The Open Letter Project (NMI 2008): Haitian Stories: The Boston Locative Media Project
Produced by Roberto Mighty, Valerie Linson, Linda Coles-Kauffman (NJ), Hugo Espinel (NY), Shannon Gee (WA)
Over the years, Haiti has experienced severe political and economic unrest as well as widespread devastation due to hurricanes. Beginning in the 1950's, Haitian immigrants in search of safety, education and opportunity settled in America. Now, nearly six decades on, they have established vibrant communities around the United States. The New Media Institute/Boston Locative Media project interviewed several Haitian immigrants now living in the Boston area.
The Interviewees discuss the challenges they face and how they are impacted by a US Federal Immigration policy known as TPS -- a "Temporary Protected Status" granted to foreign nationals living in the US, whose homeland conditions are recognized by the US government as temporarily unsafe or chronically dangerous. Afflicted by war, hurricanes and earthquakes, countries such as Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Somalia and Sudan have been granted TPS.
Haiti has not. Some we interviewed maintain the granting of TPS is unfair, discriminatory and perhaps racist. Browse our special New Media Embedded GPS Map to learn more about Haitians in Boston and their views on the US Government's immigration policies.
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