Right Direction                     

HAITIANS IN THE USA: STRIVING TO BUILD SELF-RESPECT

Since his ordination in 1971, Fr. Eugene Squeo has been working in St. Patrick Parish in Jersey City (New Jersey, USA). It is an urban parish, with a very mixed population. Originally it gathered the migrants from Ireland, and today it still serves the migrants but from different countries, mainly Kenya and Haiti. 

For Fr. Squeo, it is the service to the Haitian community that most challenges him. This year it is the two hundredth anniversary of Haiti’s independence. January 1, 1804 marked the birth of Haiti as the first black republic and as the second independent country of the American continent, after the United States. It was the conclusion of a long struggle waged against the troops of Napoleon by an army made up of former slaves. This makes the Haitians, 95% of whom are of African descent, all the more proud. Even in Africa this preeminence of Haiti is remembered with pride.

A Mass of their own

Twenty five years ago, four Haitian men knocked at Fr. Squeo’s door. They were Catholics residing in the parish and had come to express their desire for a Sunday Mass celebrated in their language and with the flavor of their tradition and culture. The priest was happy about the proposal and accepted it although he was also a bit nervous. Indeed, 80% of Haitian people are Catholics, but many still follow voodoo practices or other beliefs of the African traditional religions.

At the beginning, the Mass for the Haitians was celebrated once every month. Soon however it became weekly, and it continues so at present. Every week Pierre Moreau, a lay leader, would encourage the participants to come back the next Sunday bringing a friend with them. Soon the parish church became full and today there is also a Haitian priest who comes to celebrate regularly.

Hateful stereotypes

In New Jersey there are about 50,000 Haitians. One of the most unpleasant aspects of Haitian migration in the United States is the continued survival of hateful stereotypes regarding Haiti and its inhabitants. For the media, this country is practically almost always synonymous with poverty, illiteracy and sickness and this weighs heavily on the self-esteem of the Haitians, even of those who struggle for a dignified life.

In 1992, in the midst of a campaign against Haiti concerted by the media, Fr. Squeo himself and other priests organized a peaceful march of protest against government policy towards the Haitian refugees. At that time the ‘boat-people’ escaping Haiti were held in the American naval base of Guantanamo (Cuba) in degrading conditions. The march was very successful and led to the creation of an organization aimed at helping the migrants from Haiti. Today the “North-East Net of Solidarity with Haiti” is still active and helps not only the migrants but also the American people to acquire a more positive image and a more balanced appreciation of Haiti, its people and its culture.

Proud history

The parishioners of St. Patrick are very active in helping the Haitian refugees. Near the church there is a detention centre where the refugees are kept in a large storehouse with no windows. They are kept there 23 hours a day. The parishioners have started to visit the detainees, most of whom do not speak English, in order to break their isolation and make them feel that there is somebody caring for them. They bring them also some necessary things like letter paper, stamps and phone cards so that they can contact their relatives in Haiti or friends in the United States. A weekly religious service has also been planned. The parish of St. Patrick and other neighboring parishes have also committed themselves to help some of the refugees to find work after they are released.

Copyright©2003 World Mission Magazine