Haitians represent the largest nationality group among black Caribbean immigrants, numbering approximately 500,000 in the United States, 70,000 in the Greater Miami area alone. The first group of Haitians to arrive by boat on South Florida shores landed at Pompano Beach on December 12, 1965. These political refugees and the other early immigrants seeking political asylum in the United States generally came from the upperclass families who had opposed the Duvalier regime in Haiti. They settled in a section of downtown Miami, FL which has come to be known as “Little Haiti.” As was the case for anti-Castro Cubans, these first immigrants were followed by a wave of poorer immigrants, creating significant class tensions within the immigrant community.

American support for the Duvaliers, and for the democratic governments that followed it, has meant that Haitians have not been considered “legitimate” political refugees. In contrast to Cubans, whose island nation Washington considers a communist-pariah state, Haitians have never been given preferential treatment by immigration laws. The resentment that Haitians feel about this has become evident υis-à-υis immigration laws that have allowed Cubans who make it to the US to stay in the country Haitian refugees tend to be semi-skilled, have some education and have lived in urban areas in Haiti. But Haiti is generally undeveloped compared to the United States, and so, in addition to language difficulties as French speakers, Haitian immigrants have sometimes had more obstacles to overcome than their Caribbean neighbors. They have also remained separate and distinct from African American communities, divided by cultural, religious and language differences. In the late 1980s, widespread assumptions that immigrants from Haiti were bringing the AIDS virus into the United States also led to ostracism. The New York City, NY case of Abner Louima, a security guard arrested and tortured by members of the NYPD, has become a rallying cry for Haitians wanting to confront the bigotry against them.

Predominantly Catholic, Haitians have tended to worship within the parish church where they reside. Frequently they hold services in Creole, separate from other Catholics, and adapt the liturgy to reflect styles of worship in Haiti. The growth of the Haitian community has also led to increasing interest in Voudou and African-based religions.