In the HABETAC (Hatian Bilingual/ESL Technical Assistance Center) resource guide (2005), there are 29 listed, but as they have noted, this is only a partial list. There are a plethora of Haitian non-governmental organizations in New York City. Unfortunately, the census information does not disaggregate numbers of Haitian Creole speakers like it does the speakers of other languages. Haitians in Queens are mainly located in Cambria Heights, Queens Village, Springfield Gardens, and Jamaica. Generally, Haitians living in Queens are considered by other Haitians to be of a higher socioeconomic status. There are also a number of other East Indian nations represented (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, etc.), and many churches, owing to the strong ties of Caribbean peoples to the church. It is easy to feel the Haitian presence through Haitian Creole signs, Haitian flags and music advertisements featuring prominent Haitian bands. There are a wide range of businesses such as, restaurants and bakeries, shipping companies and wire transfer companies, salons and barber shops, and legal offices. The main concentrations of Haitian businesses in Brooklyn are along Flatbush Avenue, out to Nostrand Avenue and Church Avenue. The largest concentration of Haitians lives in Brooklyn, primarily in Flatbush, Crown Heights, East Flatbush and Vanderveer. The staff of HABETAC informed me that the biggest concentrations of Haitians are in Brooklyn, in the Flatbush area, and in Queens. There are a variety of literary works in Haitian Creole, including fictional short stories, theater, poetry, folktales, children’s literature, proverbs, jokes and songs, and nonfiction items such as agriculture texts, mathematics, health manuals, as well as religious texts such as Christian bibles and voodoo writings.Īlthough the US census puts Haitians in New York City at around 156,000, there is reason to believe that the number is closer to 400,000, including temporary workers and students, illegal immigrants, and those that don’t bother to fill out census forms (Wikipedia, 2007). Only 45% of Haitians are literate in either language (Arthur, 2004). Although both Haitian Creole and French are official languages of Haiti, virtually 100% of Haitians speak Haitian Creole, only 10% of Haitians can speak and understand French. vii), the term Haitian Creole implies that Haitian is a “creole” hybrid (one of a variety of languages with little lexical similarity), and that “Haitian” would be a better term for this well developed language. As Bryant Freeman enthusiastically writes in the preface of the Haitian-English Dictionary (1998, p. Haitian Creole is the primary language of the Haitian people. authorities as the latter, called economic refugees, they are denied legal status and forcibly deported (HABETAC, 2005). Between 19, the highest numbers of immigrants reached the U.S., fleeing political repression or seeking a way to survive. This caused these two opposing political factions to migrate to the same places, such as New York City (where some of this friction and division remains). This was followed by a wave of Duvalier’s family, friends and associates as he was ripped from power. During the 1960s a wave of Haitian intellectuals and community organizers arrived as the dictator, Francois Duvalier, consolidated his power by eliminating detractors. There was a break in immigration from 1915 to 1956, when small numbers of well-educated Haitians migrated to the U.S. The first major wave of immigrants (about 10,000) came during the Haitian Revolution in the early 19th century. In battle of the United States for independence from England, 800 colored soldiers from Saint Domingue (to become Haiti) played an important role in winning the battle of Savannah. Historians claim that immigration from Haiti to the United States began as early as 1526. “Haitian Creole at Tilden High School: What Do Small Schools Offer?”

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