Shut Up and Dribble

 

Haiti: A Failed State, Not A Failed People

Prominent Haïtien-Americans include singer Wyclef Jean, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, writer Edwidge Danticat, former Utah Congresswoman Mia Love, and current Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormack. The Chrysler 300 was designed by Ralph Gilles; Reggie Fils-Aimé is the former President of Nintendo America. Vanessa Cantave is the co-founder and executive chef of the catering company Yum Yum. 

When we consider nations such as Haiti, we often concentrate on the failure(s) of the state and translate this as a failure of its people. So while such state failure exists, and as pointed out in this chapter, much of it is a consequence of external constraints. This failure, and yes, is also associated with the caprice, malice, and troubles orchestrated by some of its leaders; we must still separate the actions of these "state" actors and those of its people. In this final section, we shall look at the continual struggle of these people to valiantly, against all odds, be successful, change the course of their destiny, and breathe free. The struggle to be free is associated with the decision to immigrate -by any means necessary. Investigating these decisions allows us to see the wonder of these great people. 

Immigration, quotas, and refugee status

Enslaved and free Haitians have been immigrating to the United States since the colonial period. The United States has the largest concentration of Haitian migrants in the world (687,000), followed by the Dominican Republic (496,000), Chile (237000), Canada (101,000), and France (85,000). But the largest group of Haitian immigrants arrived in 1972 and continues to this day. This number tripled between 1990 and 2018. (Olsen-Medina and Batalova, 2020)  In 1972 thousands of Haitians, later termed "boat people," arrived in South Florida, seeking political asylum from the persecution of Haitian dictator Jean Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier." Cuban and Bahamian residents aided their journey, providing shelter, clothing, and water. They arrived with little more than the clothes on their back. Rather than enjoying protected refugee status as articulated in the United Nations Convention and Protocol, the U.S. categorized the Haitians as economic refugees, not political refugees. The distinction is important because they could be deported without due process. Despite the odds, Haitians continued to seek freedom in the United States. In 1980, 300,000 and 400,000 entered the U.S. Most of these were deported back. (Alexander 2022)   A second wave of Haitians fled after the 1991 military coup supplanted the democratically elected Jean -Bertrand Aristide. Following this coup, tens of thousands of Haitians again took to boats heading for the United States. Thousands of Haitians were held at Guantanamo Bay to avoid U.S. legal entanglements. This was formalized by the executive order of George Bush in 2002. In this order, Guantanamo Bay became the MJigrant Operations Center for those people interdicted and detained at sea. This policy was continued under the Biden administration, affecting Haitian migrants disproportionally. Another policy, initiated under the Obama administration and accelerated under the Trump administration, has led to an increased number of migrants being detained in Tijuana. This policy, known as "metering," only allows a specific number of people to enter the southern border daily. Despite formal U.S. policy, over 1,084 055 Haitians were residing in the U.S. in 2019. These policies, clearly rooted in anti-Black racism, disproportionately affect Haitians and subject them to mistreatment, cruelty, and what many consider to be violations of basic human rights. (Wolf, 2021)  They live in South Florida and New York City, and their story is one of success, not failure.

Source: Haiti's Turnaround and its Impact on Remittances - The Dialogue

Political and economic stability not only leads to immigration, but these migrants often send money back to relatives through remittances. So even as the economy deteriorated due to export and foreign assistance declines, natural disasters and remittances increased. Remittances of slightly over $3 billion accounted for 23 percent of the GDP in 2022 and were the largest source of Haiti's foreign exchange (see above figure). (Inter-American Dialogue 2022)