a1601: Haitian community's political presence mounts (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Sun Sentinel

Haitian community's political presence mounts

By Merle Augustin
and Gregory Lewis noreen{slash} sosbe; matt; elana Staff Writers
Posted April 6 2002

Once a staunch Democrat, Lucy Orlando switched sides and is recruiting other
Haitian-Americans to follow her into the Republican ranks.

It appears to be working.

Orlando, a Weston resident who founded the Haitian-American Republican
Caucus of Broward County in 1999, helped start a similar club in Palm Beach
County last year. A Miami-Dade County version is to kick off April 11, while
others are planned for Fort Myers, Tampa and Orlando.

Orlando said she felt ignored by the Democratic Party -- which solicited her
only during election season. The GOP, she said, "embraced me and gave me the
opportunity to get involved."

"Haitian-Americans share the same philosophy over family values, education,
hard work and achievement," Orlando said. "We don't believe in handouts."

Pauley Marcelin, chair of Palm Beach County's Haitian-American GOP club,
said, "Our goal is to go statewide, then nationwide. We are a growing
community. We want to be involved, recognized and represented. By grouping
together, we'll create a force that can move mountains."

Already they are starting to make headway. Joe Celestin, the
Haitian-American who was elected mayor of North Miami in 2001, is believed
to be the only black Republican mayor in the southeastern U.S.

On April 12, Haitian-Americans will gather in Miami for a weekend
conference, "Developing a National Haitian-American Agenda: Moving Forward
Together." Spearheaded by Celestin and the National Coalition for Haitian
Rights, a New York-based advocacy group, it's the first time
Haitian-Americans from all over the U.S. are gathering to discuss common
interests.

During the three-day event, sessions will focus on economic development,
education, building organizations, democracy and civic participation.

"While there have been a number of well-publicized successes of
Haitian-Americans, our community overall remains fractured, isolated and
marginalized," said Dina Paul Parks, executive director of the National
Coalition for Haitian Rights.

In search of political clout, many of South Florida's Haitian-Americans are
joining grassroots political movements and exploring both political parties,
a movement that has slowly evolved since the mid-1980s. Haitians began
arriving in South Florida in substantial numbers in 1977.

"It's the maturing of an immigrant community," said Bryan Page, chair of the
University of Miami anthropology department and of the Center for Haitian
Studies in Miami. "You have this population that is pretty much committed to
living in the United States and improving their lives."

As Haitians pursued education and job skills, Page said, "they came away
from that with the idea that votes do count and people active in the system
can make a difference. They have watched the system, learned it, and are
ready to attempt operating in it."

According to the 2000 census, there are 267,869 residents of Haitian descent
living throughout the tri-county area. But activists and local officials
think that number is closer to a half million.

Among immigrant minority groups, Haitians outnumber all others in Palm Beach
County; are second to Jamaicans in Broward County; and fourth behind
Colombians and Nicaraguans in Miami-Dade, where Cubans top the list.

"The Haitian population is growing in the U.S. generally, but especially in
particular areas," said University of Miami sociologist George Wilson.
Pointing to cities such as North Miami, Wilson said he expects to see "more
of a [political] presence in the next 10 years" in Broward, with its
burgeoning Haitian professional and middle class, and to some extent in Palm
Beach County.

So far, the community's push to be politically active is placing
Haitian-Americans in high-ranking positions: State Rep. Phillip Brutus,
D-Miami, was elected in 2000. Judge Fred Seraphin sits on the Miami-Dade
County Court bench.

In Palm Beach County, Joseph Bernadel heads the Toussaint L'Ouverture High
School for Arts and Social Justice and sits on several boards, including the
Republican Executive Committee.

Bernadel said he feels the Republican Party offers Haitians more room to
focus on the community's needs.

"In the Democratic Party, the African-Americans constitute a
well-established political force and any minority falls under that umbrella.
West Indians don't have the same issues," said Bernadel. He says bilingual
education and immigration are primary concerns.

Different issues separate the African-American and Haitian-American
communities, according to those who support the controversial idea of
creating distinct agendas.

"We have no desire to be separate to the exclusion of African-Americans and
we're not separatist or elitist," said Parks of the National Coalition for
Haitian Rights. "It's just that we have special needs. We're adapting as an
immigrant community."

Others think the two groups should work more closely together.

"We do a good job of isolating ourselves from the rest of the Caribbean and
black communities," said Jean Jabouin, a radio show host for Davie-based
WSRF 1580 AM. "It's not the right attitude to send."

It is understandable, though, given the historic gulf between the two
groups, according to Marvin Dejean of Minority Development & Empowerment in
Fort Lauderdale.

When they first began arriving in large numbers, "Haitians were ostracized,"
Dejean said. "African-Americans didn't embrace them. Whites didn't embrace
them. They lived in conclaves separated by ethnicity, culture and language,
and rarely did anybody focus on a Haitian agenda or state of affairs."

"Now what you're seeing are Haitians who understand the system," Dejean
said. "We're at a crossroads in Haitian communities."

Some are going left; others right. For Page, the Miami professor, Haitians'
political party allegiance somewhat mirrors socio-economic backgrounds.

"We have a large number of people who came in flimsy boats with almost a
total lack of education, and we also had people who came in their private
jets," said Page. "Just based on that fact, you can expect reasonable
diversity in political party choices."

One reason the GOP is attractive to some is that Haitians immigrated in
search of upward mobility and sided with the party identified with the rich,
Page said.

With Florida a key state, the rising profile of Haitian-Americans is not
lost on political parties. The GOP, which expanded its minority outreach,
got involved with the community in 2001. In May 2001, Gov. Jeb Bush visited
Little Haiti and met with a group of Haitian-American leaders.

"I think the Haitian community realized that in order to be heard, you have
to be involved on both sides of the aisles," said Palm Beach County
Commissioner Mary McCarty, who also is the county's GOP leader.

The relationship led to the creation of the Republican Haitian Coalition and
the Haitian-American Republican Caucus of Palm Beach County and the party's
sponsorship of several community events.

"The fact is, there are just a large concentration of Haitians in Palm Beach
County," said McCarty. "Haitians have been there longer than others and they
are at the state where they are ready to get more politically involved."

The Democratic Party, which is well established in the community and has
three long-standing Haitian Democratic clubs, also is paying attention.

"We, obviously, have to pay attention to inroads the Republicans are making
in any groups that we feel are part of our base," said Bandele McQueen,
political director of the Democratic Party of Florida. "Florida is the
battleground. We can't afford to lose anyone."

Moreover, says McQueen, the Haitian community, just like the Cuban
community, commands attention.

At its state convention April 12, Democratic Party officials, such as
national and state Chairmen Terry McAuliffe and Boe Poe will meet with
Haitian-American leaders. The party also will honor Marlene Bastien, who
heads Haitian Women of Miami.

"We could have a Caribbean community meeting," explained McQueen, "but we
are having a Haitian community unity meeting because we think their
population substantial and their concerns important enough."

Merle Augustin can be reached at maugustin@sun-sentinel or 561-243-6522.









Copyright © 2002, South Florida Sun-Sentinel


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