Trump continues to prove he is a bona fide racist. Recently he is said to have insulted immigrants from Haiti and African nations as being from “s—hole countries.” The Associated Press confirms the comment was made while Trump and a roomful of lawmakers were discussing the details of DACA. DACA is an Obama era program created to provide legal status to immigrants brought to the United States as children. When Haiti was mentioned Trump asked why he should accept people from “s—hole countries.” He then suggested that the United States should bring more people from countries like Norway. Norway is 83 percent white.
The comment has not been denied by the White House. The official statement from the White House seemingly tries to clean up Trump’s position.
“Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people,” spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement issued after The Washington Post first reported Trump’s remarks. “… Like other nations that have merit-based immigration, President Trump is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation.”
This is a consistent and unsurprising event during Trumps presidency. Last June it was reported that he said all Haitians have AIDS and Nigerians would never “go back to their huts.”
Of course, Trump’s latest comments have been burning up the internet. Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon have both spoken against Trump’s latest statement.
https://youtu.be/LagxU1Oq0Vw
These type of remarks come from a president who is ill-informed and ignorant. That ignorance is shared by his constituents. If one really studies the history of Haiti they will find that on Jan. 1, 1804, Haiti became the first Black republic in the Western Hemisphere. While they were slaves they banded together and defeated both the French and Spanish military.
Since reclaiming their freedom, Haiti has descended into third-world status. They have been paying a debt to France because of it. In the 1824 Franco-Haitian Agreement, France agreed to recognize Haitian independence if Haiti paid a large indemnity. This kept Haiti in a constant state of debt and placed France in a position of power over Haiti’s trade and finances. Almost every nation has set up some type of post there. Since America’s occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1934, the country has remained destabilized. America has always had an interest in Haiti even before the occupation. The earthquake in 2010 added even more despair.
Throughout their struggles, Haitians have proved themselves resilient and a beautiful people. In moments like these when the president of the United States is making disparaging comments and more importantly creating policy that is affecting those of African descent, Black people need to stand in defiance and organize in order to change the circumstance.
