitian Diaspora, let us remember and share stories about the kindness and decency of people like Doramise.  The article in the Miami Times follows.  

Hurricane Dorian was the most catastrophic storm to affect the Bahamas to date.  Residents, which include many Haitians, continue to suffer.  As before the earthquake, some parts of civil society continue to stigmatise Haitians while others protect them. As the country preapres to rebuilds, undocumented Haitians worry about the possibility of forced deportation.  The Bahamian government has not issues an official statement but the Prime Minister has told hurricane-affected Haitians that they haven nothing to fear.  Haitians are part of the fabric of Bahamian society and will also need to be part of the rebuilding effort.   The full article by Jacquline Charles and Nicholas Nehamas of the Miami Herald is linked and below. 

Haiti is a troubled but beautiful country, more sinned against than sinning, betrayed at times even by even those who claim to be its friends.  Many who have lived or worked in Haiti know the kindness, the decency, and the resiliency of the Haitian people - this is where the true beauty of the country lies.  For those who have not had the chance, take a bit of time to learn about Haiti.  Here is a brief National Geographic Video about Haitian photographers who portray their communities as they, rather than others, see them.  Older blogs on "Haiti in Photos" (Part One and Part Two) show Haiti as it really is rather than people perceive it to be. Finally below is an article by Mother Jones writer Nathalie Baptiste on the responsibility that countries such as the United States and France bear for Haiti's current situation. 

As the United States has stepped back from humanitarian leadership, Canada and Mexico have stepped up.  Rather than deporting Haitains who had become stranded in Mexico trying to reach the United States, the Mexican government has offered them one year renewable visas allowing them to work.  This has benefitted the Haitian migrants and it has also benefitted Mexico, which now has a new and manageable pool of very hard workers. It is a good example of solidartiy in a world that is sorely in need of more of it.  The full article by AP journalist Elliot Spagat follows. 

The current administration has granted undocumented Haitians in the United States an additional six months of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), protecting them from deportation...at least for now.  The Department of Homeland Security has warned that this may be the final six months of TPS and Haitians should prepare for return.  It is difficult to imagine how Haiti can absorb 60,000 returnees at this point in time - especially those who would be returning to the hurricane affected Grande Anse.  Due in large part to Hurricane Matthew, the economy is expected to contract ths year.  Additional information follows in a Miami Herald article by Jacqueline Charles below.  

You don't have to go to Haiti to experience live Haitian music. There are venues in Boston, New York City, Montreal, and Miami that feature Haitian music a swell as annual festivals, the best of which is Miami's Compas Festivals.  It has always been outdoors, features many different musicians, and count on a large, enthusiastic audience.  An article by the Miami Herald's Jacqueline Charles about how the the Compas Festival has evolved over the years, and the challenges it still faces, follow.  More information and tickets are available here.