Dear Editor,
The alleged brutalization of two Haitian barbers in New Providence by individuals purporting to be immigration officers could lead to rising ethnic tensions between Haitians and Bahamians, at least in some quarters.
In some instances, certain Bahamians have stooped to the level of hating Haitians, which is a classic case of xenophobia, similar to what the Jews experienced in Europe and Russia under Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin.
This is not to suggest that Bahamians will resort to committing acts of genocide against the Haitian people, mind you.
What allegedly transpired in New Providence underscores the deep-seated frustrations among Bahamian nationalists who are annoyed that successive Progressive Liberal Party and Free National Movement governments have seemingly not done enough to adequately address the illegal Haitian immigration crisis.
Based on my interactions with Bahamians who are vehemently opposed to the ongoing Haitian situation, I have sensed a deep-seated resentment towards Haitians.
This resentment is due to what I believe to be the following: one, every May 18 is Haitian Flag Day, in which Haitians in The Bahamas proudly display their flags.
Haitian Flag Day is a national holiday in Haiti, which is a commemoration of that country's independence from France in 1803.
For what it's worth, certain Bahamians feel as if Haitians are subtly slighting the Bahamian flag when they parade around New Providence displaying theirs.
Secondly, Haitians have demonstrated a thriftiness most Bahamians are unable to emulate, due to their simple way of living.
While a Haitian is content to eat corned beef, bread and cassava for lunch, a typical Bahamian would rather spend upwards of $13 on a takeout meal.
This Haitian frugality can explain why so many of them are able to save tens of thousands of dollars while the average Bahamian worker doesn't even have $1,000 in savings, which leads to my third reason.
Haitians are also able to save because of their communal lifestyle. By that, I mean that 20 of them can make do in a three bedroom apartment, which enables them to share the economic load of that apartment.
For example, let's suppose that the rent for this apartment is $700 a month. If 20 of them split the rent, it would then mean that each of them is only paying $35 a month.
They would obviously split the utilities and food also, leading to light overhead expenses.
If one of the 20 Haitians earn $260 weekly, this communal setup would enable him to save at least $160 weekly or $8,320 annually.
In four years, he would be sitting on $33,280. And I've not even factored in their side jobs such as weeding yards to supplement their salaries.
Haitians have a strong work ethic — a virtue that some Bahamians lack.
Fourthly, Bahamians resent Haitians because many of them squat on Crown land with seeming impunity — something the state would never allow a Bahamian to do.
Haitians squatting has led to the current shantytown issue, while Bahamian homeowners had to save up to buy land and to pay exorbitant legal fees.
In most instances, Bahamian homeowners have borrowed significant funds from commercial banks in order to get a 25-year mortgage, while Haitian squatters have virtually no financial obligations.
Fifthly, the issue of Haitians operating illegal businesses, especially from their homes, even to the extent of selling liquor and illicit drugs, has annoyed Bahamian business owners who have to pay licensing and other legal fees in order to operate their businesses.
Sixthly, some Bahamians have complained about encountering Haitians who have a takeover mentality.
These Haitians are aware that at the rate of the current illegal migration to The Bahamas, their nation of 11 million will eventually overwhelm this country of just 400,000.
The seventh reason is Haitians entering into marriages of convenience in order to gain legal residential status in The Bahamas.
I personally know of a Bahamian gentleman who was paid a substantial amount of money to marry a Haitian woman, who has since moved to the United States — the ultimate goal of many illegal Haitian migrants.
The Bahamian bigamist has since remarried.
My eighth reason for this resentment has to do with the spiritual culture of certain Haitians, which is voodoo.
In 2003, former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide sanctioned voodoo as an officially recognized religion in Haiti.
Voodoo practitioners celebrate Fèt Gede or the Festival of the Dead each November 1 and 2.
They view their voodoo religion as a rival to Christianity, which is the defacto religion of The Bahamas.
Haitians who dabble in Voodoo have imported their faith to The Bahamas.
I have heard of Bahamian business owners, clergymen and even politicians consulting Obeah and Voodoo priests.
Ninthly, some Bahamians have complained about Haitians, at least some of them, not having this country's best interests at heart.
If given a choice between saving The Bahamas or the Republic of Haiti, they wouldn't hesitate to save Haiti, despite The Bahamas affording them a standard of living their home country is unable to provide.
The tenth and last reason I believe Bahamians resent Haitian people is because of their stubborn unwillingness to assimilate.
Bahamian nationalists have complained that despite certain Haitians living in The Bahamas for years, they have refused to adopt this nation's culture, heritage, language and ethos.
Hopefully, the PLP government will be able to permanently fix the current crisis plaguing The Bahamas.
In the meantime, whatever resentment Bahamians are holding towards Haitians can only be addressed via biblical repentance and spiritual renewal.
God commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Moreover, the Old Testament law prohibits oppressing aliens.
That said, the Bible does give the state the prerogative to punish lawbreakers, which includes Haitians living here illegally.
Whatever enforcement is carried out, however, must be done in a humane manner.
The foregoing list has unfortunately led certain Bahamian nationalists to unfairly paint with a broad brush the entire Haitian population in The Bahamas.
This in turn has led to the resentment I have sought to analyze.
We can only hope that this resentment will come to an end.
— Kevin Evans
The post Why so many Bahamians resent Haitians appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.The post Why so many Bahamians resent Haitians appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
