#haitian-american groups

[alwaysbewoke]

[sukibenders]

People on Twitter are now debating whether or not it was "morally right" for Haitians to revolt against their oppressors. Some of y'all should have been left behind.

[roipecheur]

Reading the kidnapping arc with Tim's parents like. Kinda rooting for the Haitians here, sorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[vague-humanoid]

n childhood, I was taught the importance of seeing Black faces in government positions and political power. At school, I learned how integral specific Black political leaders were to the Black Revolution—especially during the Reconstruction era and the Civil Rights Movement. I understood from a young age that the presence of Black faces in political institutions was necessary for community advancement. 

I still remember learning about Hiram Revels, who in 1870 became the first Black elected official to serve in Congress. This was shortly after slavery was abolished, and Revels’ presence in U.S. politics was a watershed moment for Black American communities. 

Our presence in these institutions that sought to exclude us did indeed make a difference. Now, even after witnessing the election of a Black president in 2008 and seeing more and more Black people in spaces of political power and privilege, I’m not so sure.

When Barack Obama became president in 2008, I remember the joy felt across my community and this understanding that if a Black person could reach the highest level of power in the U.S., change had certainly come.   

That was the beginning of a harsh reality check for me. What good is Black political representation in a system meant to maintain the subjugation of marginalized people? What positive change does that representation bring when people with Black faces are complicit in the same oppression and violence that continue to devastate communities like ours?

Communities like Gaza, whose devastation we continue to see every day.

The death toll in Gaza is more than 37,000, and the U.S. has repeatedly vetoed a life-saving ceasefire for the Palestinian people and voted against the effort to recognize Palestinian statehood. 

The U.S. has left Palestine and its people in the path of fire and destruction. The world has watched the U.S. ambassadors for the United Nations silently raise their hands to veto ceasefire resolutions. Their silence speaks volumes.

U.N. ambassadors Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Robert A. Wood are Black Americans in high-ranking government positions, two Black Americans who ostensibly represent our ability to overcome a history of slavery, genocide, and racism, the relics of which continue to plague our communities today. They are two Black Americans choosing to subject another group of oppressed people to genocide and displacement, not so different from what our ancestors faced when they were stolen from their lands, slaughtered, and enslaved. 

Before you assume otherwise, let me say that I do understand nuance. Yes, Ambassadors Thomas-Greenfield and Wood do carry out Washington’s decisions, and they do not act on their own behalf; they are the voice of the U.S. government. But for me, the question remains: Why are you there? As Black Americans, why are you choosing to work as conduits for colonization, imperialism, and genocide? What does this do for Black people in America right now? Because existing in places of power and privilege does not inherently equate to uplifting and serving the Black community. 

Another example is White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. The daughter of Haitian immigrants, Jean-Pierre is the first Black and openly gay woman to hold her role in the White House. She is a Black woman I once looked up to—until I began to pay close attention to the way she speaks of Israel’s war on Gaza. 

In one press conference, Jean-Pierre could not even acknowledge why Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab organizations rejected meetings with President Joe Biden. I’ve watched Jean-Pierre dismiss journalists’ questions regarding the safety and protection of Palestinians in Gaza. Of course, Jean-Pierre is the White House’s mouthpiece, and we do not know her thoughts on the genocide in Palestine. But again, I ask: Why is she there? What is she willing to co-sign to have proximity to power? What personal excuses are used to justify being complicit in oppression not so different from what our own people face?

How many times will we exempt Black political figures from accountability while holding up their representation as some sort of community good? Do we not realize the harm this does when we uplift Black leaders who merely act as conduits for white supremacy? As a Black woman, I find this hard to accept. 

more at link

[blackfilmmakers]

Now that I have y’all’s attention:

Let’s talk about how the Trump administration moved their targets from general brown immigrants to specifically Black(immigrants) ever since Kamala joined the race

This isn’t to say other brown groups aren’t still getting locked up in cages and experiencing hate-crimes. But ever since Kamala, someone of Jamaican descent, started running for President Trump’s campaign have been very open to reblogging and creating posts that focus primarily on demonizing Black immigrants

I’m bringing this up because I’ve been seeing a lot of people address the rise of Haitian hate-crime as an anti-immigrant only matter.

This is specifically about anti-black racism. The only reason the Klan would show their faces like this is always when Black people are involved in some way (case in point: the Charlottesville riots kicked off because white supremacists wanted to stop plans to remove a Confederate statue)

It’s ironic considering Kamala is just as cruel against immigrants, and her (self-proclaimed)Top Cop status got plenty of Black people killed and imprisoned. Regardless, Trump’s administration relies on these anti-black sentiments of immigrants now, because he can’t openly say African-Americans are dangerous people. It’d be too on the nose. So, like with Obama, he attacks Kamala’s foreign Black ancestry to pose that as the “bad dangerous Black people”, but also still just be openly anti-black about it

Already the anti-Haitian hate-crimes have been branching off to anyone of the Black Diaspora in general. Because that was the intent here. So I don’t want to hear “Kamala is Jamaican not Haitian” because most of y’all didn’t care to make that distinction

[angered-box]

Hello! I am opening up commissions for those who donate to any organization or gfm that helps those in Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon, Haiti, Ukraine, Hawai'i and Valencia.

5 dollars will get you a basic sketch with no color, 10 dollars will be a sketch with color 15 will be a more clean sketch+ color, anything above 20 will get you at least a rendered half body drawing!

examples of my art below:

All you need to do is send me confirmation of your donation along with the character you want me to draw (can be an oc or a character from a series!)

don't know where to donate? I have some links that you can choose from!

Palestine

Children Relief Funds

Doctors Without Borders

UNRWA

eSIMS

Congo

Emergency Relief for Displaced Children

Displacement in Kivu

Sillage Association Malaïka ���️️

Friends of the Congo

Sudan

Darfur Women Action Group

Hadreen

Sudanese American Physicians Association

Yemen

Yemen Food Appeal

Yemen Emergency Appeal

Yemen Crisis

Lebanon

Help Students in Lebanon

Redcross Lebanon

Lebanese Foodbank

Save the Children

Haiti

Haitian Health Foundation

Hope for Haiti

Help Repair Haitian Refugee Shelter

Food for Tabarre School

Ukraine

Hospitallers

Come Back Alive

United 24

Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation

Okhmatdyt Foundation

Hawai'i

Maui Foodbank

Hawai'i Community Foundation

Valencia

Help a Family living in Horta Sud

Food Bank

Hambre Cero

if you have any other places to donate to, please share them!

[democratthatlovesguns]

"It's NOT RACIST"

To be clear, a prejudice is an OPINION that is not based on any facts (verifiable evidence) nor on actual (verifiable) experiences.

A racist, is someone that holds a prejudice against a race of people.

The case of Mark Robinson makes it very clear that one can be racist against their own race - a la Boyz n the Hood.

To be clearer, even if there was one Haitian person found, red-handed so to speak, eating someone's pet, that is only one person from a group of people - NOT THE ENTIRE GROUP.

I know how dangerous prejudice can be; so you won't find me calling all republicans couch fuckers, just because one of them might be.

Case in point: "Sadly, because president Obama has done such a poor job as president, you won't see another black president for generations!" - Donald Trump

What Donny the Racist is stating there is that in his opinion having experienced the presidency of only one African American man, he believes most people agree with him that electing another black president will be equally disastrous. That is, we can expect the same level of disaster from ANY black president, without having to consider anything beyond race.

For this, and many other statements, Donald Trump is a bona fide racist. And if you vote for him, yes, at the very least you believe his racism is "okay" (not disqualifying as president).

[seulszn]

WHAT’S GOING ON IN HAITI 🇭🇹

Haiti is a country in the Caribbean and Latin America that has been exploited and oppressed by colonial powers and imperialist forces for centuries. Its people have suffered unimaginable horrors and atrocities. Haiti was the first Black republic in the world, and the second independent nation in the Americas and the first Latin American country It achieved its independence in 1804, after a successful slave revolt against France. Haiti's independence was a threat to the racist and capitalist system that dominated the world. It inspired other enslaved and oppressed people to fight for their freedom and dignity. Haiti was also punished for its independence by the colonial powers. It was forced to pay a huge indemnity to France, and faced trade embargoes, diplomatic isolation, and military interventions.

Haiti was also exploited by multinational corporations and NGOs, who profited from its cheap labor, natural resources, and humanitarian aid. They also imposed their agendas and policies on the Haitian people, undermining their sovereignty and democracy. Haiti was also devastated by natural disasters, such as earthquakes ( a earthquake they are still recovering from that happened in 2010 and then a earthquake that happened in 2021 that killed 1,419 people) hurricanes, and floods, which worsened its already dire situation. Haiti was also victimized by diseases, such as cholera, malaria, and COVID-19, which ravaged its population and health system. The diseases were often introduced or exacerbated by foreign actors, such as the UN peacekeepers who brought cholera to Haiti in 2010. Haiti was also marginalized and silenced by the mainstream media, which portrayed it as a hopeless and helpless case, ignoring its history, culture, and achievements. The media also spread misinformation and stereotypes, fueling racism and stigma.

Haiti was also betrayed and abandoned by its allies and neighbors, who turned a blind eye to its plight, or worse, contributed to its misery. The United States of America, in particular, has a long history of meddling and undermining Haiti's sovereignty and stability. Taking 500,000 dollars from Haitian banks and still collecting money. The United States of America has invaded, occupied, and intervened in Haiti numerous times, imposing its political and economic interests. It has also exploited Haiti's labor and resources, and blocked its development and trade. sugar refining, flour milling, and cement and textile manufacturing, clothing, scrap metal, vegetable oils, dates and cocoa are all things given to other countries by Haiti. The United States of America has also supported and funded the Core Group, a coalition of foreign powers that has interfered in Haiti's internal affairs, manipulating its elections, constitution, and government. The United States of America has also failed to protect the human rights and dignity of the Haitian people, both in Haiti and in the US. It has deported and detained thousands of Haitian refugees and asylum seekers, and discriminated and criminalized them.

Here are a list of countries who agreed to help the United States and Canada evade Haiti:

Germany

France (the same country that we had to pay just to be free)

Benin

Jamaica

Kenya

Yes I am Haitian my dad side is from Haiti. My fathers family moved up here to Seattle because Haitian was going through a small silent genocide and have been since they have been free from France in 1804, France took my countries money and told them that they have to pay reparations just for existing and they had to pay France just to be free from the French. And then America jumps onto the bandwagon and decides to take billions of dollars from Haiti. Haiti was once the richest country but became the most poorest because of ignorance.

My people are being killed everyday just for speaking out against their government, my people are being killed because nobody was their for them when the 2010 and the 2021 earthquake happened because “Haiti is a bad country and helping them won’t do anything” and they are still recovering from that to this very day. Families are being displaced, the violence is getting worse, innocent people are dying and are fighting trying to stay alive, women and children are being r$ped and kidnapped. I have family that live in Haiti that I lost all contact with because they are fighting everyday, and who knows if they are even alive.

Here are some important links to help you get a better understanding on what’s going on in Haiti and stuff to donate to

Donations:

Haitian Health foundation

Partner in Health: Haiti

Hope For Haiti

Haiti Aid

Haiti Children

Haiti Twitter Link for More Donations. P2 P3

Videos

FYI a lot of these videos are from last year but a lot of them speak really well on what is always going on and why they are going through it

Haiti Debt

What is Happening in Haiti

Haiti and the Rice

Listen Part 2

Free These countries as well

What we want to free in Haiti

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TAKE THE TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO AT LEAST LOOK AT THESE LINKS. For the sake of My dad and the sake of my family I want to see them happy they wanna go home but won’t be able to until Haiti is free I will update this if I need to and please Like, comment, reblog anything is appreciated

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Claire Wang at The Guardian:

Those who failed to produce papers were arrested. More than 400 people were detained and forced on a train back to Mexico, a place many had never been.

It’s a scene many fear will come to pass in president-elect Donald Trump’s second term, especially after he doubled down on a campaign promise to “launch the largest deportation operation” in US history, and confirmed he would use the military to execute hardline immigration policies. But this particular episode happened in 1931, as part of an earlier era of mass deportations that scholars say is reminiscent of what is unfolding today. The La Placita sweep became the first public immigration raid in Los Angeles, and one of the largest in a wave of “repatriation drives” that rolled across the country during the Great Depression. Mexican farm workers, indiscriminately deemed “illegal aliens”, became scapegoats for job shortages and shrinking public benefits. President Herbert Hoover’s provocative slogan, “American jobs for real Americans”, kicked off a spate of local legislation banning employment of anyone of Mexican descent. Police descended on workplaces, parks, hospitals and social clubs, arresting and dumping people across the border in trains and buses.

Nearly 2 million Mexican Americans, more than half US citizens, were deported without due process. Families were torn apart, and many children never again saw their deported parents. Hoover’s Mexican repatriation program is, among mass deportation efforts in the past, most similar to Trump’s stated plans, said Kevin R Johnson, a professor of public interest law and Chicana/o studies at the University of California, Davis, School of Law. [...] Since his first presidential run, Trump has invoked President Dwight D Eisenhower’s mass deportation program as a blueprint for his own agenda. During the second world war, the US and Mexican government enacted the Bracero program that allowed Mexican farm hands to temporarily work in the US. But many growers continued to hire undocumented immigrants because it was cheaper. In 1954, the Eisenhower administration cracked down on undocumented labor by launching “Operation Wetback”, a yearlong series of raids named after a racial epithet for people who illegally crossed the Rio Grande. [...] The politics of deportation have always contained an important “racial dimension”, said Mae Ngai, a historian whose book Impossible Subjects explores how illegal migration became the central issue in US immigration policy.

Trump has deployed racist tropes against various ethnic groups, including Mexicans as drug-dealing “rapists” and Haitians as pet eaters, while lamenting a lack of transplants from “nice”, white-majority countries like Denmark and Switzerland. Last month, sources close to the president told NBC News that he could prioritize deporting undocumented Chinese nationals. “He’s been very clear about going after people of color, people from ‘shithole countries,’” she said, referring to a 2018 remark from Trump about crisis-stricken nations like El Salvador and Haiti. Trump could plausibly deport a million people using military-style raids of the Eisenhower-era, Ngai said, but it is unlikely that he can expel 11 million undocumented immigrants. (According to an estimate by the American Immigration Council, deporting 1 million people a year would cost more than $960bn over a decade.) Still, Ngai said, his rhetoric alone could foment fear and panic in immigrant communities. But Eisenhower’s immigration approach also differed from Trump’s in notable ways, Ngai said. Though the administration did launch flashy raids, it also allowed farm owners to rehire some deportees through the Bracero program, essentially creating a pathway for authorized entry into the US. So far, Ngai said, Trump has hammered down on deportations without providing an option for legal immigration or naturalization. “He doesn’t know the whole story of ‘Operation Wetback’,” she said. Deportations also appear to have harmed the local economy.

Donald Trump’s mass deportation proposal hasn’t been the first time the US conducted mass deportations of Mexican-Americans, as it happened during the Herbert Hoover and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidencies. The deportations were ruinous to economies and were a human rights disaster, and Trump’s plan repeats that but turbocharges it.

[transgenderer]

both haitian vodou and brazilian candomble (sources: metraux's voodoo, wafer's the taste of blood) supply an additional social structure on top of the usual familial, economic, and social bonds between people, in a way im not really aware of outside of it. obviously churches around the world provide a *community*, but even when tight this is fundamentally nebulous in nature, its a bond between all the members of a large group. but while vodou and candomble can provide community like any religion, they *also* add another structure, that of the initiate-headpriest relationship.

in vodou the head priest is obligated to quarter the initiate if they fall on hard times, and in turn the initiate has certain ritual obligations to the head priest (there's all sorts of work involve in making these rituals and festivals work). it seems similar in candomble but less economic, but jim wafer likens it to a sort of non-sexual polygamous mariage which i think is not inaccurate, these are intense relationships, the headpriest has a lot of influence over the initiate. the closest analogue in american society i think is what is generally considered a cult but thats more negative than it sounds. these arent that high control, people can and do leave, disagreement is very much allowed, etc. its idk, its a type of relationship we dont have the terminology for. i guess theres also like...deacons? idk. i dont think theres that intense emotional aspect towards the priest. and then of course theres people employed by the church but that's a different thing

anyway, its interesting. im not sure if there's a word for this category

[starrlikesbooks]

Behold! The books I'm most excited to get to read in 2025!

Check for links and details under the cut!

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire is the newest Wayward Children book! This one takes place in a Drowned World, with giant turtles.

I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrews is a horror romance starring the signing interpreter of a selective mute who is also an heiress! I loved Andrews' last book, which hd lush folk horror vibes, and this one has a gorgeous cover and involves curses and a spiritual exorcism, so I'm IN.

Love Points to You by Alice Lin is about someone making a dating sim! And the MC being hired as character designer. This is an Asian-led sapphic romance, and as a dating sim fan, I'm super pumped.

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran is a horror novel full of mutated monsters, and a cult-ish submerged town where the MC and her mother are stuck, where the people believe their dead family have reincarnated as sea monsters. The summary also heavily implies the MC has monstrous qualities.

What Wakes the Bells by Elle Tesch involves malevolent souls trapped in bells and fighting gargoyles! This sounds like an exciting fantasy world with a really fun adventure.

I Am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins is a trauma-centric horror with a magical bloodline and the power/curse of summoning insects. This one really leans into female rage, and I'm really interested in the magic.

Holy Terrors by Margaret Owen is the third (and I think final!) book in the Little Thieves series! Fairytale-retelling fantasy with a snarky, morally gray, damaged MC (whom I love)

Roll for Love by M.K. England is one of my favorite kinds of books coming out lately- a D&D based romance! This one involves a new campaign & roleplaying group after a big move, and a no-dating rule giving some tension.

The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite is Haitian-American Hannibal story! It's also a zombie story.

The Floating World by Axie Oh was pitched as an amnesiac sword-for-hire teaming up with a theatre troupe performer with mysterious powers, and I don't need to know any more than that!

Don't Let Me Go by Kevin Christopher Snipes is Snipes' second book- and I was absolutely gut punched by the queer tenderness and mental revelations of his first book. This one will also break me, as it's about two boys trapped in a reincarnation cycle.

And They Were Roommates by Page Powars should need no further explanation than the title!! But in case it's not- this is an MLM story of a stealth trans boy coming to a new school, where- unbeknownst to the roommate- he's roomed with his former, pre-transition fling.

Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales is a royalty romance at a boarding school, and it's sapphic! This has a disgraced princess falling for the new girl pianist 😍 As a big believer in Gonzales, I am lined up.

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater is not my normal kind of read! This is historical fiction, taking place at a hotel/spa in the 1940s- but Stiefvater wrote one of my favorite series, The Rave Boys (and The Dreamer Trilogy!), and she'd super excited about it, so I'm just looking forward to seeing her spectacular writing coming at a new angle.

Love Misha by Jam Aden has been on my list for a LONG TIME. Why? Because it's promoted as A Goofy Movie meets Spirited Away with a nonbinary main character. SAY NO MORE.

If We Survive This by Racquel Marie is a apoclaypse survival horror. Lesbian zombie stories are surprisingly not that hard t find right now, but I'm definitely interested in seeing more of them!

Predatory Natures by Amy Goldsmith has one of my favorite things- TRAIN SETTINGS. The MC is working on a luxury train during her gap year, but the trip is derailed by the arrival of a mysterious greenhouse and a pair of odd, enigmatic siblings. This is fantasy horror.

Evil-ish by Kennedy Tarrell is about disillusioned teen trying to become a supervillain. I love supervillain fiction, and this one sounds really fun and with surprising characters!

Villain by Natalie Zina Walschots is the very longwaited (for me, at least) sequel to the wonderful villain-led, radicalization story Hench. I'm so looking forward to seeing Anna as a full supervillain!

Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina stars a necromancer trying to resurrect her sister, and getting caught in a game of cat and mouse with the Emissary of Death. This one sounds really magical.

Hollow by Taylor Grothe is YA horror with an autistic (and trying to deny her diagnosis) teen in Upstate New York. I, personally, seeing book in Upstate NY and love autism rep, and this is queer!

The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee has one of my favorite fluffy queer romanc writers tacking reality show romance by the way of Pride & Prejudice! There's also (no surprise) going to be K-drama vibes.

For No Mortal Man by Keshe Chow stars a girl who can resurrect herself, traveling the Underworld to find her grandmother, and being haunted by a former betrayer.

We Were Never Here by Sophie Hannan is a heist story! This is about ghost hunters being blackmailed to do a heist, stealing a haunted painting. I love weird heists, I really do.

You Weren't Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White is probably my most anticipated release of 2025! I love AJW's autistic, trans horror, and this one has aliens and pregnancy horror. I see no way this won't be weird as hell, and therefore no way this isn't gonna be amazing.

[theafroamericaine]

My Perspective on Black Culture in the USA

I am highlighting my people and our culture for those who seem to lack understanding about it. I have seen countless derogatory comments coming from our own and others pertaining to us. I will never understand how someone can say we don't have a culture, no social practices, no traditions etc.... or only shine light on negative stereotypes grouping us all together. Black people are not a monolith. It's ridiculous to observe the behavior (esp. the negative part) of a person or group then project that image onto all of us. To cherry pick which parts of our culture are "cool" or "trendy" then completely erase us out of the picture and try to gaslight us into thinking the style never originated with us. AAVE in media is looked at as "internet slang" or "Gen Z slang" nothing to be taken seriously. Our signature styles, rather it be hair or clothing are looked at as trends or streetwear. It seems as if when it's deemed popular our style is no longer apart of us.

The whole "Black Americans don't know where they come from," topic is old and tiring. I have never questioned my identity nor was confused about where my family comes from. For many Black Americans their families have been in North America for centuries, why is it so confusing as to where we come from? When someone says that they are Jamaican, Haitian, Bajan or any other group in the diaspora, do you question who they are and their families origins? Is it skeptical to you then? I take great pride in my ancestors for persevering and fighting for us to be recognized as citizens of this country and I have no problem with calling myself a Black/African American, those are my family roots here. We do know where we come from and we do know who we are.

Google is one second away if you are actually curious about our culture and trying to get a better understanding. Stating that we have nothing of our own and aren't unique is low vibrational. Just because a group of people doesn't fit your definition or interpretation of what a culture is and what it should look like, doesn't mean that they don't have one. A people's culture isn't based off of what you understand or your feelings. Research and reading helps.

Thanks for coming.

[episodeoftv]

Round 3 of 8, Group 1 of 2

propaganda and summaries are under the cut (May include spoilers)

Merlin (BBC): 4.06 A Servant of Two Masters

cw there is a scene where Merlin gets a snake shoved into the back of his neck (which can then control him because magic) and obviously various failed attempts at assassinations

When Merlin falls into Morgana's hands, he becomes a deadly weapon in her fight for supremacy. Using ancient magic, she pits friend against friend to create the perfect assassin. An oblivious Arthur is in great danger. Will anyone notice Merlin's unusual behavior before he does the king some serious harm?

merlin (whose main role in the show is saving arthur's life over and over again) is enchanted to try to kill arthur. he makes a hilariously bad assassin and it's fun watching other characters react to the personality change, as well as getting to see some badass merlin and the whole scene with morgana in the beginning was so interesting to watch. he disguises himself as a mean old man so he can say what he really thinks! and the costumes are fantastic in this episode particularly

The West Wing: 2.22 Two Cathedrals

As the Haitian army continues their seizure of the American embassy there, Bartlet and the staff prepare for the announcement that Bartlet has M.S. and the President must decide whether or he will seek re-election. As the funeral for Mrs. Landingham takes place and the announcement draws nearer, Bartlet thinks back to his past in search of the answer to the question everyone is asking: Will he seek re-election?

This episode is such a tour de force. It makes me cry, it’s amazing. Also the casting of the flashbacks is so well done?? Idk, no clever thoughts, it’s just really good

Per Wikipedia, “widely considered to be one of the greatest episodes of The West Wing and one of the best episodes in television history.“ If you watch this episode and don’t have feelings all through Bartlet’s monologue then did you even watch it? No, you didn’t. If you haven’t seen this show, and this episode specifically, then you need to.

[poorrichardjr]

Just How Much?

I know a lot of people aren't as familiar as I am about how some politicians try to use othering to get ahead. They aren't as familiar with how this eventually goes to an extreme that is used to demonize a group of people who aren't the primary group to any political sphere. The best known instance of this was just before WWII by the Germans, though they were playing into long believed hatreds and stereotypes.

The reason I bring this up is because we have seen this repeated time and time again in history, and today we are witnessing a constant stream of it in our own nation. Just listen to major republican politicians and you will hear denigration of "illegal" aliens. But they are far from the only target. Listen to Donald Trump and you will constantly be inundated with hate for "illegals, liberals, Haitians, foreigners (especially Chinese)", and anyone else who doesn't subscribe to their version of history or America.

The rhetoric is going through the roof. Haitians are eating your pets. Illegals are taking over buildings in Colorado. Liberals are forcing sex changes on students in school or trying to make them gay. Take your pick of othering in politics. The whole point is to make you think these people are less human than you. It is designed to make you fear these "people" enough that you will agree to vote for the person who is spewing constant lies.

The more they can make you believe these individuals are undeserving and less than you, the more likely they will willingly take action if you are foolish enough to put them in power. The Jews of Europe aren't the only people who have this used against them. Armenians in Turkey, The ethnic minorities of Cambodia, and the Tutsi's of Rwanda can all tell you how politicians used charged words to make citizens hate their fellow countrymen.

Ask yourself when you hear these people talk about all the evil people here in America, how far are they willing to go? How much further are they going to take this? If this person comes to power, will he send the police into American homes to root out all these people he seems to hate? Will they use those militarized police forces to force other groups in this country to conform to their ideals? When will it end, or would it?

[mariacallous]

Ever since the televised debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Sept. 10, Springfield, Ohio, has become an epicenter for ferocious anti-immigrant attacks. As he struggled to regain his footing against the vice president, Trump dredged up disproved claims promoted by his running mate, J.D. Vance, who said that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were eating dogs and cats.

The false allegation, as New York Times columnist Lydia Polgreen argued, tapped into some of the worst nativist sentiment. “There is a long and grim tradition of demonizing Haitians in the United States,” Polgreen wrote, pointing to how the claim revolved around two cherished elements of life, food and pets. Polgreen argued that the situation is a reminder of the threat a second Trump term would pose. “In his elevation of something akin to blood libel against a group of blameless legal immigrants who came to America from their strife-torn nation in search of a better life through hard work… he has proved himself a dangerous and malevolent figure.” Indeed, anti-Haitian sentiment is deeply rooted in American culture, dating back to the Haitian revolution of 1791-1804, when there was a strong reaction against the overthrow of French rule. This rhetoric has frequently included accusations of animal consumption, as well as cannabalism.

As polls demonstrate that immigration remains a top concern for many American voters, Trump’s rhetoric in recent weeks has only become more toxic. At a rally on Long Island, New York, he warned his adoring crowd: “They’re coming from the Congo. They’re coming from Africa. They’re coming from the Middle East. They’re coming from all over the world—Asia. A lot of it coming from Asia. What’s happening to our country is we’re just destroying the fabric of life in our country. We’re not going to take it any longer. You got to get rid of these people. Give me a shot.”

Besides circulating a dangerous and toxic set of illiberal ideas that has caused Ohio officials to station guards at the Springfield schools and prompted two local colleges to go remote, Trump’s narrative erases the city’s real lesson for the United States: how immigrants are revitalizing decaying economic areas that have been left behind for decades.

Like places in many other so-called Rust Belt states, Springfield had been a city that struggled as the new high tech, financial service-centered economy took hold in the 1990s. But now, Springfield is booming. The recent history of the city shows not why immigrants are a threat to existing populations, but why they are part of the solution to economic decline and malaise.

This has been the history of immigration in the United States since the founding, and it remains just as important today as ever before.

For much of the 20th century, Springfield, Ohio, located about 45 miles from Columbus, was one of the thriving small cities of the Midwestern United States. Manufacturing had been at the heart of the economy since the late 19th century. In 1902, when the companies that produced Champion harvesters joined with several other brands in the merger that created International Harvester Co., more jobs and money came to the community with the production of agricultural machinery.

In addition to International Harvester, the local economy benefited from the presence of the Kelly-Springfield Tire Company, Crowell-Collier Publishing Company, and several other businesses. Though it was certainly not New York, Chicago, or Columbus, Springfield embodied the kind of bustling small city that was at heart of the American Century.

But like many of these cities, the area suffered greatly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries as factories closed and jobs went overseas. Between 1970 and 2020, the population fell from more than 80,000 to less than 60,000.

When  Newsweek magazine sought in 1983 to capture for readers what was happening in this increasingly economically desolate section of the country, it zeroed in on Springfield; the editors said it had once been a “dream city.” The magazine published a lengthy special that used the city to tell a bigger story about national decline, and its findings were bleak. Crowell-Collier had closed its plant decades earlier, while International Harvester was reeling amid the recession. Concluding with a pessimistic message, the authors wrote: “The times have not been hospitable to dreaming.”

As he campaigned in 2015, Trump’s anti-immigration and pro-tariff agenda seemed to promise relief.

But while help finally arrived, it came from a very different direction. In 2016, through various incentives, state officials persuaded Topre, a major Japanese company that produced auto parts, to invest millions of dollars to construct a manufacturing plant that would eventually create hundreds of local jobs. In the coming years, numerous other companies followed Topre’s lead.

Attracted by the low cost of living and thriving community, somewhere between 12,000 and 20,000 Haitian immigrants would move to Springfield in the following years. The pace picked up after the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, when there were not enough workers in many industries. Employers lured Haitians by advertising good jobs and a decent standard of living. Companies paid for immigration lawyers, translators, and set up online portals to smooth the transition.

The Haitian immigrants, who arrived legally with temporary protected status or humanitarian parole, settled in. They quickly proved to be a valued workforce that allowed the economy to continue prospering. They boosted the once thinned-out population and brought new cultural energy to the community.

McGregor Metal plant’s CEO told NPR that he had depended on about three dozen immigrants to fill the jobs at his factory, which produces steel parts, to make the shop floor work. At the Dole Foods factory, Haitian labor has also been vital. Earning paychecks also means taxes.

The false allegations swerving around Haitian immigrants ignore all of this demand. The fearmongering grows out of a common “they keep coming” myth about immigration, as Harvard University historian Erika Lee argued in Myth America, that wipes away the nation’s own role in “coercing, recruiting, cajoling, and incentivizing foreigners to come to the country to serve its own economic needs.”

Legal immigrants didn’t only provide labor in Springfield, but also boosted the vitality of downtown. Caribbean food trucks and restaurants brought new energy to sleepy streets. Haitian Flag Day became a popular annual event. On Sundays, the prayers and song from the St. Raphael Church, where there has been a regular afternoon Haitian Creole Mass, filled the air. Until recent months, immigrants were understood locally to be integral to the fact that Springfield was standing strong once again. CultureFest, recently canceled because of safety threats, has been a well-attended annual two-day celebration of the city’s vibrant and diverse cultural offerings.

During an interview with NBC News, one Springfield pastor said, “The real story is that for 80 years we were a shrinking city, and now we’re growing.”

With growing populations come problems. These are not imagined and have received ample coverage. As the population climbed back to previous numbers as a result of immigration and a more prosperous economy, emergency services, health care centers, schools, and city services were strained. As the housing stock declined, rent increased. It often became more difficult to secure appointments to key government offices and schools, which—once under threat of shutting down when the population was disappearing—were now trying to keep up with growing student bodies.

Tensions spilled over last year when an 11-year-old boy was killed in a school bus crash that involved a Haitian immigrant. The tragic death unleashed the type of nativist vitriol that Trump has helped to elevate to the highest levels of political power.

These kinds of problems, however, grew out of success, not crisis. They require commonsense, rational government solutions—not the kind of wall-building and deportation measures that would rob the city of a Haitian population that has brought it back to life. Federal support, for instance, could help shore up basic services. New measures to assist with affordable housing could bring down costs for homeowners and renters.

None of these policies would be easy to achieve, and they require spending, but they are well worth it. Rather than offering elixirs that would end up hurting the very communities they promise to save, including the white working-class residents who the Republican Party has depended on, rational policies that address the actual issues can strengthen the infrastructure of cities such as Springfield and allow them to remain great.

One of the most striking developments of recent years has been the way that a far-right nativist rhetoric has taken over the way that Americans discuss immigration.

While Republicans champion the imperative of exclusion and warn of the dangers of replacement, too many Democrats have responded in a defensive fashion by accepting the conservative terms of the debate. During that Sept. 10 debate, Harris’s main response to a question on the topic was to remind voters that Trump had convinced congressional Republicans to vote against a harsh bipartisan border bill. Harris promised that if she was president, she would sign the bill. Trump vacillated. This fit a recent pattern where Democrats have been scrambling to the center, if not to the right of center, to try to win back support on this issue.

Nathan Clark, the father of the 11-year-old who died in the crash in Springfield, recently blasted the Republicans trying to capitalize on his son’s death, which he reminded a Springfield City Commission was an “accident” rather than a “murder.”

Begging the GOP to stop, Clark said: “They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis, and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio.”

Regardless of the politics, Americans need politicians to also keep reminding the electorate of what great things immigration has done and continues to do for the nation. And there is no better place to start than Springfield, Ohio.

Writing in the New York Times, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who was born in the city, put pen to paper to remind readers that “the city hit tough times in the 1980s and 1990s, falling into serious decline as manufacturing, rail commerce and good-paying jobs dwindled. Now, however, Springfield is having a resurgence in manufacturing and job creation. Some of that is thanks to the dramatic influx of Haitian migrants who have arrived in the city over the past three years to fill jobs. They are there legally. They are there to work.”

After praising the immigrants for their character and value, DeWine reported how one business owner in the city had informed the governor that “his business would not have been able to stay open after the pandemic but for the Haitians who filled the jobs.”

There is a lesson here for all other communities seeking to do the same. Rather than villainizing newcomers, it might be better—as so many Republicans have done until recent years—to concentrate on policies that would help to integrate legal immigrants who arrive to blighted areas seeking to work, spend, and play. Not long ago, when George W. Bush was president, a substantial number of Republicans and Democrats worked together on a grand bargain that would combine rationalizing the immigration system, including creating a legal path to citizenship for millions of people already in the United States, with tougher border and deportation policies.

Over the past decade, the first part of that bargain has disappeared. Most Republicans focused on the second part of the deal, while many Democrats abandoned hope for the first. Springfield is an important reminder that the politics of exclusion will erode the very people who have been a backbone to the nation’s economy and culture.

[mugiwara-lucy]

I am so fucking pissed right now.

It wasn’t enough that deranged old man known as Donald Trump repeated Laura Loomer’s (one of her MAGA cultists who even MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE called out. Let that sink it) fucked up lies about Haitian Immigrants eating animals (the officials came out and said it was bullshit) but JD Vance repeated them and as a result the schools in Springfield Ohio have been evacuated, the government has been shut down and two of their hospitals have been shut down due to BOMB THREATS.

All this because Trump’s pathetic, washed up, Epstein Files 34 Convicted Felon ass can’t handle Kamala’s popularity going up DAILY along with her owning her.

Ordinarily, I laugh at his stupidity but this is NO laughing matter. Because of his lies, the KKK and the Proud Boys were parading around Springfield repeating racist, hateful rhetoric. If you all remember, this is NO different from the hate crimes Asian Americans suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic because of him referring to it as the “China Virus” along with the hatred Mexican immigrants got because of the disgusting dribble he said back in 2016.

And the icing on the cake? He offered NO apologies about this and doubled down on it. And as far as I’m concerned, if any Haitian gets hurt or or worse, KILLED; him, JD Vance and that Laura Loomer cunt (who had the balls on Twitter last night to call it a “joke”) ALL should go to jail for slander, defamation and inciting destruction. Because they KNEW what they said were lies and they did it to cause race riots.

I will say; if you in anyway like or support Donald Trump or MAGA; UNFOLLOW AND BLOCK ME. I wanted nothing to do with him or his fans already after January 6th but after last night? I REALLY want nothing to do with that group. ESPECIALLY since this is the THIRD DAY of Ohio being terrorized because of him.

And as for that Erika Lee bitch, she should charged too. She KNEW the ramifications of what she said and how MAGA would react and she did it anyways. Her having a biracial child and her being biracial does NOT absolve her in ANY WAY for the damage and destruction she caused and her “apology” means nothing since the damage has been done.

One more thing, for the vocal minority of people who are bitching about Democrats and Palestine Genocide, guess what? Kamala is vocal about helping mend that genocide whereas Trump is bloodthirsty and on a witch hunt and if we don’t get her, we get his demented, dementia riddled, rapist ass. So not only will the Palestine Genocide get WORSE with Trump; America will turn even MORE into a hell hole. ESPECIALLY with all the Christian Nationalists he aligns himself with.

For those sick and tired of Trump and his MAGA Cult, PLEASE VOTE BLUE all the way across the board because if Trump gets in, he’s not leaving office until he dies.