Siiiiiigh. It’s wild I have to do this, but no, the rumor Donald Trump spread during a nationally televised presidential debate that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio is not true. The fact that sentence with those words in that order exists is already plenty troubling.
The rumor’s origin traces to a Springfield woman who wrote a Facebook post after her neighbor lost a cat and basely suggested it might have been stollen by Haitians. Springfield officials have repeatedly stated there is no evidence of such crimes. The woman who authored the post disavowed it and apologized. But that hasn’t stopped Trump and his semi-sentient, AI-generated, uncanny valley approximation of a human vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance from refusing to renounce this blatantly racist and xenophobic hard right dribble.
In the meantime, Springfield police had to evacuate two elementary schools in response to 33 bomb threats in a single week and the town’s Haitian residents now fear for their safety, but let’s be honest, the MAGA machine doesn’t give a shit about school security or anyone with melanin, so fuck ‘em, right?
Latinos owe a tremendous amount to Haiti and Haitian Americans. The least we can do is show solidarity in their time of need. Let’s start at the beginning. Without Haiti, much of Latin America wouldn’t even be exist. When Simón Bolívar’s independence movement collapsed in 1815, he fled to Haiti, where he received 1,000 muskets, ammunition, provisions, several hundred Haitian soldiers, and transport back to Venezuela to continue the fight. So, no Haiti means no Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Panamá, or Perú.
Back in the U.S., Miami-Dade County passed an ordinance in 1980 banning the use of Spanish in government documents, street signs, or official procedures as blatantly discriminatory backlash to an influx of Cuban migrants. However, a Latino and Black coalition—including prominent members of the Haitian community—coalesced to repeal the bigoted ordinance 13 years later.
As a first-generation Cuban American, I grew up in Miami feeling perfectly comfortable speaking Spanish thanks in part to the efforts of my African American and Haitian neighbors. This is a debt I and South Florida’s 1.85 million other Latinos are dutybound to repay.
But first, a few more facts about our fré ak sé ayisen (Haitian brothers and sisters). There are 1.14 million Haitian Americans in the country, most of whom are citizens or residents. Despite breathless MAGA assertions, more recent arrivals fall under U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services Temporary Protected Status, which means they can work and reside here LEGALLY. This bears repeating in angry Boomer all caps: HAITIANS ARE LEGAL IMMIGRANTS. They have the same right as blonde Swedish tech moguls to live in the U.S. But they’re not pale Scandinavians. They’re Black, speak Creole and French, and are just that much easier for rabid MAGAs to target despite their right to openly live their lives in this country.
Haitians are an integral part of the 305. They helped make my city great far before Trump descended a golden escalator to call another immigrant group rapists and criminals. Haitians are our neighbors, our classmates, our friends, our political, artistic, social, and academic leaders. Their food, music, languages, and religions infuse and enrich the Magic City and the rest of the country. Their labor, skills, and knowledge bolster our economy—including that of a previously declining rustbelt town called Springfield. We Latinos owe them our support, not just because they helped us in our times of need, but because it’s the right thing to do.
How do we do this? Patronize Haitian-owned businesses. March and protest with your Haitian friends. Back Haitian Americans’ efforts to protect the integrity of their neighborhoods like Miami’s Little Haiti against unscrupulous developers. Contact your elected representatives and demand they take a stand against Trump’s and Vance’s hateful rhetoric. Vote for candidates who support Haitian Americans’ priorities. And, when this vile episode blows over (which it eventually will) continue championing Haitian American dignity through better schools, infrastructure, and job opportunities. Lastly, remember that we do not do this as Haitian Americans’ supposed Latino saviors, but as their neighbors who want to see all our communities thrive together.
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Andrew Otazo
'Miami Creation Myth' author Andrew Otazo has advised officials on Cuba policy, worked for the Mexican president, fired a tank, and ran with 30lbs of trash.
Check out the first free chapter of Andrew’s upcoming book here.
