Haitian Americans

Haitian American
Haitienne Américaine
Ayisyen Ameriken

Notable Haitian Americans:Wyclef Jean • W. E. B. Du Bois Reginald Fils-Aime • Garcelle Beauvais Jason Derülo • Dawn Richard
Regions with significant populations
South Florida metropolitan area, Florida, New York City, New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.
Languages
American English, Haitian Creole, French
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic with considerable adherents of Protestantism, and Mormonism
Related ethnic groups
African-American, Afro-Latin Americans, Haitians in France, Latin Americans, Haitian Canadians, French American

Haitian Americans are Americans of Haitian heritage, or Haitian-born people who are naturalized citizens or permanent residents of the United States. The largest proportion of Haitians live in South Florida counties and cities such as New York, Washington, D. C., Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston.

In 2009 the US Census estimated that there are 1,000,000 Haitian Americans living in the U.S. but many consider this number inaccurate due to the presence of illegal Haitian immigrants. 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.

High percentages of Haitian ancestry by community

The 36 U.S. communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Haitian ancestry are:

%	Community	State
33.5%	Golden Glades	Florida
33.0%	North Miami	Florida
23.0%	El Portal	Florida
23.0%	Spring Valley	New York
19.9%	North Miami Beach	Florida
15.7%	Lauderdale Lakes	Florida
14.5%	Lake Park	Florida
13.9%	Ives Estates	Florida
13.8%	Immokalee	Florida
12.1%	Pine Hills	Florida
11.5%	Belle Glade	Florida
11.4%	Orange	New Jersey
11.3%	New Cassel	New York
11.1%	Irvington	New Jersey
10.8%	North Valley Stream	New York
10.7%	Elmont	New York
10.5%	Delray Beach	Florida
9.2%	Biscayne Park	Florida
9.2%	Mangonia Park	Florida
9.1%	Lauderhill	Florida
8.5%	Uniondale	New York
8.3%	Miami Shores	Florida
8.1%	Lake Worth	Florida
8.0%	Roselle	New Jersey
7.8%	Nyack	New York
7.6%	South Nyack	New York
7.0%	Ramapo	New York
7.0%	Oakland Park	Florida
6.9%	Fort Lauderdale	Florida
6.7%	Florida City	Florida
6.7%	North Lauderdale	Florida
6.7%	Wilton Manors	Florida
6.5%	Boynton Beach	Florida
6.4%	Asbury Park	New Jersey
6.4%	Fort Pierce	Florida
6.2%	Randolph	Massachusetts
3.2%	Cranston	Rhode Island

High percentages of Haitian birth by community

The 100 U.S. communities with the most residents born in Haiti are:

1. Pompano Estates, Florida 26.6%
2. North Miami, Florida 24.3%
3. Golden Glades, Florida 24.1%
4. Kendall Green, Florida 21.2%
5. Tedder, Florida 20.9%
6. Pinewood, Florida 18.5%
7. Bonnie Lock-Woodsetter North, Florida 16.6%
8. Spring Valley, New York 16.4%
9. Loch Lomond, Florida 15.6%
10. Hillcrest, Queens 14.7%
11. El Portal, Florida 14.0%
12. North Miami Beach, Florida 13.8%
13. Melrose Park, Florida 11.5%
14. Lauderdale Lakes, Florida 11.2%
15. Belle Glade Camp, Florida 10.7%
16. Immokalee, Florida 10.5%
17. Delray Beach, Florida 10.3%
18. Lake Park, Florida 10.1%
19. Belle Glade, Florida 10.1%
20. Naples Manor, FL 9.6%
21. Leisureville, FL 9.1%
22. Ives Estates, FL 9.1%
23. New Cassel, NY 9.0%
24. Biscayne Park, FL 8.8%
25. Twin Lakes, FL 8.7%
26. Norland, FL 8.5%
27. Pine Hills, FL 8.4%
28. Orange, NJ 8.4%
29. Lake Worth, FL 8.1%
30. Irvington, NJ 8.1%
31. Westview, FL 8.0%
32. Oak Ridge, FL 7.8%
33. North Valley Stream, NY 7.8%
34. Elmont, NY 7.6%
35. South Nyack, NY 7.1%
36. Lantana, FL 6.4%
37. Boynton Beach, FL 6.4%
38. Lauderhill, FL 6.4%
39. Wilton Manors, FL 6.4%
40. Miami Shores, FL 6.2%
41. Mangonia Park, FL 6.2%
42. Roselle, NJ 6.2%
43. East Garden City, NY 5.9%
44. Fort Lauderdale, FL 5.9%
45. Uniondale, NY 5.8%
46. Nyack, NY 5.8%
47. Asbury Park, NJ 5.6%
48. Ramapo, NY 5.4%
49. Collier Manor-Cresthaven, FL 5.3%
50. Fort Pierce, Florida 5.3%
51. Oakland Park, Florida 5.3%
52. Westgate-Belvedere Homes, FL 5.3%
53. Whitfield, FL 5.2%
54. Broadview-Pompano Park, FL 5.2%
55. North Lauderdale, Florida 5.1%
56. Randolph, Massachusetts 4.9%
57. Pompano Beach, FL 4.8%
58. St. Leo, FL 4.8%
59. Lake Forest, FL 4.5%
60. Scott Lake, FL 4.4%
61. Inwood, FL 4.4%
62. Golden Gate, FL 4.3%
63. Wyandanch, NY 4.3%
64. Breckinridge Center, KY 4.3%
65. Seminole Manor, FL 4.2%
66. South Floral Park, NY 4.1%
67. Lakeview, NY 4.0%
68. Miramar, FL 4.0%
69. Wheatley Heights, NY 3.9%
70. Miami, FL 3.9%
71. Brockton, MA 3.9%
72. Fort Myers, FL 3.8%
73. Lake Belvedere Estates, FL 3.8%
74. Pine Manor, FL 3.7%
75. Pompano Beach Highlands, FL 3.7%
76. Andover, FL 3.7%
77. East Orange, NJ 3.6%
78. West Little River, FL 3.5%
79. West Palm Beach, FL 3.5%
80. Maplewood, NJ 3.4%
81. Rodney Village, DE 3.3%
82. Pomona, NY 3.2%
83. Northwest Dade, FL 3.2%
84. Pembroke Park, FL 3.2%
85. Baldwin, NY 3.1%
86. Naranja, FL 3.1%
87. Florida City, Florida 3.2%
88. Miami Gardens, Broward County, FL 3.1%
89. Lake Worth Corridor, FL 3.0%
90. Pine Castle, FL 3.0%
91. Homestead, FL 3.0%
92. St. George, FL 3.0%
93. Pleasantville, NJ 3.0%
94. West Haverstraw, NY 2.9%
95. Nanuet, NY 2.8%
96. Roosevelt, NY 2.8%
97. Deerfield Beach, FL 2.8%
98. East Perrine, FL 2.8%
99. Linden, NJ 2.7%
100. Everett, MA 2.7%

Background

Vast disparities between the Haitian wealthy elite and the poor existed and continue 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%. Haitian illegal immigrants attempting to reach the shores of Florida are routinely swept up by the United States Coast Guard and often 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 Cuban counterparts.

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 and their own restaurants (predominately of Haitian cuisine). 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 Flatbush (Nostrand), East Flatbush, and Canarsie 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. More recently, many Haitians have left "the big city" for a better, more quiet life and better education for their children and growing Haitian communities have formed in smaller cities in the Northeast especially Providence, Rhode Island. 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.

See also

• List of Haitian Americans