May 1, 2025

Contact: media@haitianbridge.org info@haitianbridge.org 

San Diego, CA – As Haitian Heritage Month begins, Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) honors the indelible legacy of Haitian immigrants and their descendants who have shaped the fabric of the United States. In a time of heightened xenophobia and aggressive efforts by the Trump administration to erase immigrant history, rewrite facts, and dismantle civil rights protections, HBA calls on all people of conscience to join the fight for dignity, justice, and historical truth.

Haitian Heritage Month, observed each May, is not only a celebration of culture and resilience but a reminder of Haiti’s foundational role in global freedom movements and the ongoing contributions of over 700,000 Haitian-Americans living in America, with large populations in Florida, New York, Massachusetts, and Georgia.to the United States in every field—from medicine and military service to arts, academia, and public policy.

From the brave Haitian soldiers who fought in the Battle of Savannah in 1779,  to the countless Haitian nurses, farmworkers, teachers, and frontline workers who sustained American communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Haitian diaspora has consistently shown up to help build and defend this nation.

Yet today, Haitian communities face targeted deportations, inhumane detention conditions,  and the looming threat of policies designed to criminalize migration and suppress cultural identity. Most recently, the Trump administration has pushed for policies that sever family ties, restrict asylum  protections, and erase the contributions of Black immigrants from the national narrative. While this administration has issued executive actions effectively dismantling asylum protections for countless Black migrants fleeing violence and persecution, it has simultaneously opened pathways  for White Afrikaners from South Africa—under the unsubstantiated claim of  discrimination and persecution. The contrast in policy priorities reveals a troubling pattern about who is deemed worthy of protection and belonging in these United States.

“We are living in a moment where erasure has become official policy—a calculated attempt to suppress the truth of who built this nation,” said Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance. “But we will not be erased. Haitian Heritage Month is not only a celebration of Haitian resilience—it is a tribute to the shared legacy of African Americans, Haitian Americans, and immigrants of African descent globally whose labor, intellect, and sacrifice have shaped the soul of the United States. Haitian Bridge Alliance will not stand idle as this administration attempts to erase the contributions of African Americans and silence the voices of Black and immigrant communities.”

This May, HBA invites individuals, organizations, faith leaders, and lawmakers to celebrate Haitian culture not just with music and food—but with action. That means defending Temporary Protected Status (TPS), advocating for humane immigration reform, and rejecting all efforts to vilify or exclude.