A HISTORY OF ANTI-HAITIAN DISCRIMINATION IN THE U.S.

Anti-Haitian discrimination in the US has a long history, rooted in events that date back to the Haitian Revolution of 1804. After Haiti became the first Black republic by overthrowing French enslavers, the US refused to recognise the nation until the Civil War, driven by fears that its enslaved population might be inspired to revolt.

Over time, this initial fear evolved into broader exploitation and economic control, including military occupations and political interference. These actions set the stage for decades of hardship, sparking mass exodus.

Racist stereotypes have compounded the discrimination against Haitians by linking them with disease and crime, exemplified by derogatory labels used during the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis and the using public-health laws like Title 42 during the COVID-19 pandemic to turn them away.

The US created the conditions that have forced Haitians to seek refuge and, to this day, Washington continues to bar Haitians from entering.

SOURCES

https://www.vox.com/politics/371855/trump-vance-springfield-ohio-racist-conspiracy-theories-haitian-immigrants

https://theconversation.com/what-is-temporary-protected-status-a-global-migration-expert-explains-why-the-us-offers-some-foreign-nationals-temporary-protection-240525

https://www.workers.org/2015/08/21241

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/20/world/haiti-wall-street-us-banks.html

https://exhibits.uflib.ufl.edu/HaitianAmericanDream