Haitians and Haitian-Americans have been thrust into an unfavorable and dangerous spotlight over the unfounded and hateful rumor that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, are eating people’s pets.
As the damage continues to mount from rumors spread by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance, here’s what you need to know about Haiti and the number of Haitians who call the Mid-Atlantic region home.
Where is Haiti located?
According to the Embassy of the Republic of Haiti, Haiti is the second largest Caribbean island.
“Haiti is located 77 km (about 48 miles) southeast of Cuba. Haiti occupies the western third of the island it shares with the Dominican Republic and has 1,530 km of coastline,” according to the Haitian embassy’s website.
The country also includes several islands surrounding the main island.
Haiti is located about 700 miles from Miami and over 1,500 miles from New York City. That’s about the same distance as Denver.
Is Haiti a US territory?
Haiti is not a territory of the United States. It is an independent nation that gained independence from France in 1804, at the end of the Haitian Revolution.
However, it took almost 60 years before the United States recognized Haiti as independent.
“The Haitian Revolution created the second independent country in the Americas after the United States gained its independence in 1783,” according to the United States Office of the Historian’s website on Haitian history. “American political leaders, many of whom were slaveholders, reacted with ambivalence to Haiti’s emergence as a state born of a slave revolt. At times they provided assistance to crush the uprising and later in the revolution they supported the forces of Toussaint L’Ouverture.
“Because of these policy changes and domestic concerns, the United States did not recognize Haiti’s independence until 1862.”
Delaware, New Jersey and New York have higher numbers of Haitian residents
According to the World Population Review, several states in the Mid-Atlantic region have relatively large Haitian populations.
New York has the third highest number of Haitians, with 182,316 people or 0.94% of the state’s population,” according to the World Population Review website. “New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware also have relatively high percentages of Haitians at 0.79%, 0.55%, and 0.53%, respectively.”
According to World Population Review, there are 24,581 Haitians living in Pennsylvania, which represents 0.19% of the Keystone State’s total population.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist who covers trending topics in the Mid-Atlantic region.
This article originally appeared in Bucks County Courier Times: Where is Haiti; insights into Haitian migration
