Haitian Immigration

Children's Literature

Haiti is a beautiful land and one that has a troublesome history. Laced with slavery, colonization, political upheaval, brutality, and economic dysfunction Haiti remains a nation of great possibilities and problems. Simultaneously, as a nation that has experienced such severe problems, Haiti is also a land that has shed many immigrants. It is estimated that over two million Haitians have left their homeland over the past decade. About fifty percent of those immigrants have traveled to the United States to settle primarily in urban areas. The story of this Haitian Diaspora is described in this volume in the "The Changing Face of North America" series. The author takes great pains to highlight the antecedent history that has set the stage for so wide ranging an emigration. Gaines describes the way countries such as the United States and Canada have welcomed Haitian immigrants. As the author of this excellent sociological study identifies, Haitian immigrants have faced significant barriers—racial prejudice, religious misunderstanding, poverty, and illiteracy. Yet, the Haitian community remains tight knit. In the long run the success of Haitian immigrants depends upon both their drive and the willingness of their new homelands to accept them. Their story is well told in this illustrated work. 2004, Mason Crest Publishers, Ages 12 up.
—Greg M. Romaneck