Recently, Donald Trump, named a list of countries as “sh*thole” countries. But I just am here to address his comment, calling Haiti a “sh*thole”.
As a proud Haitian woman coming from immigrant parents, I took his statement personal.
Haiti has history, and for “The President of the United States” to disregard a country, it was disrespectful. Haiti was the first black country to reinstate their independence. In 1804, Haitian slaves overthrew the French colonizers. The Haitian Revolution has often been described as the largest and most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti, then known as Saint-Domingue, is the first example of enslaved people to gain independence through a revolutionary struggle.
The Haitian Revolution triggered many other revolutions.
Haitians are also very important to American history. Haitians aided America during the Revolutionary War in 1779. Not to mention, without the Haitian Revolution, there would be no Louisiana Purchase. One of the most central events that influenced the Louisiana Purchase was the Haitian Revolution. As the rebellion escalated, the Spanish and English had begun sending troops to Saint-Domingue, hoping to claim some of it for themselves.
An article on mohistory.org, stated, “So, how did this revolution change the course of American history? The Louisiana Purchase never would have happened without it. You see, before Napoleon sent his 30,000 troops to Saint-Domingue in 1802, he had engaged in a secret series of negotiations with Spain to return the Louisiana Territory to France. The deal, which was completed in 1800, brought Louisiana under French control for the first time since 1763. For Napoleon, Louisiana was not necessarily valuable as a strategic territory on its own—he envisioned it as more of a massive granary that could feed supplies to the profitable sugar plantations on Saint-Domingue. So, when the French forces couldn’t get control of Saint-Domingue, Napoleon decided to give up on Louisiana as well. He didn’t want to sell it to the British, so he instructed his ministers to focus on selling it to the United States. When the French approached the United States, they found a willing buyer, and the Louisiana Purchase Treaty was signed on April 30, 1803. The United States would never look the same, in no small part due to the slave revolt on Saint-Domingue.”
Donald Trump’s words towards El Salvador, Haiti and the several African countries disregards the importance of their history and struggles. I believe that Donald Trump’s statement was meant to strain the international relation between America and Haiti in order to reduce the amount of immigrants willing to migrate to America. I also believe that Donald Trump made his comment because he did not believe that Haiti could not benefit America in anyway financially.
Between 1915 and 1934, Haiti becomes occupied by the American government. As the American government occupied Haitian territory, they also exploited Haiti. How can a country like America, dispose the importance of another country, after it has been exploited for all of its worth? During that time the United States refused to diplomatically recognize Haiti, but continued trade relations with the new nation. In 1915 the United States Marine Corps invaded Haiti, and remained in the country for almost twenty years. The military attempted to re-shape the country’s government into the vision into what they wished the country to become.
Haiti is a country that has been through many disasters and is still stands strong although it does not receive aid from outside countries. Many have suffered after the Earthquake in 2010 but the country still stands and strives to rebuild itself.
I will NOT, tolerate your president to continue to disregard the immigrants and the natives of Haiti when America took part in Haitian poverty.
So if my country is such a “sh*thole” it is because it was exploited by America to become as such.
Anderson Cooper addresses “President” Donald Trump’s comment and shares his experience in Haiti: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd2gXe8lvUq/
http://mohistory.org/blog/the-louisiana-purchase-and-the-haitian-revolution/