‘The dream is still alive’: A Sunday stroll into the heart of Delray’s Haitian community
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Southeast Second Avenue comes alive on a clear Sunday morning. The community is buzzing and interacting around Sabine’s, a small Haitian restaurant. Delray Beach, like so many other cities in Florida, is home to a vibrant Haitian community. It has been growing steadily since the initial arrival of Haitian immigrants in the 1970s.
The immigration process in the U.S. has gone through drastic changes since those days. Speaking to people in Delray Beach revealed the growing sentiment that it has never been harder and more confusing to be an immigrant in the United States.
“Things were much better under Clinton,” says Wilner Renezil, a Haitian immigrant who came to the States in 1994. He was sweating from all the spice in the soup joumou he was drinking at Sabine’s Restaurant.
In the 1970s and 80s, South Florida saw an influx of Haitian immigrants reach its shores in search of a better life. They were tired of the political situation back home and decided to get a fresh start in America.
“The immigrants from the past paved the way for the Haitians immigrating now,” said Renezil.
He recommended visiting the bustling barbershop next door.
In Haitian culture and societies around the world, barbershops are hubs for political and cultural discussions. Phanord, the owner of the barbershop, immigrated to the U.S. in 1991. He echoed the sentiment of confusion about the recent changes in immigration policy in the U.S.
“When I first came, the anti-immigration stance was a lot more subdued but now it’s more vivid,” he said.
A major difference in the way immigration is handled nowadays is the technology. Phanord pointed out that back then, things were done on paper and sent via the post. He notes that the current immigration process is heavily reliant upon technologies that older immigrants do not necessarily have access to, such as high-speed internet, smartphones, and computers.
“There is a lack of resources and knowledge available for older members of the community to properly function in modern society,” Phanord said, right before leaving the shop to grab some soup.
One of the barbers quickly chimed in: “There’s a lot of confusion because the policies change every single week,” said Ilrick Joseph, an American citizen who immigrated from Haiti in the 1980s. He described the struggles he went through when he first came to the United States.
Joseph experienced pushback from the African American community and difficulties finding housing and employment because of discrimination against Haitians. He also struggled in school due to language barriers.
“They give different statuses to everyone, in order to discourage us from coming in,” he added.
The overall sentiment on Southeast Second Avenue was that it was easier to immigrate before the Trump administration and it has only gotten more difficult over the years.
Despite this, the Haitian diaspora is booming. It has been growing steadily since the first generation of immigrants in the 1970s and has become one of the largest Caribbean communities in Florida. “Haitians are everywhere and if you need a Haitian to do something, you’ll find one,” Joseph said.
Down the street from the barbershop was a small market owned by Molège Promaphil. The windows were adorned with Haitian flags and international phone service ads.
Promaphil immigrated to the U.S. with his sister in 1980. He started working as soon as he could, in sectors including landscaping and sanitation services. In 1988, he decided to quit his job and began the process of starting his own business.
By 1993, he had opened the very mini-market we were standing in. It was fully stocked with supplies and items commonly found in stores back in Haiti. “I felt very accepted by the Haitian community when I came in,” Promaphil said.
While many immigrant communities in the U.S. have a general leader, the Haitian community doesn’t have one in Florida.
“In the 80s we had Rev. Jean Juste but after he passed away in 2009, we haven’t had a real leader since,” he added.
Perhaps the most recognizable part of the Haitian spirit is self reliance and independence. “Everybody is independent and they don’t need a leader to act properly,” Promaphil said.
As a consequence of this, he expressed concerns when it came to Haitian businesses supporting each other. From what he’s seen during the 26 years of business in Delray Beach, most people in the community would rather spend money at American stores instead of supporting Haitian owned ones.
“They don’t really get together to lift up the Haitian businesses, and that’s the reason why we don’t have a real community,” he said.
Despite these concerns, Molège Promaphil is proud to be a Haitian immigrant. He is a product of the American dream and the Haitian spirit of perseverance. Like everyone else on Southeast Second Avenue today, he lined up at Sabine’s for some Sunday soup. He remains fairly optimistic about the future for Haitians wishing to immigrate to the United States.
“The American Dream is still open for business and alive, it’s harder now because of the president but he won’t be here forever,” he added. “The dream is still alive.”
