Patrick's Musings Today

Haiti has long been the victim of racism, notions of cultural and religious superiority, and capitalist greed. Numerous countries, companies, and even Christian missionaries have used and abused Haiti to the point that Haiti was a country struggling to survive long before the massive earthquake hit last week. While I am far from an expert on Haitian history, I would like to write a little bit about their history and the abuse and mistreatment of the Haitian people. I also feel it is important to give my perspective on who these people truly are.

The “abuse of Haiti” (Paul Farmer) started with the arrival of the great Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus who discovered the island 1492 and quickly named it "Hispaniola". Apparently an island that already had thousands of indigenous Taino Indians living there could only be officially discovered if someone of European descent walked on its land. The Spanish promptly began the arduous task of exploiting a land rich in natural resources. Unfortunately, their foreign diseases and not so friendly attitude toward the natives would eventually wipe out the majority of the work force they needed to effectively rape the island of its resources. Thus the Spanish began importing slaves into the island to help them with their endeavors. After word got out that Hispaniola was a gold mine, both literally and symbolically, the English and the French also started showing up. In 1697, the French would come to control the western third of the island, present day Haiti, while the Spanish would settle for the eastern two thirds, the present day Dominican Republic. Sadly, all English speakers would have to wait a couple hundred years more before they could really take advantage of the island to the extent that they desired.

The French continued the work the Spanish began by importing thousands of slaves into the island to work the land. The French colonizers were notorious as being particularly brutal slave owners. They killed, beat, raped and generally mistreated the slaves for over a hundred years. Eventually the slaves would organize and overthrow the French, Spanish, and English colonizers who were controlling the country. In 1804, Haiti became the first and only nation to gain its independence from a successful slave revolt. However, most of the world’s great powers, including France, the United States, and the Roman Catholic Church, refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of Haiti as a free republic, which hindered the nation’s ability to move forward in what was becoming an increasingly global economy. In addition, Napoleon threatened to send more troops and weapons to take over Haiti again if the country did not agree to pay an enormous amount of money to France in order to make up for all of the profits the French were losing due to the loss of revenue in Haiti.

The last 200 plus years have seen more abuse and occupation at the hands of European oppressors. International companies have set up sweatshops in Haiti, exploiting labor in a desperate country where roughly 80% of the population is unemployed. Foreign governments, such as the U.S., have supported and funded brutal dictatorships, which tormented the masses for 30 years (1957-1986). The United States even occupied Haiti from 1915-1934 where their military slaughtered thousands of Haitians while setting up oppressive economic systems that benefited the wealthy both in Haiti and abroad. In 2004, the U.S. and other powers, including Haitian elites, continued their commitment to freedom in Haiti by removing from power the first democratically elected president in Haiti’s history, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Haiti’s tragic history, in part, stems from deeply engrained beliefs that blacks are inferior, incapable savages who need to be “Europeanized” by the superior white man. The Spanish, French, and English were able to mistreat the Tainos and African slaves because they considered them animals whose purpose was to serve the great cultured white man and his superior religion, Christianity. Even today these attitudes and beliefs are manifested in such things as the portrayal of Haitians in the media. For example, you’ve all heard about Voodoo in Haiti. If you only watched the news and movies you would believe that Voodoo is centered on animal and human sacrifice along with sticking pins in dolls. Rarely is Voodoo portrayed as a religion with a profound belief in the spiritual world and a sense of deep connection to one’s ancestors. No, the savage Africans and their Voodoo are in great need of the one true religion Christianity. For without Jesus Christ the savages will be left to their destructive primitive ways.

Even after the earthquake these negative portrayals of Haitians continue. The media coverage, while admittedly not all bad, has often focused on the periodic violence and “looting” taking place. If one watches the news they are left with the impression that Port-au-Prince is a war zone where violent black Haitians are beating and killing anyone and everyone in order to steal supplies and feed their animalistic impulses. I would like to share a little about my impression of the Haitian people that stems my experiences here both as a missionary for the past 14 months, as well as what I have witnessed on the ground since last week’s earthquake.

If forced to stereotype the Haitian people I would use three adjectives to describe them: strong, generous, and compassionate. They are a people whose horrific history would have undoubtedly broken many others, but they have endured hardships and abuse with a dignity that is simply remarkable from my perspective. Most of the Haitians I know live on very little, have no access to healthcare or education, and find it nearly impossible to provide for their families. Yet they go through life with a faith and determination that I find both inspiring and humbling.

Since the earthquake 10 days ago, I have not seen one instance of looting or violence. This is not to say that neither of these things has not taken place, but only that they are the exception and not the norm. What Kim and I have witnessed are people reaching out to help their neighbors in need. Carrying the injured and bleeding through the streets to hospitals, trying to unbury those trapped beneath the wreckage, and sharing whatever few material things they may have with others. This is the Haiti I am seeing. When Kim, Solomon, and I have been reunited with friends here they have all expressed their great joy at our survival and given thanks for our safety. These sentiments have always been expressed before any rendering of their own difficult situation or experiences of destruction. One friend who works at Solomon’s orphanage told me how happy she was that we were ok. She asked about our friends, neighbors, and even our house. It was only afterwards that she told me that both of her parents and all of her siblings had died in the earthquake.

There have also been a few times when Kim and I have found medicine and water to distribute to people. Although nearly everyone is in need we are always lead to those who are most desperate. No one has ever attempted to steal the medicines or the water. We have also been fortunate to give money a few times to friends. They have always used it to help not just their immediate families, but also their neighbors in need as well. This type of generosity and compassion is what we see on the ground here everyday.

If there is something to be learned about the Haitian people in the aftermath of the earthquake, it is that they have shown the rest of the world how to live with courage, strength, and love. All of us, no matter where we reside, have an opportunity to enter into a new relationship with the people of Haiti at this moment in history. Without trying to be insensitive to the immense death and suffering that has occurred in Haiti, I believe that this may indeed be a “kairos” moment where the people of the world are being offered a chance to begin a new relationship with a truly remarkable group of human beings. Let us hope that we seize this opportunity and explore ways to be in solidarity with a country that not only needs our assistance, but also has a lot to offer and teach us as well.