We are Haiti’s neighbor. Let’s be a good one now.

There are now about 8,000 Rhode Islanders of Haitian descent contributing to the state’s immigrant culture and economy. (Getty image)

In April, the United States resumed deporting Haitians on flights to Haiti. 

For those who have not been following the situation, Haiti has been in acute chaos for months. Violent gangs have taken control of major cities, and very recently, the prime minister resigned under international pressure amid accusations of both corruption and incompetence. Haitian refugees are arriving in America, mostly by coming over the southern border, or by overstaying tourist and study visas. 

Haiti can seem, to an outside observer, to be mysteriously unfortunate and persistently unsuccessful. But it becomes more understandable when you examine Haiti’s history. 

During the 18th century, Haiti was the “richest” island colony in the Atlantic world. The labor of enslaved African and Indigenous people generated tremendous wealth for its French colonial rulers. In the late 18th century, when Revolutionary movements were throwing off oppressive governments in America, and in France, the French took steps to tighten their hold on the enslaved population of Haiti. Who then revolted.

The Haitian Revolution was long, bloody, and resulted in the ouster or death of all white owners, and the creation of a free, Black governed nation in 1803. Haitians celebrate the founding of their nation on Saturday, May 18. 

But the Haitian Revolution also terrified the slaveholding governments in Europe and the Americas, who would not recognize or trade with Haiti. As a result, the new Haitian government was forced to enter into an agreement to pay the French back for the loss of their colony and human “property.” The loans that Haiti took out to pay these “reparations,” including from American banks, kept much of the population in poverty for 100 years. The last of the interest on these loans was not paid until 1947. 

Haiti can seem, to an outside observer, to be mysteriously unfortunate and persistently unsuccessful. But, it becomes more understandable when you examine Haiti’s history.

So no one should be surprised that Haiti is poor, and its government dysfunctional. A tradition of extracting wealth from the land and its people has continued through bad government, corrupt elites and the support of international interference, including, again, by the United States. It is a mess, and a crying shame.  

I am reminded of the quote that Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously cited from Sarah Moore Grimké (1792–1873), an abolitionist, women’s rights activist, and social justice warrior generally. She said “But I ask no favors for my sex… All I ask of our brethren is, that they will take their feet from off our necks, and permit us to stand upright.” When the “boot” of injustice, oppression and poverty is removed, people, all people, tend to thrive. This is, in many ways, the story of the American dream.  

Because here is the thing. The Haitian diaspora, those who have left Haiti over the past several generations to find a more stable life and economic opportunity, have thrived. In my consulting work recently with New Bridges for Haitian Success, I am meeting recent immigrants, and the children of immigrants, who are eager for education and for jobs. Who work hard, and exhibit creativity, entrepreneurship, and drive. Who tend to succeed. There are about 8,000 Rhode Islanders of Haitian descent contributing to our immigrant culture, and our economy, today. 

Deportation orders are issued for a variety of reasons, including failed asylum petitions and criminal activity. Regardless of the cause, it seems like removal to a failed state in the throes of serious criminal violence might be cruel and unusual. Palestinians in the United States are currently protected, albeit temporarily, from deportation (and rightly so). 

America is not responsible for all the world’s ills, but Haiti is in our neighborhood, and we have played a role in the current state of affairs. The least we can do now, is make welcome the refugees who arrive the way all our American ancestors did, seeking a better life. 

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