Incensed by Trump’s ‘pet-eating’ comments, Haitians across N.Y. rally together
Leaders of New York City’s Haitian-American community, which claims the largest concentration of Haitians in the country and one of the largest outside the island itself, are rallying to condemn presidential candidate Donald Trump’s lies about immigrants eating pets in Ohio and other hateful rhetoric, while also hastily making plans to travel from the five boroughs to the Midwest to show their solidarity and support for Vice President Kamala Harris, who is seeking to be elected to the Oval Office in November.
“We’re going to help people in Springfield, and we’re going to educate them on voting,” New York Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the first Haitian-American to hold such a post, told the AmNews in an interview this week, referring to the Ohio city that found itself thrust into the national spotlight after Trump and Harris’s televised debate, where the former claimed Haitian immigrants were “eating the dogs [and] eating the cats” in front of millions of viewers.
Trump’s comments have spun Springfield, a city of nearly 60,000 that has seen an influx of thousands of Haitians seeking refuge from the conflicted island nation, into fear and turmoil. A bomb threat was called into the city’s municipal offices, local events have been canceled, and residents have reported increased fear-mongering geared toward its newest residents. For Haitians across the world, however, Trump’s comments are nothing new.
“Being a Haitian American, growing up in this country was very difficult because there were always these stigmas thrown at us,” said Bichotte Hermelyn, who was born in New York City after her parents immigrated to the U.S. “We were the people that come from a witchcraft country, we are a ‘shithole’ country, we eat trees, all sorts of things.
“The stigma kind of stayed with us for a very long time,” she added. “It’s something that we as a people are, unfortunately, used to.”
Trump’s comments have galvanized Haitians across the world. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who penned an op-ed for the AmNews earlier this year, called Trump’s rhetoric “bizarre” and “hateful” during a recent press briefing, saying “our country deserves better.” Actress and reality TV star Garcelle Beauvais, perhaps the most visible Haitian-American celebrity in Hollywood, took to her social media accounts in tears, saying that “we must condemn this kind of hatred — this kind of racism — for anyone. I have always been a proud Haitian immigrant. Coming to America, working hard — that’s what we do. Coming from gratitude. And I will not sit by and let people talk about my community in any way they want for their own gain.”
The ripple effect those comments could have politically could unfold in the coming days as Haitian-American elected officials across New York state come together to “look into what kind of legal consequences we can impose on this man,” Bichotte Hermelyn said.
A long history in New York
Haitians have a rich yet tumultuous history in New York, having contributed to the Black diaspora while simultaneously being demonized within it.
“The reason [Trump] gets away with it is because we as Americans allow him to get away with it,” Bichotte Heremlyn said.
In 1990, thousands of Haitian New Yorkers marched across the Brooklyn Bridge after their community was identified as the source of the then-widespread AIDS virus — “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” as Bichotte Hermelyn characterized it. In the years since, Haitians have had to fight that stereotype and others, while their accomplishments went overlooked.
“We are a very accomplished group of people, no matter how quote-unquote ‘poor’ … people make (our country) to be,” Bichotte Hermelyn said. “No matter how hard it is to maintain within the working class … we still produce the largest (number of) doctors in the Black diaspora, the largest (number of) healthcare workers in the Black diaspora.”
According to Darnell Benoit, founder and director of the Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project, in an email to AmNews, there is a persistent concern across the boroughs about discrimination against Haitian students and limited resource allocation to Black immigrant students in general.
“For too long, our students have faced ridicule and prejudice based on their language, culture, and identity,” Benoit wrote. “This has impacted their ability to thrive in a safe and supportive learning environment.
“We are committed to ensuring that this cycle of anti-Haitian hate does not spill into the public schools. Haitian students have been and continue to be a vital part of the rich cultural tapestry of New York City. Yet, too many have been targets of harmful stereotypes, xenophobia, and isolation. This has a lasting impact on their academic success and emotional well-being.
Benoit called on NYC public schools to “remain vigilant in addressing and preventing hate,” especially against Haitian students. She also asked that schools promote inclusivity and respect for all immigrant communities through cultural awareness and anti-bullying programs.
“Haitian students deserve to be celebrated for their history and contributions, not ostracized or bullied because of them,” Benoit wrote. “We stand against anti-Haitian immigrant hate, and hate of any kind. We stand with Haitian youth and their families, and we are committed to working with school officials, educators, and other community organizations to foster environments where every child, regardless of background, can succeed without fear of hate or discrimination.”
Meanwhile, Bichotte Hermelyn is looking toward a future of working with the White House should Harris take office. The Biden administration allowed Haitian immigrants into the country to reunite with their families, “better than most presidents,” she said.
“If VP Harris becomes the president, I’d like to see her continuing to open borders to Haitian people,” Bichotte Hermelyn said. “We’d definitely like immigration reform policies that are more sympathetic to Haitians. We have let thousands of Ukrainians in due to political instability, and we’d like the same for Black immigrants.”
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