The Invisibles

Nicole Pierson Proposal for Essay #3 My topic will be the understanding of life in Miami from the Haitian perspective. I think that this project is really important because Haitians are misrepresented in Miami and to the outside world unknown of even inhabiting Miami. Other Studies have been done for this topic I’m sure. A brief description was shown in Locals, Mobiles, and Exiles when they talked about Haitian areas. I think I want to dive into the younger Haitians perspective. Very similar to Cubans they came to Miami to seek refuge and their elders still wish of going home, even if having to live in ruins after the earthquake. They are underrepresented because they encompass one the Spanish Caribbean cultures that came to Miami but have been in the Cuban immigrants shadow ever since. Another underrepresented part of being Haitian is that their complexion is darker than Cubans and other Caribbean countries that they are assumed either African American or African. Segregated and populated areas have shown that a lot of Miami Haitians live near Black neighborhoods. Many Haitians have found connections with Blacks in Miami but have been turned down by lack of respect or consideration of Haitians being similar to black in any way. This has created a big tension between black and Haitians and has created separations from all others for Haitians. I think that This project will add Knowledge to this area because Haitians more than anything are upset with Blacks but if they could understand the source of all the local and exiles problems (mobiles) then they could join together to create the majority. My main question is “what is life like for Haitians in Miami compared to others in Miami” I will question the relationships they have to all other cultural groups and look at the problems they face in their everyday lives. I might choose little Haiti as a place to look at but there are other places. I’m going to need to do some ethnographic research for this topic. Annotated Sources Locals, Exiles and Mobiles Jan Nijman Even though this has a brief explanation of life in Little Haiti and other Haitian sections of Miami, I think that they are important parts that contain underlying information about the social systems for Haitians in Miami. It shows the spaces that Haitians occupy and the distance to the other occupied spaces that are occupied by Blacks, other Exiles, and Mobiles. I consider this a good mapping device for understanding the tensions that Haitians have with blacks and how their close proximity in neighborhood has also created problem for them. Also it helps to understand why there are less tensions between Haitians and other exiles and mobiles because they are further away from them and it kind of creates this habitus of keeping your distance and staying on your own side and there will be peace. I just think that this article answers a lot of questions that relate to the racial problems in Miami. Fit to Miss, but Matched to Hatch: Success Factors among the Second Generation's Disadvantaged in South Florida Lisa Konczal and William Haller Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science , Vol. 620, Exceptional Outcomes: Achievement in Education and Employment among Children of Immigrants (Nov., 2008), pp. 161-176 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. in association with the American Academy of Political and Social Science Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40375815 This is a really good source for my research. This article examines the elements of successful outcomes among underprivileged people of the South Florida immigrant communities and measures the usefulness of rational choice theory and the Wisconsin model (which I think is completely irrelevant but whatever I guess). The findings are derived from ethnographic interviews and analysis of two of the most underprivileged South Florida districts, Little Haiti and Hialeah. The article builds upon the elements of success as identified in the lead article of this capacity, which include items relevant to the family, the individual, and the broader community context. The authors add the following to those success factors: (1) ignorance (or disregard) of the barriers to success and the odds against overcoming them; (2) emotionally motivated responses to the surrounding social conditions or to specific (cathartic) events; and (3) exiting underprivileged neighborhoods of origin to facilitate access to resources, mainly educational. ZipUSA: LITTLE HAITI, FLORIDA -- Visions of Little Haiti Shea, Neil.National Geographic 209. 2 (Feb 2006): 116-118,120-122. http://search.proquest.com/docview/200960250/abstract?accountid=14585 This is another fabulous example of the tensions between Blacks and Hispanics and how they are constantly competing to get ahead of the poverty line. It is also crucial to see how Haitian children co-exist with their African American counterparts. From the information that my interviews have given me Edison and Horaceman are the two rival high schools but they aren’t even like in the same conference so it’s completely based on race. I want to understand the life of young Haitian children, but I think that this leads me to have to understand the blacks perspective on Haitians because there is always two sides to the story and although I believe what my interviewee’s have claimed. I must know both sides before I make any claims of my own. But this article is good because it gives younger Haitians an understanding and appreciation for their elders.