The Haitian Diaspora: Surviving and Thriving in Miami
Are you interested in Haiti but not ready to make a trip abroad? Join Assistant Professor of Geography, Anna Versluis, as she and her class spend January 2013 living and studying in Miami’s own Little Haiti. Discover a Miami you never knew.
Photo courtesy of Mark Diamond
Miami is known for its beaches, high-rise condos, celebrities, art deco style, and dance clubs—but also for its vibrant immigrant communities. Come learn about a part of Miami the tour books won’t take you to: Little Haiti.
Come study and experience Miami as a microcosm of immigrant relationships. We focus on the experiences of Haitian immigrants in Miami, putting this Haitian community in the context of broader historical, economic, political and social forces. You will discover and grapple with the complexities, inequalities, joys, and struggles surrounding the lives of Haitians in America.
Photo: Marc Avarette
What kinds of things will we do?
· Live in Little Haiti
· Experience Haitian food: rice, beans, goat, fried plantains, and more!
· Learn some Haitian Kreyol
· Serve as tutors at the local schools
· Learn from your “adopted family” about why they left Haiti and their life in the U.S.
· Dance to Haitian kompa music
· Study with some of the top scholars on immigration
· Canoe in the Everglades
· Visit art galleries, legal agencies, churches, and neighborhood centers working on behalf of the Haitian-American community
· And, of course, spend time in the sun and surf at the beach!