In the United States, the Haitian community finds itself, once again, in the sights of Donald Trump’s racist accusations. These xenophobic and misleading comments had already shaken the Haitian community of Springfield, Ohio. This time, it is in Pennsylvania, in a small town in the southwest, that the Republican candidate blames Haitians for the increase in crime.
2 mins
With our special correspondent in Charleroi, Achim Lippold
In Charleroi, the decline of the industrial region around Pittsburgh is visible to the naked eye. Everywhere, in this small town surrounded by old steelworks, stores are closed, and houses remain abandoned. But a few years ago, around 2,000 migrants settled here, increasing the local population by half. Among them, Lainé Oceus, originally from Haiti, who today works in a grocery store: “ For me, it’s very good. Thank God, I am doing very well. I entered through Mexico to get here. »
It is thanks to people like Lainé Oceus that Charleroi has regained a little vitality, explains a resident who wishes to remain anonymous. “ The people who came to settle here have revitalized this city. They open stores, they invest. Okay, I know this is a minority opinion here. But for me, the city is a little better since the immigrants arrived. »
But since Donald Trump accused migrants of being responsible for the increase in crime, the atmosphere in the city has changed, explains this young Haitian: “There is a lot of racismthat’s why I don’t like being here. »
During our interview, two young women walk by, shouting pro-Trump slogans and asking foreigners to “ go home “. Four years ago, the county around Charleroi voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump, even though he ultimately lost Pennsylvania to Joe Biden.
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In September, in the countryside in Springfieldthe Republican candidate had accused Haitian immigrants of eating pets, provoking a surge of mockery on social networks, but also threats against the Haitian community.
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