Haitian American

Haitian Americans

Jean Baptiste Point du Sable René Edward De Russy W. E. B. Du Bois Josephine Premice Richard Howell Gleaves John James Audubon Jean-Michel Basquiat Wyclef Jean Mia Love Garcelle Beauvais Jimmy Jean-Louis Jason Derulo Daphnée Duplaix Elvis Dumervil Reggie Fils-Aimé Travie McCoy Dawn Richard André Birotte Jr. Jozy Altidore Maxwell Blake Griffin Marjorie Vincent Rudy Moise Josaphat-Robert Large
Total population
(929,074 0.29% of the U.S. population (2013) )
Regions with significant populations
South Florida metropolitan area, Orlando, New York City, New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.
Languages
English, French, Haitian Creole
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholicism with considerable adherents of Protestantism · Mormonism · Jehovah's Witnesses.
Related ethnic groups
Haitians, Haitian Canadians, French Americans, Louisiana Creoles

(929,074
0.29% of the U.S. population (2013)

Haitian Americans (French: haïtien américain; Haitian Creole: ayisyen ameriken) are Americans of Haitian descent. The largest proportion of Haitians in the United States live in the South Florida area and especially the cities of Tampa and Orlando. In addition, they have settled in major East Coast cities such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., and in Chicago in the Midwest. Most are immigrants or their descendants from late 20th-century migrations to the United States.

In 2009 the US Census estimated that 830,000 Haitian Americans live in the U.S. During the early 1960s and the 1970s, many Haitians emigrated to the U.S. to escape the oppressive conditions during the dictatorships of François "Papa Doc" and his son Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier. Political unrest, economic strains, and natural disasters have supplied additional reasons for people to emigrate.

During the 18th century, the French colony of Saint-Domingue was the richest in the Caribbean, due to its massive production of sugar cane. This wealth was concentrated in the hands of a small minority of mostly French and European planters, who used slave labor from Sub-Saharan Africa to cultivate, harvest, and process their crops. Beginning in 1791, slaves (who formed about 90 percent of the population) revolted against their masters, fought against invading forces, and succeeded in forcing France to abolish slavery.

When France attempted later to reintroduce slavery, the former slaves again revolted and won their independence in 1804, declaring the Republic of Haiti, the second republic in the Western Hemisphere. The rebellion proved disruptive to the country's economy, however. Many wealthy colonists left, both white and free people of color. The freedmen wanted to cultivate their own plots rather than work on plantations. Many refugees from Saint-Domingue emigrated to the United States, taking their slaves with them, particularly to the New Orleans region, where they reinforced the existing French-speaking and African populations. Though France and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean (Cuba, Santo Domingo, and Puerto Rico) were other major destinations for many immigrants, the United States was a much more popular destination.

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Wikipedia