In mid-September, more than 10,000 Haitians appeared at the U.S.-Mexico border to seek refuge in the U.S. from their unstable country. Images circulated online of U.S. border agents on horseback, whipping migrants as if they are herding cattle. As they attempt to ward off and punish the refugees for presuming that they have any right to belong on American land, it enrages me to see such a horrifying and irredeemable act of violence directed towards migrants who are simply searching for safety and stability.
As many have noted online, the acts depicted in these images reflect enduring stains that American chattel slavery has left on the U.S. Border patrol’s evident disregard for Black migrants’ humanities. Their use of violence as a means of enforcing oppressive social control is tragically reminiscent of Master-Slave relations during the era of American chattel slavery. I wish I could say that I am surprised–– but I’m obviously not. Violence is a U.S. tradition; violence is the essence of American culture.
On one hand, some are condemning the Biden administration’s egregious violence towards these Haitians who are simply searching for a safe place of residence. On the other hand, conservative politicians criticize Biden for allowing this surge of Haitian migrants. “When you have an administration that is not enforcing the law in this country, when you have an administration that has abandoned any pretense of securing the border and securing our sovereignty, you see the onrush of people like what we saw walking across this dam that is right behind me,” Greg Abbott,Texas Governor (R), said at a news conference in Val Verde County.
This comment is laughably absurd. What sovereignty is this Governor talking about? As a matter of fact, the U.S. has historically infringed upon the economic and political sovereignty of Haiti. After European nations had quite literally obliterated the economy and political stability of post-independence Haiti in the 19th century, U.S. troops invaded the country after the assassination of the Haitian president in 1915, conveniently justifying their invasion with the intention of restoring stability to the country. But the U.S. did everything but that; they exploited Haitians’ forced labor, inflicted a horrifying amount of physical violence, occupied the country until 1934, and only halted their formal control over Haiti’s economy in 1947.
Haitian refugees fleeing their country and entering the U.S. in search of a safe haven is not an infringement on American sovereignty. This poses no threat to U.S. independence or autonomy. In fact, these Haitian refugees are attempting to escape from the lasting ramifications of the U.S. and Europe’s exploitative threats to Haitian sovereignty throughout history. Am I shocked that American politicians are claiming victimhood in situations where they’ve committed the most harm? No, unfortunately not.
There is clearly an aspect of economic, political and social nationalism that is inherent in the U.S. government’s immigration policies and unrelenting border defense. Claims that Haitian refugees are a cause for social unrest and security concerns in the U.S. are embedded in xenophobic discourses. However, this justification is a carefully curated narrative that works to conceal the U.S. government’s true desire for a pure, white American country. From this country’s inception, the U.S. government has associated Black and Brown refugees with crime, social disturbance and economic trouble to better justify the U.S.’ subjugation, discrimination, and exploitation of them.
Click here to read USA Today’s list of places to donate or ways to assist Haitian refugees if you are interested in contributing to humanitarian efforts for this conflict.
