In recent days, there have been false and incendiary claims about Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, Ohio. This has led to serious public safety concerns – including threats directed at local schools and businesses, and to national media discussions about the economic impact of these newly arrived immigrants. Some historical and socioeconomic context would be helpful.

Haitians have a long history in the United States. A Haitian military unit, the Chasseurs, fought for US independence during the Revolutionary War and were crucial to the US military victory in Savannah, Georgia in 1779. The arrival of Haitians in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in New Orleans and the lower Mississippi Valley was important in the development and culture of the region. The larger, more recent waves of Haitian immigration have been at least partially the result of French and US policies and repeated interventions that have helped to foster poverty, underdevelopment and political instability in Haiti. Today, many Haitian Americans........

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