Port Au Prince - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Not that I know of. - Aug 2019
3% of the population in Haiti is Arab, but they have been there for generations. There were no real racial problems within the local population. - Jun 2019
There is a big divide between the rich Haitians and the not-rich. In the local community, not everyone is of African descent, but they are all Haitian. - Dec 2016
Hmm, there is an unstated class divide between lighter and darker Haitians. As an expat, you will be fine either way. Going to the DR is probably worse for darker Americans as you might be confused as Haitian and there is definitely tension between the two countries (though I have never seen hostility towards Dominicans here). - Sep 2014
Haiti is known for its racial prejudice of the light-skinned elite vs. everyone else but I do not usually experience this as a white expat. I have a mixed-race marriage, and we are welcomed in this culture - I think sometimes most Haitians are more accepting of me because my husband is black. But my husband experienced a bit of racism recently when a light-skinned Haitian stopped assisting him to assist a white Haitian, i.e. making the other person's needs more important than his, and coming back to him 10 minutes later. He was quite upset about this. Overall though, prejudice here is less than other places we have lived, even the U.S. and people are quite accepting of our bi-racial marriage. No gender or religious prejudices. We can hear the call to prayer from our home near one of the MINUSTAH bases - there are a number of Muslim contingents here. - Sep 2013
Yes. The class system is alive and well in Haiti. The lighter-skinned Haitians look down on and denigrate people with darker skin, and the darker skinned Haitians have hostile resentment toward lighter skinned Haitians. As a Caucasian person, I almost always have been treated very nicely. - Sep 2011
Haiti still has a high degree of segregation based on skin color. The higher up the social ladder you go, the lighter the skin of those around you becomes. Many times this is stated explicitly but, more often, there is just an atmosphere of "your kind is not welcome here" if you are dark-skinned. There is such a diversity of religious groups in Haiti that I can't imagine any religious discrimination taking place (nor have I heard of any). Women are well-respected in Haiti and do not experience any great discrimination. There are many women in the police and other occupations traditionally considered "masculine." Haiti may even get a woman president soon! - Jan 2011
No, not unless you are particularly -- and unnecessarily -- spooked by voodoo, which is an interesting thing to learn about. - May 2009
