A Haitian woman leads her child through the streets of Gonaives, an area of Haiti devastated by r...
Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Ernest Scott | ©Wikimedia Commons
What is it like to be a migrant Haitian in America? According to an article published by The Jacksonville Free Press, under the Bush Administration's executive order, more than 30,000 Haitians has been awaiting deportation in interment camps or on house arrest—equipped with electronic ankle bracelets (Reed, 2009, p. 1). They await return to a homeland "that cannot handle the return of its citizens" because the impoverished nation is still trying to recover from $1.3 billion dollars worth of flood damage to their roads, bridges and crops (Reed, 2009, p. 1). Haitians in the United States are neither refugees nor asylees; they are viewed by our government as economic migrants and are not protected. I agree with Reed's assertion that Haitians should be awarded a temporary protection status because of the obvious financial distress the nation is under because of natural disaster. However, there is no substantial evidence to support his argument that Haitians are being discriminated against.
Discrimination is defined as "the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons." Despite my dislike of the Bush Administration, Haitians were already migrating to the United States to flee from poverty, which is not protected under immigration law. Allowing Haitians to become American citizens for the sake of being good humanitarians would not only change public policy, but also weaken our country's unfaltering reputation to be known as one of the most powerful nations in the world. However, there are other ways that the government and United States citizens can aid in disaster recovery in Haiti. As reported by Reed, UN secretary General Ban Ki-Moon proposed that the Obama Administration "address the plight of Haitians and promote a golden opportunity to bring in investors and create hundreds of thousands of jobs in Haiti" (Reed, 2009, p. 1). On the other hand, US citizens can donate to relief organizations to help Haitians. My point is that allowing Haitians to remain in the United States is not the only solution to the problem.
Discrimination is defined as "the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons." Despite my dislike of the Bush Administration, Haitians were already migrating to the United States to flee from poverty, which is not protected under immigration law. Allowing Haitians to become American citizens for the sake of being good humanitarians would not only change public policy, but also weaken our country's unfaltering reputation to be known as one of the most powerful nations in the world. However, there are other ways that the government and United States citizens can aid in disaster recovery in Haiti. As reported by Reed, UN secretary General Ban Ki-Moon proposed that the Obama Administration "address the plight of Haitians and promote a golden opportunity to bring in investors and create hundreds of thousands of jobs in Haiti" (Reed, 2009, p. 1). On the other hand, US citizens can donate to relief organizations to help Haitians. My point is that allowing Haitians to remain in the United States is not the only solution to the problem.
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