Boston’s Haitian Solidarity Rally Calls Out Racist Rhetoric

By Joanna Zhang ‘27

On September 24th, hundreds of Massachusettsans of Haitian descent gathered in Boston Common for a solidarity rally. Holding posters that read “Big Fat Liar,” “Lying is A Sin,” “Proud to be Pro-Immigrant” and surrounding the Embrace sculpture, the group called out the rhetoric, lies, and racism propagandized by the current presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, and his running mate, JD Vance. Massachusetts has the second-highest proportion of Haitian Americans of any state, with the Atlantic reporting that Haitian Kreyol is the third most spoken language in Boston public schools. City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, and other advocates for the Haitian community expressed solidarity for Haitians in New England and those who have experienced similar hatred across the nation, particularly in Springfield, Ohio. 

In recent years, thousands of Haitian immigrants have legally settled in Springfield, drawn to job opportunities there. The Haitian immigrants’ large settlement resulted in some backlash against them from the native population. Donald Trump, while running in the election, amplified and exacerbated the backlash by spreading unsubstantiated claims about how the Haitians abducted and ate pets in Springfield.

The former President’s disdain for Haitian people dates back to when he had been in office for less than six months. On a distant afternoon in 2017, Trump insisted that Haitians should not be allowed to migrate to the United States because citizens from the beleaguered nation “ALL HAVE AIDS,” echoing the “4H trope” that AIDS primarily effects “Haitians, hemophiliacs, heroin users, and homosexuals,” an incorrect assertion. “We have hundreds of thousands of people flowing in from Haiti. Haiti has a tremendous AIDS problem,” Trump told Sean Hannity, the Fox News host, in October 2021, “Many of those people will probably have AIDS, and they’re coming into our country. And we don’t do anything about it.”

Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric toward Haitians have worsened in recent years as his statement of “AIDS” transformed into “eating pets”. In his recent presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump singled out Haitians by saying how “In Springfield, [the Haitians] are eating the dogs; they’re eating the cats.” Then, he promised to conduct mass deportations of Haitians if he gets reelected. Despite Ohio’s governor’s calling this misinformation “garbage,” Trump and Senator Vance of Ohio continue spreading the rumors.

The Haitian citizens were disgusted by Trump’s “ridiculous” statements. “I think it’s definitely disgusting, it’s disparaging, and it’s discouraging to the Haitian community,” Charline Melon, a member of the Haitian community in Boston, stated. Moreover, Carline Desire, who runs the Association of Haitian Women, said the Haitian community has been belittled for decades–– “We want to stop the nonsense and get back to working hard, doing business, doing our work here, encouraging people to do the right thing.” Congregated by the fervent drive to combat rumors, the Haitians bravely stood up for themselves and the victims of racism. “As a Haitian American person, I have an obligation. Whenever something bad is said about my community, it’s important for us to come together and unite,” said Brockton Councilor at Large, Jean Bradley Derenoncourt. 

Apart from being “disgustingly untrue”, Trump’s statements are “very hurtful… putting [the Haitian population] in danger," stated by Sherri Cajuste, founder of Haitians of Boston. She asserts that "[the Haitians] are accused of things that aren’t true, and with the election, [she thinks] things are getting dangerous.” The derogatory statements fueled existing stereotypes toward the Haitians as the statements played into xenophobic narratives that dehumanized the immigrants. The narratives gradually burst into increased harassment and hate crimes against the targeted groups, whether in public spaces, schools, or workplaces. The Southern Poverty Law Center and other civil rights organizations reported an increase in hate crimes against Haitians after Trump’s speech.

Trump’s statements raise critical concerns about his potential return to the white house and the role of racism and divisive rhetoric in American politics. Trump’s rhetoric about the Haitians also enraged other marginalized groups that politicians had previously targeted. One attendee of the solidarity rally told NBC10 Boston “We’ve seen it before when they said Irish need not apply. We’ve seen it before with the Chinese Exclusion Act. Which is why it’s important for us to stand in solidarity. Because today it’s me, tomorrow it’s you.”