I don't think the haitian will is to live life, but to survive this life.
Similar situation in the DR, is the same in TCI.
It was around the 80's that it was just a hand full of them and the discrimination started almost immediately.
Alot of family were into fishing and subsistence farming. And the hatians who came here had jobs almost right away doing chores.
But I think soon people lost respect from them because it didn't seem they want to better themselves, and their number would increase continuously, so they soon expose themselves that they had not science people. Saying this I mean that you wouldn't really have a job for him or her, but you would sort of create something to help out. Afterall alot of people were struggling themselves. People would teach them the things they do and have them to become independent. But these guy sooner would bring in more and more people and expect you to provide jobs for them as well.
The intention of the islanders were to help these individual, and they were dedicated to doing so, even to the point that the people that work for them were allow to used thier last name.
As a kid, I would get frustrated by so many people living in one house, and my friends and I would through stones on thier houses at night.
Sometimes these guys used to catch us and beat us up but we couldn't let our parent know otherwise we would have been chastise for doing such a thing.
This was the first generation of haitians I think, and after they came somewhat rebellious and people started hating (well I don't want to be too hard, but there was a dislike for them, especially the younger folk, and this was happening in all the islands)
Then things change a little later on when these came became competition to the divers on the banks because there were so many of them, then they started squatting on crown land, then there goes the nieghborhood. At this point the older folk tolerated this, but they because outrage when they saw how they treated the areas. DIRTY and OVERCROWDED, and the women would be pregnant every week
Eventho these guys were making money on par with the other diver, they refuse to improve thier stardard of living. They guys also avoid buying stuff in the islands. People started saying, well if you're going to live here, atleast improve your standard of living, and also learn english.
After the tourism industry started in Providenciales (with the Club med), the jobs within the construction industry arise, and the islands had the opportunity to use the hatians (new ones) for cheap labor, so it wasn't a rush to get them out of the country.
The hatians continue to reach TCI shores and thier numbers increase all the more. And they stood iin thier numbers.
At this time people started calling them poppies, don't know the meaning of that, but i think it was because they were very cheap.
Immigration in the 90 soon started deporting some of the illegal hatians (usually caught on worksites).
But there were people standing up for them because some were losing a source of cheap labor, ven to the point thier hygene standards were lacking.
later the dominican started coming here, but the immigration never bother them. Because the girls were pretty, and they alway spent money back into the economy. These guys don't save money, they party every weekend. And now there are even a couple domincan clubs and restuarants.
So this was is what the contractor support thier argument with to the immigration, saying how can you deport hatians but not dominicans. Aren't they all illegal.
Recently immigration started deporting haitains again, this time because they are posing a security threat to the nation. Most of the crimes happening here are being take place by haitians. This is because thier number are some many now and the immigration had tighten up so signifantly that is hard to get a job. And the contractors at one time who wanted them to stay are out of job because on every job site there they are.
But I think there are certain procedures for deporting now that have to do with human rights regulations.
But....
In the same way Dominican discriminate again Haitain, to a lighter degree in TCI. Immigration will deporting any illegal who they can't get a couple thousand dollars from. Immigration have became a big business in TCI for a few. But I think they've been very passive towards the dominicans. They simply don't bother them
