When local resident Katia Jasmin heard former President Donald Trump’s accusations during the Republican presidential debate of Haitian immigrants eating dogs and cats, she was furious.
“We don’t eat dogs. We don’t eat that – we are good people,” Jasmin said.
During ABC’s presidential debate, Trump claimed that immigrants from Haiti had been eating domestic pets in Springfield, Ohio. However, city officials have said there have been no credible reports to support the accusation.
Since then, Jasmin, the executive director of Creole Resources, and others have been speaking out against the remarks, saying the conversation has raised fear among local community members, especially after bomb threats hit the Ohio city.
Jasmin also said multiple members of the Haitian community have approached her, expressing fear about what might happen in the coming months, including concerns about deportation.
The Republican governor of Ohio has criticized Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, for continuing to repeat the falsehoods about immigrants in Springfield.
“As a supporter of former President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance, I am saddened by how they and others continue to repeat claims that lack evidence and disparage the legal migrants living in Springfield,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in an op-ed that appeared in the New York Times. “This rhetoric hurts the city and its people, and it hurts those who have spent their lives there.”
Despite the fear caused by the lies, Jasmin said she has received support from City Council members and others in the community, which has reassured her.
“Home is not good. That’s why we are here,” Jasmin said. “Get to know us before you make false accusations.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has made hurtful comments toward Haitians.
Jasmin and sisters Rose Baker, program manager of the nonprofit, and Thamar Sauveur, its executive assistant, recalled a similar moment in 2017 when Trump accused Haitians of having AIDS. He made the same remark again in 2021.
“We always have something,” Baker said.
Baker and Sauveur recounted their journey to the United States 14 years ago, after being evacuated following one of the worst earthquakes in history in 2010. Upon arrival, they were adopted by a family and moved to Colville, where they experienced racism from classmates.
For them, these false accusations are just part of a long-standing issue.
“Growing up, it was things like, ‘Your parents bought you,’ and even to the point of the N-word, calling me a pig because of my hair. If I wore an Afro, it was like a game to them,” Baker said.
Both sisters said they remain cautious due to past experiences but aren’t afraid to speak out, while newcomers to the Haitian community may be more wary.
“Just this morning, I was wearing my Haitian flag jacket,” Sauveur said in an interview last week. “I am Haitian, and that’s never going to change.”
Jasmin said more than 300 Haitians live in Spokane County, with one or two newcomers arriving every week. This is an increase from the 200 she reported earlier this summer.
“I keep telling all the Haitians, ‘You matter. Don’t let anybody put you down,’ ” Jasmin said. “We’re not going to stay silent.”
