Haitian American
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Haitian American  Haitien Américain Haitiano Americano Ayisyen Ameriken |
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| Notable Haitian Americans:
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| Total population |
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1,550,000 [1] |
| Regions with significant populations |
| New York City, Miami, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles |
| Languages |
| Haitian Creole, French, American English |
| Religions |
| Roman Catholic, Protestant, Vodou |
| Related ethnic groups |
| African-American, Afro-Latin Americans,Afro-Cubans,Latin Americans,Haitian Canadians, French American |
Haitian Americans are Americans of Haitian heritage or immigrants born in Haiti who achieve United States citizenship. The largest proportion of Haitians live in South Florida counties and cities such as New York, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Boston. There are 548,199 Haitian Americans living in the U.S. During the early 1960s throughout the 1970s, many Haitians emigrated to the U.S. legally as well as illegally during François Duvalier's totalitarian regime.
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[edit] Background
Vast disparity between the Haitian wealthy minority and the poor majority existed and continues to exist. Political strife, marked with corruption, and intimidation led to many Haitians leaving the island for an opportunity of a better life. Waves of Haitians made it to the shores of Florida seeking asylum. Most of the foreign-born Haitians arrived during the 1970s. The Haitian immigration to United States started with the exodus of most French settlers in Haiti. Florida has the largest percentage of Haitians residing within its borders. In 2000, Florida had 182,224 foreign-born Haitians, 43.5% of the total foreign born population from Haiti. That excludes the number of American born Haitians. New York had the second largest population of foreign-born Haitians with 125,475, approximately 30%. Illegal Haitians attempting to reach the shores of Florida are routinely swept up by the United States Coast Guard and more-often-than-not, repatriated. This has led to many civil rights group protests regarding the unfair treatment they receive, in contrast to the asylum granted (see: wet feet, dry feet policy) to their illegal Cuban counterparts.
[edit] Adjustment and culture
The Haitians that emigrated to the United States brought many of their cultural practices and ideologies into their communities. Many foreign-born Haitians go into the business sector, often setting up their own businesses. Many Haitians establish barbershops, their own restaurants (predominately of Haitian cuisine, however other Latin American food is often prepared), and many venture into car service. Haitian presence and culture is often strongly felt when entering communities of a significant Haitian American population, most notably, the well-known ethnic enclave in Miami, Florida known as Little Haiti. Neighborhoods in New York, such as East Flatbush (Nostrand), of Brooklyn and Elmont, Long Island, have a significant Haitian American influence. The Mattapan section of Boston is considered the main center of Boston Haitians. Influence is sometimes marked by the everyday conversations between people in Haitian Creole on the streets. Second-generation Haitian Americans are generally more successful in terms of higher-paying occupations, and significantly better off in terms of level of education.
[edit] Notable Haitian Americans
[edit] References
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