17400: (Hermantin) Miami Herald- A letter from the publisher (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Sun, Nov. 23, 2003

A letter from the publisher

Dear Reader,

The Herald has chronicled the story of Haitians in Haiti and Haitians in
Miami for many years. However, the consequences of our country's immigration
policy, including the imprisonment of children and the expense involved in
imprisoning people who want to be free, are detailed in this magazine in a
way we've never done before.

We start with the dual premise that we want Haitians in our community and
that we want an immigration policy that is based both on reason and
compassion. We want Haitians here because of the contributions, energy and
enterprise they have brought, and because they are an important part of the
diversity that makes our community unique in the hemisphere. And we want a
policy that is fair and just because that is the standard to which we aspire
as a democracy.

Perhaps it's not possible to achieve anything like consensus on immigration
policy, but we believe it's clearly possible to be better than we've been --
and we're certain that we should try. So, how do we get there? To begin, we
first need to know today's reality. and for that, we offer these portraits
of Haiti in Miami.

For some time, I have wanted to feature in The Herald the work of one of
Miami's most important artists, the photographer Bruce Weber. We hadn't
found the right project until Bruce called to say he wanted to help tell the
story of Haitians in Miami.

Having Bruce Weber's eye for character, Andres Viglucci's word portraits and
Jim DeFede's tough commentary, all together in this magazine, is a natural
continuation of our telling of this dramatic and important story -- and
perhaps a step forward in the community's understanding.

In the pages that follow, you'll see portraits of proud and determined
people looking for a chance at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
These aren't just words. Many have died trying to find that chance, a chance
worth enduring storms of nature and policies of both the governments of
Haiti and the United States that work to keep Haitians from coming here. And
yet, they do.

And when they do, as you'll see here, when they're free to succeed, they do.
The evolution of a proud Haitian community from a group that came only a
generation ago with less than zero is one of Miami's quietest but most
positive stories.

Special thanks go to Kendall Hamersly and Behna Gardner for their guidance
of the project, and especially to Nan Bush, without whose commitment to it
this magazine could not have been published.

If you are moved by what you see and read, contact your member of Congress.
Tell them what you think.

Sincerely,

Alberto Ibargüen

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