Haïtiens!

Un jour semblable au 1er janvier 1804, se lévera bentôt.

Depuis quatre ans, l’Occupation nous insulte à tout instant. Chaque matin nous apporte une nouvelle offense. Le peuple est pauvre et l’Occupation le pressure sous les taxes. Elle répand les incendies et elle empêche aux gens de reconstruire leurs maisons en bois, sous prétexte d’embellissement de la cité.

Haïtiens, restons fermes. Suivons l’exemple de la Belgique! Qu’importe si nos villes sont brûlées! Ce n’est pas une vaine pensée que celle écrite sur la tombe du grand Dessalines: “Au premier coup de canon d’alarme, les villes disparaissent et la nation est debout.”

La sainte cause qui s'étend dans le nord, a pour chefs des citoyens de valeur. Le Sud attend seulement un homme pour suivre cet exemple sublime. Pas de danger, nous avons des armes. Chassons ces hommes sauvages, dont la sauvagerie est patente en la personne de leur président Wilson, traître, brigand, fauter de troubles, voleur.

Mourez pour votre pays

Vive l’Indépendance! Vive l’Union! Vive la guerre juste! A bas les Américains!

Charlemagne Masséna Péralte

Chef suprême de la Révolution en Haïti au Ministre Français Résidant en Haïti

Port-au-Prince

*****

Monsieur le Ministre,

Contrairement aux principes généralement admis par les nations civilisées et aux règles du droit international, le Gouvernement américain, profitant de la grande guerre européenne, est intervenu dans les affaires de la petite république d’Haïti, en lui imposant une Convention dont une occupation militaire devait assurer la ratification par les Chambres haïtiennes.

Malgré les atteintes portées à notre autonomie et à notre dignité de peuple libre et indépendant, nous étions disposés à accepter cette Convention et à exécuter les obligations qu’elle comporte pour nous, mais les promesses fallacieuses faites per les Yankees en débarquant sur notre sol, se réalisent depuis tantôt quatre ans par des vexations perpétuelles, des crimes inouis, des assassinats, des vols et des actes de barbarie dont seuls dans le monde entier l’Américain a le secret.

Nous venons aujourd’hui, à bout de patience, réclamer nos droits méconnus, bafoués par l’Américain sans scrupule qui, détruisant nos institutions, dépouille le peuple haïtien de toutes ses ressources et se regorge de notre nom et de notre sang. Cruels et injustes, les Yankees ont depuis quatre ans promené la ruine et la désolation sur notre territoire. Aujourd’hui où, à la conférence de la Paix, des nations civilisées ont juré à la face du monde entier de respecter les droits et la souveraineté des petits peuples, nous réclamonts la libération de notre territoire et les avantages reconnus per le droit international aux Etats libres et indépendants.

Nous vous prions en conséquence d’observer que nous luttons depuis dix mois dans cet unique but, et que nos armes jusqu’ici victorieuses nous permettent de vous demander de reconnaître notre belligérance.

Nous sommes disposés à tous les sacrifices pour libérer le territoire haïtien et faire respecter les principes affirmés par le Président Wilson lui-même concernant les droits et la souveraineté des petits peuples. Et notez, Monsieur le Consul, que les troupes américaines, en vertu de leurs propres lois, n’ont nul droit de guerroyer contre nous.

Veuillez agréer, Messieurs [sic], nos salutations distinquées.

(s) Le Chef Suprême de la Révolution

M. Peralte

Suivent plus de 100 signatures.

*****

People of Haiti!

Soon a day like the 1st of January 1804 will rise. For four years the [American] Occupation has been insulting us constantly. Each morning it brings us a new offense. The people are poor and the Occupation still oppresses us with taxes. It spreads fires and forbids us to rebuild wooden houses under the pretext of keeping the city beautiful.

Haitians, let’s stay firm. Let’s follow the Belgian example. If they burn our cities, it doesn’t matter! As the inscription on the tomb of the great Dessalines states: “At the first canon shot, giving the alarm, cities disappear and the nation stands up.”

The holy battle in the North is led by brave citizens. The South is only waiting for the right man to follow its wonderful example. Don’t worry, we have the arms. Let’s get rid of those savage people, whose beastly character is evident in the person of their President Wilson—traitor, bandit, trouble maker, and thief.

Die for your country.

Long live Independence!

Long live the Union!

Long live the just war!

Down with the Americans!

From Charles the Great Massena Peralte High Commander of the Revolution in Haiti to The French Minister in Haiti

Port-au-Prince

****

Honored Minister,

Despite the principles, of international law usually adopted by civilized nations, and coming out ofGreat War in Europe, the American Government got involved in the internal affairs of the small republic of Haiti and imposed a rule whose approval by the Haitian Parliament was guaranteed enforced by military occupation.

We were ready to accept this rule and follow its obligations, despite the threat to our autonomy and the dignity of our free and independent people. But the false promises, given by the Yankees, when they invaded our land, brought in almost four years of continuous insults, incredible crimes, killings, theft and barbarian acts, the secrets of which are known only to Americans.

Today we lost patience and we reclaim our rights, rights, ignored by the unscrupulous Americans, who by destroying our institutions deprive the people of Haiti of all its resources and devour our name and our blood. For four years, cruel and unjust Yankees brought ruin and hopelessness to our territory. Now, during the peace conference and before the whole world, the civilized nations took an oath to respect the rights and sovereignty of small nations. We demand the liberation of our territory and all the advantages given to free and independent states by international law. Therefore, please take into consideration that ten months of fighting has been in pursuit of this aim and that our victories give us the right to ask for your recognition.

We are prepared to sacrifice everything to liberate Haiti, and establish here the principles affirmed by President Wilson himself: the rights and sovereignty of small nations. Please note, honored Consul, that American troops, following their own laws, don’t have any right to fight against us.

Dear Sirs (sic), please, accept our distinguished salutations.

Signed by the High Commander of the Revolution

M. Peralte

followed by 100 other signatures

Two letters by Charlemagne

USADR,


I'm just going to touch on 1 (maybe 2) reasons for the Negative stigma.

This is not exclusive to DR.

Haiti is the most African country in this region thus making her culture, customs very different from former colonies.

Whether or not we agree on this, the world has never put a good face on "Africa". The media focuses on her "primitive" culture, civil wars, poverty, racism and such.

You have never seen any programs geared towards the thriving metropolis, cities, industries, institutes of higher education, the everyday day people of the countries that make up the continent.

So, anything closely related to the "ancient" ways of the people of that continent does not fit into our western ideals and culture.

Most of the British West-Indian islands just recently became independent. Many of of their institutions are derivative of British culture.

The French islands, many are still departments of France, thereby making their values very french.

I don't even have to talk about former Spanish colonies to you guys. There's an unswerving loyalty to "Spanish" customs there.

...Haiti is very different from all of these countries and stands out. (History of strife doesn't help).

My next point is POVERTY.

Poor people are despised and not respected throughout the world. I admit most of us may not be guilty of such, but it is the pervasive view of society that people are poor due to their own shortcomings.

So, a poor country with an "African" culture does not stand a chance in this society. A lot of times, it's due to their leaders passing their self-hatred off to the rest of the populace and interlopers using their divide-and-conquer tactics against them.

Last but not least, when it comes to the DR. Let's us wonder if Trujillo and Balaguer loved the Haitian people?

Well...You know the rest.

UASDR....everything you cite ARE the reasons for the negative stigma.
Mind you, I wasn't attempting to breakdown the reason why poor Haitians are not welcomed in different shores, rather why

THEY ARE NOT IDENTIFIED WITH.

With all the violence, political upheavals, murders, dictatorships, poverty, drugs and so on in the history of our region,

Why Haiti ?

It's quite refreshing to see a post that doesn't rely on the race card, thanks for your honest reply. In my opinion, socioeconomic inequality is the biggest factor in LatinAmerica. I was staying in Vieques, Puerto Rico with some Puerto Rican relatives (stepfather's family) and I noticed the following:

-The Puerto Ricans, be they of whatever racial/color/phenotype, saw islands like Trinidad & Tobago, St. Thomas & surrounding as quite economically progressive. Many of those islanders (St. John/St. Thomas/St. Croixi, etc.) would come to Puerto Rico to shop. The islanders are overwhelmingly of SubSaharan African ancestry, but they were not looked at in the same way as a Haitian immigrant. The Haitian stereotypes are not applied to them just because they share similar looks. This is what I mean about one dimensional race obsessed theories of why 'Dominicans dislike Haitian, etc. etc.'.

Regarding the other point you made regarding the African influences incorporated into each islands culture, actually the Anglophone islands arguable retained the least. Forme French/Portugese & Spanish colonies retained alot more. it's just that we never developed a Spanish based Kreyol, but the African influence is quite noticeable. I would even go as far to argue that Cuba may have retained more African influence (direct with no hybridization) than Haiti, a bold claim I know.

We could use a 1000 Peraltes right about now. Sometimes, I wish that I had the courage of Malcolm X.

But, I'm working on it though. Sick of the BS.

Money talks, BS walks LOL!

As far, French, Spanish and Portuguese Islands retaining "African culture", I agree , but I would risk saying that a lot of Cuba's "African" influence is also intertwined with Haitian and Jamaican migration 100yrs ago.

Jamaica, in my opinion has retained a lot of "African" culture.

Someone needs to build a time-machine. So many questions, not enough answers. LOL!

My uncle, who has had a long history with the Dominican people tells me that when Trujillo lived with his beloved Haitian grandmother, the local Haitians and some relatives used to tease him because he was timid, mixed and awkward and he despised it. Interesting!

On the cuban case, it can be proven by the fact that the majority of the people of haitian and/or jamaican descent lives around the area of Santiago/Guantanamo, the southeasternmost point of the island, and which is closest to the two neighbors (in fact, the passage separating Haiti from Cuba is smaller than the one separating the DR from PR, and on a clear day, one can see the cuban coast from the Mole St. Nicholas). And about Trujillo's suffering "reverse racism", I wouldn't doubt it, cuz' if anything, the concept of black pride have its origins with the haitians and not with AA's, as the media wants the people to believe. Another thing that this shows is the falsehood of the american liberal belief that "blacks can't be racist because they have no power", pure BS.

If you look, all former French territory are all poor.

They have a much higher percentage.

If you compare to British our Spanish you see the difference territories.