Forbes: Is Racism Behind Treatment of Haitians?

[Judi Lynn]

Is Racism Behind Treatment of Haitians?
By PAULINE ARRILLAGA , 07.29.2006, 12:25 PM

~snip~
Central Americans have repeatedly been granted protected status following hurricanes and earthquakes in Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. Immigrants from Burundi, Liberia, Somalia and Sudan also enjoy such protections.

But Haitians have never obtained relief, despite decades of political turmoil, kidnappings and killings, and tribulations from tropical storms.
(snip)

Nowhere are these inequalities more glaring than in South Florida, where even Haitians and Cubans arriving on the same beach at the same time in the same manner are treated differently.

In April, authorities detained 44 Haitians after they landed on a beach north of Miami in a 45-foot cabin cruiser. Also aboard was a Cuban man. The Haitians were processed for removal.

The Cuban, said Border Patrol spokesman Steve McDonald, "by virtue of the fact that he's Cuban and eligible to adjust his status under the Cuban Adjustment Act will ... have the opportunity to request to stay."
(snip/)

http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/entremgmt/feeds/ap/2006/07/29/ap2913364.html

[acmejack]

1. Well, Duh!

If they looked Swedish, they'd have been granted asylum instantly & given a special resettlement program to assist them in getting "acclimatized".

[rosesaylavee]

2. It may simply be that Haiti doesn't have a huge

lobby in Washington and Florida.

Or it may be because of the color of their skin.

[Demeter]

3. Somebody Wants Haiti as Their Personal Plantation

and they asked Dubya to sign the country over to them. For convenience of drug smuggling, most likely.