Study explores root of 'anti-Haitian sentiment'

Fri, Nov 7th 2014, 09:38 PM

A recently released research study on perceptions of Haitians and people of Haitian descent living in The Bahamas blames the media, government policies and everyday constructions of Bahamian identity for perpetuating anti-Haitian sentiment, xenophobia, marginalization and discrimination towards Haitians in The Bahamas.
It concludes that legislation and social constructions have sought to control the Haitian community and prevent members of that community from being fully recognized or integrated into mainstream Bahamian society.
Charmane Perry's article "Invasion from the South: Social Construction of the Haitian 'Other' in The Bahamas" was published in October in the International Journal of Bahamian Studies Volume 20, the research journal of The College of The Bahamas.
Perry is a doctoral student in the Department of Africology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, whose research interest is in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora.
She concludes that the media have played a significant role in the expansion and institutionalization of xenophobia, negative attitudes, hatred, and ignorance due to their representation of Haitians in The Bahamas.
"Bahamians fear the presence of the Haitian community in The Bahamas and believe they are a threat to the cultural and national sovereignty of The Bahamas," Perry writes.
"Yet, these fears are rooted in ideas emanating from the state and are exacerbated by ignorance and the way that Haitians have been portrayed in the media.
"In addition, the perception of Haitians as a cultural and national threat is a product of racial constructions of identity rooted in colonialism.
"Thus, their representation and difference must also take into consideration the ways in which coloniality complicates the perception of Haitians in The Bahamas."
Perry traces the root of anti-Haitian sentiment to colonialism, positing that after the Progressive Liberal Party took over the reins of governance in the 1960s the party shifted its anti-racist rhetoric against the United Bahamian Party to anti-Haitian sentiments.
In evaluating the factors that have contributed to what has been described as "a denial of human rights" for Haitians and people of Haitian ancestry residing in The Bahamas, the researcher also concludes that in the post-independence era, the pursuit of the policy of "The Bahamas for Bahamians" came at the expense of other groups.
She refers specifically to the citizenship and naturalization policies which were legislated under which being born in The Bahamas after 1973 to non-Bahamian parents is not an automatic guarantee of Bahamian citizenship.
"...As such, the state has been able to use its power to control and marginalize this community through legislative sanctions," Perry writes.
"Citizenship, along with work permits and permanent residency, are tactics by which the Bahamian state can control the Haitian community in The Bahamas.
"It is within this framework that children of Haitian descent have been legally excluded from the full rights of citizenship in the land of their birth."
She also asserts that, because race and division of labor are structurally related, Haitians who have already been historically racialized and demonized as inferior are considered non-human, performing the most menial jobs, which in the lens of coloniality, is a natural justification for their domination and exploitation.
The research also makes another compelling argument - that Bahamians have constructed elements of their identity in opposition to the historical, political, social, economic, and cultural perceptions of Haiti and the Haitian community.
"Bahamians were never British because they were colonial subjects which meant they were not human," Perry writes.
"Their racial identity was constructed during colonialism and persisted through coloniality. The lack of a clear, cohesive identity adds to the perceived cultural threat that the Haitian community is believed to be imposing on The Bahamas,"
In 2010, Perry conducted research in New Providence, sifting through newspaper clippings and conducting comparative analysis of articles from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000. She also completed archival research on documents from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
The publication of her research came ahead of the enforcement of new procedures that took effect on November 1 which require all non-Bahamians who live in The Bahamas to have passports of the country of their nationalities.
Under the procedures, people born in The Bahamas will get a particular residence permit which will allow them to work and live here until their status is decided.
The complete research can be read here: http://journals.sfu.ca/cob/index.php/files .

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