[katespepach]

I know quite a few white Haitians.
Most are from European families from waaaaay back who did not marry out of their race - so they remained white. That is cultural. That is what I got from the first 2 episodes of this film. I will watch the rest when I have competent internet.

For me, the more curious phenomenon is genetic.
There is a valley called Fond de Blanc whence the wife hails which keeps producing more than its fair share of "throwbacks".

Now understand that Haiti, since the revolution and civil war - and hence when new slaves stopped being imported from Africa, is a mere 10-12 generations old.

Think about that for a moment.

That means that somebody that your granny knew, knew somebody that knew the grandchild of the last generation of imported Africans.

And the wife's family seat is a place called Fond de Blanc that took its name from a time when the valley concerned was full of hapless Europeans on the lam from an overenthusiastic Desallines.
This area of Haiti, near Aquin, until recently has remained isolated. In fact people still do not travel too much from these parts.
The influence remains.

My brother in law is a black guy with light skin.
I say again - he is unmistakably black but he has light skin. He burns in the sun. His son, Myson, is the same. His grandmother, father, mother and wife are classic black Haitians - of an almost Senegalese hew.
He is not the product of an interracial marriage.

My daughter is white. Her mother is black. In fact when she was born I cracked the joke to the surgeon who performed the C-section - "Are you sure she is the mother?"
He gave me a horrific look.
No sense of humour some people....

I was looking forward to a little brown baby but she turned out whiter than I am.
I wonder how she will see herself in her context.

It is a real eye-opener how colour and race can be so confused - especially in a country as "black" as Haiti.

I am curious to see how the next one pops out....

[jackie Obrian]

I recall reading that a group of Napoleon's soldiers were Polish transcrips, and that some of these deserted and stayed in Haiti.

[Tic Tac Took]

Good documentary... We know most of Cap Haitien´s whites... I mostly agree with the analysis...

[Sarah Armstrong]

this is the first ten minutes of a 6 part program about white haitians and there history

YouTube - white Haitians/Forgotten faces (Part 1)

[eXC3Kvnn]

159 views and not a single person says anything in an internet board where any thread, regardless how mundane, how irrational, how unimportant it may be, receives at least one post after 60 views.

Oh well...

I managed to see the documentary in the its entirety and it was very interesting.

Some of the points I got from the vids:

1. Dessalines had not ordered the butchering/explusion of all whites, he did made an exception for those who had the 'know how' for the sake of keeping the Haitian economy running. Doctors, merchants, engineers, etc were spared. Hence, while Haiti lost most of its whites during the revolution, a tiny number remained to run the economic show along with the mulattoes.

2. The Duvalier years were harsh on the white minority. First, the Duvalier excluded the business community (much of it apparently was white) from the political process. Anyone that didn't heed to that exclusion was either killed (along with the family) or exiled. Duvalier, Jr. (Baby Doc) was worst since he was hardly educated and pretty much help destroyed much of the business class his father had not done so by the time of his death. Needless to say, during the Duvalier Haiti saw a new exodus among its white minority and along with them, apparently, went the brains of the ins and out of the Haitian economy since they owned/controlled so much of it.

3. From the video it appears that the economic decline of Haiti was, as has been debated in the forum, self-inflicted and, at the same time, imposed from abroad. The self-inflicted part was mostly of a political nature driven by the greed for power and, perhaps, racism and the desire for vengeance due to the history of whites, blacks and mulattoes in Haiti. With the departure of a large segment of the white minority, whom controlled much of the economy, so too went away Haiti's economic stability and relative prosperity.

The real reason for Haiti's demise appears to be a severe brain drain driven by racism, a desire for revenge, power, and outside influences.

It appears the documentary was done prior to the earthquake, so who knows what the situation might be now concerning this minority, their economic aspirations for Haiti, so on and so forth.

[Sarah Armstrong]

Good documentary... We know most of Cap Haitien´s whites... I mostly agree with the analysis...

, i dont know if i have met you because i live in cap Haitien but i am glad you liked my documentary

[Sarah Armstrong]

159 views and not a single person says anything in an internet board where any thread, regardless how mundane, how irrational, how unimportant it may be, receives at least one post after 60 views.

Oh well...

I managed to see the documentary in the its entirety and it was very interesting.

Some of the points I got from the vids:

1. Dessalines had not ordered the butchering/explusion of all whites, he did made an exception for those who had the 'know how' for the sake of keeping the Haitian economy running. Doctors, merchants, engineers, etc were spared. Hence, while Haiti lost most of its whites during the revolution, a tiny number remained to run the economic show along with the mulattoes.

2. The Duvalier years were harsh on the white minority. First, the Duvalier excluded the business community (much of it apparently was white) from the political process. Anyone that didn't heed to that exclusion was either killed (along with the family) or exiled. Duvalier, Jr. (Baby Doc) was worst since he was hardly educated and pretty much help destroyed much of the business class his father had not done so by the time of his death. Needless to say, during the Duvalier Haiti saw a new exodus among its white minority and along with them, apparently, went the brains of the ins and out of the Haitian economy since they owned/controlled so much of it.

3. From the video it appears that the economic decline of Haiti was, as has been debated in the forum, self-inflicted and, at the same time, imposed from abroad. The self-inflicted part was mostly of a political nature driven by the greed for power and, perhaps, racism and the desire for vengeance due to the history of whites, blacks and mulattoes in Haiti. With the departure of a large segment of the white minority, whom controlled much of the economy, so too went away Haiti's economic stability and relative prosperity.

The real reason for Haiti's demise appears to be a severe brain drain driven by racism, a desire for revenge, power, and outside influences.

It appears the documentary was done prior to the earthquake, so who knows what the situation might be now concerning this minority, their economic aspirations for Haiti, so on and so forth.

i am glad you watched the whole thing and found interest in it, and i am glad you got many of the points in the film

[Sarah Armstrong]

I recall reading that a group of Napoleon's soldiers were Polish transcrips, and that some of these deserted and stayed in Haiti.

yes the mixed polish community of Haiti is mentioned in the documentary,

[Sarah Armstrong]

Good documentary... We know most of Cap Haitien´s whites... I mostly agree with the analysis...

i dont know if i have met you i live in cap haitien , but thank you i am glad you liked it

[Tic Tac Took]

i dont know if i have met you i live in cap haitien , but thank you i am glad you liked it

Un dimanche à Malfini, j'imagine...

[Siffidiolla]

Interesting. I'm very much interested in this topic as it appears my French ancestors were from Port De Paix and emigrated to the States during the revolution. The video seems to implicate that a considerable number of whites stayed after the revolution and years after while the research I have done seems to show otherwise. Specifically, there were laws in place by the Haitian governement to prevent the immigration of white people.

I have been to PAP twice and have met white Haitians by the way. I don't not know how long back they can trace their heritage though.

[Texdolley]

Doc. starts off on a weak note.


Thought it would only be right to talk about the history of Santo Domingo..and then St. Dominique. Would give the story context and detail exactly what kind of "relationship" existed between the blans, gens de coleur and the Africans.


His first mention of history is about the Haitian Revolution and whether or not Dessalines ordered the deaths of certain people.

Consciously omitting the savagery committed by the whites...on the enslaved people and what kind of natural resentment and hatred that human beings would have for those who put them in chains. I mean even relative to the other systems of slavery in the "new world", the French system in St. Dom. was HARSH. St. Dom. wasn't the most prosperous colony in the Americas by accident. It was especially brutal with extreme mortality and turnover rate for the enslaved people.




If you're gonna tell a story, tell the FULL story.


==============================================

[ValintinoV]

Doc. starts off on a weak note.


Thought it would only be right to talk about the history of Santo Domingo..and then St. Dominique. Would give the story context and detail exactly what kind of "relationship" existed between the blans, gens de coleur and the Africans.


His first mention of history is about the Haitian Revolution and whether or not Dessalines ordered the deaths of certain people.

Consciously omitting the savagery committed by the whites...on the enslaved people and what kind of natural resentment and hatred that human beings would have for those who put them in chains. I mean even relative to the other systems of slavery in the "new world", the French system in St. Dom. was HARSH. St. Dom. wasn't the most prosperous colony in the Americas by accident. It was especially brutal with extreme mortality and turnover rate for the enslaved people.




If you're gonna tell a story, tell the FULL story.


==============================================

Undoubtedly true, but THIS thread is about a DOCUMENTARY ON WHITE HAITIANS. Let's please stick to the subject and not see it dissolve into race issues.

Muchas gracias.

AE

[Siffidiolla]

If you're gonna tell a story, tell the FULL story.


==============================================

Maybe this should be discussed in a separate thread but speaking of the whole story I certainly don't think it's acceptable nor understandable to slaughter innocent women and children and men who had nothing to do with the slavery.

[ValintinoV]

Maybe this should be discussed in a separate thread but speaking of the whole story I certainly don't think it's acceptable nor understandable to slaughter innocent women and children and men who had nothing to do with the slavery.

I think the "black slave vs. white 'master'" is an issue that does not belong on DR1. We don't permit race or religion forums, and there would be no way to dance around that discussion. The Haiti forum was created following the earthquake to allow interested parties to share information about the plight of Haiti's residents, not to debate slavery. It has evolved throughout this year into more aspects of Haitian life, and I, for one, have learned a lot thanks to several very informed DR1 members. Let's keep it that way please.

AE

[pipojambo]

A little known fact in Sosua is that Dr. Bob is a white Haitian, and a very successful one at that.

[Texdolley]

Undoubtedly true, but THIS thread is about a DOCUMENTARY ON WHITE HAITIANS. Let's please stick to the subject and not see it dissolve into race issues.

Muchas gracias.

AE

Just pointing out an obvious flaw in the opening part of this RACE specific documentary.I think an objective person would notice that after the narrated words "they (white Haitians) are an indelible fixture in the social history of Haiti from 300 years ago to today"....a brief history of these whites ...from 1710 to 2010 should have been included. Even as brief as detailing which countries or regions in Europe they are from.

I guess there are lots of white members and/or sponsors of this site.....and their sensibilities must be defended....regardless of what the ACTUAL topic is.......even when it's a documentary about a minority RACIAL group in Haiti.


I respect that.....but this is no place for me.


FIN

[Siffidiolla]

I guess there are lots of white members and/or sponsors of this site.....and their sensibilities must be defended....regardless of what the ACTUAL topic is.

What?????????????????

[ValintinoV]

Just pointing out an obvious flaw in the opening part of this RACE specific documentary.I think an objective person would notice that after the narrated words "they (white Haitians) are an indelible fixture in the social history of Haiti from 300 years ago to today"....a brief history of these whites ...from 1710 to 2010 should have been included. Even as brief as detailing which countries or regions in Europe they are from.

I guess there are lots of white members and/or sponsors of this site.....and their sensibilities must be defended....regardless of what the ACTUAL topic is.......even when it's a documentary about a minority RACIAL group in Haiti.


I respect that.....but this is no place for me.


FIN

Be reasonable. I [and most others here] have no idea what skin color the majority of our DR1ers have, it is immaterial. They certainly aren't all white, I can say that without hesitation. My mother raised me to never get into discussions on race, religion or politics, she said no one ever wins those arguments, just a lot of hurt feelings and damaged relationships are left behind. Seems she was right!

Stick around, you may be pleasantly surprised at who's posting in these forums.

AE

[jackie Obrian]

Just pointing out an obvious flaw in the opening part of this RACE specific documentary.I think an objective person would notice that after the narrated words "they (white Haitians) are an indelible fixture in the social history of Haiti from 300 years ago to today"....a brief history of these whites ...from 1710 to 2010 should have been included. Even as brief as detailing which countries or regions in Europe they are from.

I guess there are lots of white members and/or sponsors of this site.....and their sensibilities must be defended....regardless of what the ACTUAL topic is.......even when it's a documentary about a minority RACIAL group in Haiti.


I respect that.....but this is no place for me.


FIN

How about for the first 40 plus years of White Europeans in Haiti there were no blacks.