The Bahamas is a multi-ethnic archipelago. There are Bahamians of African descent, Greek-Bahamians, Lebanese-Bahamians, Chinese-Bahamians, Haitian-Bahamians and many more mixes. All these people from all these different places bring their cultures, foods and ways of thinking to our land, making us more dynamic as a collective.
Too many Bahamians think lowly of our brothers and sisters from Haiti. Due to years of misrule, that once rich nation is the poorest in the hemisphere. Its people flee in makeshift vessels whenever they can to the wealthier northern countries of The Bahamas and United States.
Landing here with nothing, many Haitians start at the bottom of our society. They take whatever jobs they can. They live where they can. Those poor economic and social conditions in Haiti and the inadequate enforcement of our immigration laws have led to a large Haitian presence in The Bahamas.
Once timid, these Haitians and Haitian-Bahamians have become open about celebrating their culture. Young Haitians and Haitian-Bahamians can be seen wearing shirts and chains with the Haitian flag on them. And, the annual Haitian Flag Day is quite the event.
On Saturday, hundreds, if not thousands, of Haitians and Haitian-Bahamians gathered at the Botanical Gardens to celebrate the day. Bahamians of all cultures and nationalities should feel free to join them. Nativists should move beyond bigotry toward those of Haitian ancestry.
Haitians are a major part of our country. At this stage, that simple fact will not change. We must all learn to live together, embracing the advantages of multi-culturalism.
Haiti has been doing well economically of late. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has its real GDP growing by 3.2 percent this year and 3.8 percent in 2016 -- not bad for a country that has been at the bottom for so long.
If Haiti's leaders can learn to rule and share power without violence, the basket case may rise to someday be a force. In such a scenario The Bahamas, with its large population of Haitians, will be well placed to benefit from trade between the islands.
Haiti was the first black republic. Its people were an inspiration to black peoples worldwide. They have suffered much under tyranny. We should welcome those Haitians who have joined our community and embrace the skills and talents they bring.
Of course, the government is responsible for ensuring that our laws are maintained. It should keep the borders secure and evict those who are illegally here of all nationalities. There are, however, many Haitians who have legal status in The Bahamas. They are here and are going nowhere.
We should embrace them as major players in the future of The Bahamas. Their rise to positions of authority and power in all spheres can no longer be stopped. It should also not be feared.
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