Fleeing Haiti
Haiti is the country of origin for many migrants who reside in Latin America and the United States (US). Factors contributing to migration out of Haiti include economic hardship, disasters, political instability, and violence. After the Haitian Revolution, Haiti declared independence and became the first free Black republic. As a racialized country, structural violence and financial stratification contribute to the long-lasting transborder migration from its poverty-stricken communities to the Dominican Republic in search of labor. In addition, the history of US military intervention in Haiti influenced not only its development and destabilization but also the country's dependence on foreign aid. The devastation after the 2010 earthquake forced Haitians to flee to countries with more stable economies, like Brazil, which was rich in employment opportunities during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. Precarious employment situations forced some Haitians to leave Brazil and migrate to Chile, which was considered economically beneficial and safe. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the conditions of social vulnerability globally, impacting Haiti and the migrant diaspora. Crime and violence now shape contemporary migration flows out of Haiti. The 2021 assassination of Haiti's President Jovenel Moïse and the efforts of organized crime groups in the region contribute to heightened perceptions and fear concerning the risk of victimization. Haitian populations flee their country of origin and countries of transit because of the intersection of several factors. Still, they continue their journey towards destination countries like the US, hoping to return to Haiti in the future.
Race in Latin America
The Haitian experience in the Americas is complex. To truly understand Haitian migration, it is necessary to contextualize race and ethnic dynamics outside the US context. The transatlantic slave trade resulted in more Africans enslaved in countries like Mexico and Peru when compared to the US. Many Latin American countries continue to perpetuate racial erasure through the narrative of mestizaje [racial mixing] with its origin in a history of Spanish colonization. In Brazil, for example, the political ideology of racial democracy is a concept that historically promoted racial harmony through the denial of the existence of racism, discrimination, and prejudice in the country. Racial recognition politically stems from the evolution of the census in Latin America. Brazil began capturing Afro-Brazilians as preto [Black] in 2010. More recently, Chile captured Afro-descendants for the first time in the 2024 Population and Housing Census. Even after legal recognition, Black and Afro-descendant individuals, including Haitian migrants, continue to experience the detrimental impacts of racial stratification and structural violence. Ultimately, colorism perpetuates violence against Black communities in Latin America.
Wait in Tijuana
Haitian families and community members fled South America because of the racialized social conditions they experienced and headed north on their journey toward the US Pascal Ustin Dubuisson (2018), a Haitian migrant, published the book Sobrevivientes: Ciudadanos del Mundo [Survivors: Citizens of the World], where he recalls his memory of the 2010 earthquake and his migration from Brazil to Tijuana. Haitian migrants began to arrive in Tijuana in 2016. To address the arrival of Haitians, the Obama presidential administration began implementing a metering policy to limit the number of asylum seekers entering the US per day and displaced individuals waiting in Mexico. Haitian migrants added their names to waitlists, but the process concerning the list of asylum seekers lacked transparency. In 2017, the pastor of Embajadores de Jesús [Ambassadors of Jesus], a religious organization, organized a shelter that continues to be home to Little Haiti in Tijuana. When the Biden administration abandoned metering in 2021, Haitian migrants continued to wait in Tijuana throughout the COVID-19 pandemic because the Trump administration implemented Title 42, a public health and social welfare measure controlling the entry of individuals into the country to prevent contagion. In addition to facing challenges in obtaining healthcare, Haitian migrants faced the risk of contracting the virus in overcrowded migrant shelters or detention centers. Finally, between 2023 and 2025, migrants used the US Customs and Border Protection's mobile app, CBP One, to request and wait for an appointment before presenting themselves at the port of entry, like the San Ysidro Port of Entry at the Tijuana-California border. The app presented a barrier for Haitian migrants because its facial recognition would fail to recognize applicants of darker skin tones, preventing them from making an asylum appointment. Regardless of the political affiliation of the US presidency or the immigration enforcement mandates, Haitian migrants continue to wait indefinitely in border cities like Tijuana.
US immigration enforcement
Several key moments contextualize the tension between the Haitian migrant experience and immigration enforcement in the US. First, in 2018, President Trump referred to Haiti and other African nations as “shithole” countries. Then, in 2021, photographs of US Border Patrol agents on horseback chasing Haitian migrants on the Rio Grande went viral because of the similarity with tactics once used by slave patrols. The Trump-Vance 2024 campaign fueled rhetoric of Haitian migrants eating pets without documented evidence. More recently, Haitian enclaves continue to live in fear of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] raids. In April 2025, Marie Ange Blaise, a 44-year-old citizen of Haiti, died in ICE custody, stressing the urgency of what Dr Felicia Henry refers to as a mass Black death. Finally, in June 2025, the Trump administration announced it would end the temporary protected status of Haitian migrants. The same month, a viral TikTok video titled, Haitian deportations????, shows a community coming together to protest, resist, and prevent ICE from violently detaining Haitian community members. Anti-immigrant sentiments and the social construction of border disasters shape the Haitian migrant experience in the US.
Border PAR
Since 2018, I have engaged with Haitian families in Tijuana's migrant shelters. In 2023, I collaborated closely with Haitian migrants through the implementation of Border PAR [participatory action research] [Author reference, n.d.]. Twenty-five Haitian Colegas [colleagues] participated in the data collection. The following photos are part of a Foto y Voz [photovoice] project where Haitian migrants captured images using single-use disposable film cameras.
Colegas first consented to Spanish consent forms and completed individual, semi-structured interviews. As a bilingual researcher, I would communicate in Spanish, and they would respond in Creole, French, Portuguese, Spanish, or a hybrid language mixture that they were comfortable using. Some migrants developed Portuguese and Spanish fluency while migrating across Latin America or from their prior ties to the Dominican Republic. Colegas received monetary compensation and selected their pseudonyms (Plate 1).
The photograph shows a building under a cloudy sky, starting from the top left. Small fixtures line the roof. At the far left foreground, part of a person’s head and hand appear, and two water bottles sit on a rock wall above. To the right is a multi-pane window with curtains. Farther right, a small porch with a sloped roof and two columns stands over a dark doorway, with several people on the steps and walkway. A lattice fence runs along the lower façade. On the far right, a tall palm tree stands next to the building, and a rectangular sign is mounted high on the wall. Utility wires cross the top right, and more people are visible in the foreground and near the entrance.Colega – Haitian woman looking through the disposable camera's viewfinder
The photograph shows a building under a cloudy sky, starting from the top left. Small fixtures line the roof. At the far left foreground, part of a person’s head and hand appear, and two water bottles sit on a rock wall above. To the right is a multi-pane window with curtains. Farther right, a small porch with a sloped roof and two columns stands over a dark doorway, with several people on the steps and walkway. A lattice fence runs along the lower façade. On the far right, a tall palm tree stands next to the building, and a rectangular sign is mounted high on the wall. Utility wires cross the top right, and more people are visible in the foreground and near the entrance.Colega – Haitian woman looking through the disposable camera's viewfinder
Visualizing Haitian migration using photography reclaims migrant storytelling by documenting lived experiences during border disasters. Through a collaborative community-engaged process, the photographs taken by migrants themselves capture intimate moments and conditions of social vulnerability that serve as counternarratives to distorted presentations of the migrant experience. The agentic migrant photographer makes decisions about what to photograph. The visuals are artistic and political. Through the ojo migrante [migrant eye], each photograph deconstructs master narratives about borders and migration. Photographs created by and for border-impacted populations trigger conversations about some of the most pressing issues concerning racialized communities and immigration enforcement. All photos © (Author reference, n.d.) (see Plates 2–11).
The photograph shows a shallow stream running from the top center toward the bottom right, with water flowing over rocks in a dirt path bordered by stones and debris. Along the left side, the dirt bank continues downward with scattered rocks and small plants. In the center, the streambed is filled with stones of various sizes, and water flows around them. On the right side, the bank rises to a stone wall that extends upward from the middle right. Above the wall are sandbags and a dark rectangular object supported by yellow cords. The upper background shows sloped terrain with vegetation and distant structures.Storytelling – Johnny takes a photo of another Haitian Colega as she takes a photograph for the Foto y Voz project. Note: Photographer: Johnny, 39-year-old man
The photograph shows a shallow stream running from the top center toward the bottom right, with water flowing over rocks in a dirt path bordered by stones and debris. Along the left side, the dirt bank continues downward with scattered rocks and small plants. In the center, the streambed is filled with stones of various sizes, and water flows around them. On the right side, the bank rises to a stone wall that extends upward from the middle right. Above the wall are sandbags and a dark rectangular object supported by yellow cords. The upper background shows sloped terrain with vegetation and distant structures.Storytelling – Johnny takes a photo of another Haitian Colega as she takes a photograph for the Foto y Voz project. Note: Photographer: Johnny, 39-year-old man
The photograph shows blue sky at top left and part of a metal fence structure. Below it, a person sits in the foreground wearing a hat with the word “Selfie” on it and holding a small two-toned camera in front of their face. Their clothing includes a textured long-sleeve layer and patterned fabric visible underneath. To the right, a clear vertical paneled wall extends from top to bottom with a piece of cloth draped over a bar near the top. Another person is partially visible behind the foreground figure, positioned near the wall.Intergenerational – A Haitian adult male walks towards a child who is wearing a dress and looking back at him. Note: Photographer: Lelchilu, 22-year-old woman
The photograph shows blue sky at top left and part of a metal fence structure. Below it, a person sits in the foreground wearing a hat with the word “Selfie” on it and holding a small two-toned camera in front of their face. Their clothing includes a textured long-sleeve layer and patterned fabric visible underneath. To the right, a clear vertical paneled wall extends from top to bottom with a piece of cloth draped over a bar near the top. Another person is partially visible behind the foreground figure, positioned near the wall.Intergenerational – A Haitian adult male walks towards a child who is wearing a dress and looking back at him. Note: Photographer: Lelchilu, 22-year-old woman
The photograph shows a tall reflective wall extending downward along the entire left side of the frame. Below it is a smooth concrete walkway running toward the center. To the right of the walkway, the ground becomes a rocky dirt area with scattered stones and debris. A person stands near the center-right holding a small camera to their face, wearing a patterned shirt, dark pants, and a hat. Behind them, near the upper right, is a makeshift structure with fabric and poles. The background shows sloped terrain with vegetation and additional scattered objects.Growing – A Haitian child reads a document, as a mother and son stand in the background. Note: Photographer: Jacqueline, 38-year-old woman
The photograph shows a tall reflective wall extending downward along the entire left side of the frame. Below it is a smooth concrete walkway running toward the center. To the right of the walkway, the ground becomes a rocky dirt area with scattered stones and debris. A person stands near the center-right holding a small camera to their face, wearing a patterned shirt, dark pants, and a hat. Behind them, near the upper right, is a makeshift structure with fabric and poles. The background shows sloped terrain with vegetation and additional scattered objects.Growing – A Haitian child reads a document, as a mother and son stand in the background. Note: Photographer: Jacqueline, 38-year-old woman
The photograph shows a man in white clothing with red shoes standing near a pile of boards and debris on the ground on the left side of the frame. Above him, at the top left, the sky appears light, and a hillside with scattered structures extends across the background. To the right of the man is a low wall with additional boards and materials leaning against it. Farther right, a tall wall made of clear vertical panels with metal framing runs from top to bottom. In front of this wall, stacked corrugated sheets rest on two blocks, with a pot, a hat, and a red bag placed nearby. A child wearing a pink and white dress stands on a wooden board in front of the panel wall. At the far right edge, part of a seated person is visible. The ground throughout the foreground is sandy with scattered rocks.Game time – Youth play a soccer game in a shelter's concrete basketball court as other migrants watch. Note: Photographer: Angelica, 31-year-old woman
The photograph shows a man in white clothing with red shoes standing near a pile of boards and debris on the ground on the left side of the frame. Above him, at the top left, the sky appears light, and a hillside with scattered structures extends across the background. To the right of the man is a low wall with additional boards and materials leaning against it. Farther right, a tall wall made of clear vertical panels with metal framing runs from top to bottom. In front of this wall, stacked corrugated sheets rest on two blocks, with a pot, a hat, and a red bag placed nearby. A child wearing a pink and white dress stands on a wooden board in front of the panel wall. At the far right edge, part of a seated person is visible. The ground throughout the foreground is sandy with scattered rocks.Game time – Youth play a soccer game in a shelter's concrete basketball court as other migrants watch. Note: Photographer: Angelica, 31-year-old woman
The photograph shows a hillside with fencing structures on the left. Below, part of a building appears with small roof fixtures. In the foreground at left, the back of a person wearing a plaid shirt faces toward the center. Moving right, a slanted roof supported by beams covers an outdoor kitchen area. Under the roof are counters, large cooking pots, containers, and hanging cloths. A woman and a child stand within the covered space. On the far right, a structure with clear vertical panels extends upward. At the bottom of the photograph, scattered rocks and cables lie on the ground.Meal prep – Haitian women make a meal in an outdoor cooking space they created. Note: Photographer: Sadilene, 19-year-old woman
The photograph shows a hillside with fencing structures on the left. Below, part of a building appears with small roof fixtures. In the foreground at left, the back of a person wearing a plaid shirt faces toward the center. Moving right, a slanted roof supported by beams covers an outdoor kitchen area. Under the roof are counters, large cooking pots, containers, and hanging cloths. A woman and a child stand within the covered space. On the far right, a structure with clear vertical panels extends upward. At the bottom of the photograph, scattered rocks and cables lie on the ground.Meal prep – Haitian women make a meal in an outdoor cooking space they created. Note: Photographer: Sadilene, 19-year-old woman
The photograph shows a cloudy sky above several multi-story light-colored buildings on the left. Below these buildings, children stand on concrete steps beside a sloped dirt area with scattered rocks. Moving right, a tall fence made of yellow poles and mesh extends across the entire upper portion of the photograph. At the center, a rectangular gate in a dark barrier opens into an outdoor court where several people are playing. Behind the court, additional buildings and a hillside appear in the background. The lower part of the photograph shows the dirt ground with small stones in the foreground.Virtual ties – A Haitian man walking and looking at his cellphone. Note: Photographer: Ulysse, 28-year-old woman
The photograph shows a cloudy sky above several multi-story light-colored buildings on the left. Below these buildings, children stand on concrete steps beside a sloped dirt area with scattered rocks. Moving right, a tall fence made of yellow poles and mesh extends across the entire upper portion of the photograph. At the center, a rectangular gate in a dark barrier opens into an outdoor court where several people are playing. Behind the court, additional buildings and a hillside appear in the background. The lower part of the photograph shows the dirt ground with small stones in the foreground.Virtual ties – A Haitian man walking and looking at his cellphone. Note: Photographer: Ulysse, 28-year-old woman
The photograph shows a tall structure with vertical panels on the left side of the frame. Below it, outdoor tables hold pots, bowls, utensils, and containers. In front of these tables, a women wearing a sleeveless top stands beside a broom, with additional items such as a large water jug and cloths nearby. To the right, another women stands beside a long table holding bags, buckets, coolers, and cooking pots. Behind them, the slope rises, covered in vegetation, scattered rocks, and stacked materials, with a distant hillside visible in the distance. The foreground consists of uneven dirt ground with various objects placed around the work area.Worn – A worn shelter sleeping mat tossed by the canyon's hillside. Note: Photographer: Flore, 30-year-old woman
The photograph shows a tall structure with vertical panels on the left side of the frame. Below it, outdoor tables hold pots, bowls, utensils, and containers. In front of these tables, a women wearing a sleeveless top stands beside a broom, with additional items such as a large water jug and cloths nearby. To the right, another women stands beside a long table holding bags, buckets, coolers, and cooking pots. Behind them, the slope rises, covered in vegetation, scattered rocks, and stacked materials, with a distant hillside visible in the distance. The foreground consists of uneven dirt ground with various objects placed around the work area.Worn – A worn shelter sleeping mat tossed by the canyon's hillside. Note: Photographer: Flore, 30-year-old woman
The photograph shows a tall structure with vertical panels on the left side. Below it, several people sit and stand near outdoor tables arranged along the side of the structure. In the left foreground, a large pile of wooden boards and broken pieces rests on the dirt ground. Moving toward the center, a person walks across the slope, looking at an object in their hand. Behind them, another person stands near scattered stones and uneven dirt. The background on the right side rises into a hillside with patches of vegetation. At the far right edge, part of another person is visible. The foreground throughout is sandy, with rocks and debris scattered across the ground.Runoff – The rock and tire shelter foundation addresses the terrestrial challenges of rain runoff. Photographer: Tania, 26-year-old woman
The photograph shows a tall structure with vertical panels on the left side. Below it, several people sit and stand near outdoor tables arranged along the side of the structure. In the left foreground, a large pile of wooden boards and broken pieces rests on the dirt ground. Moving toward the center, a person walks across the slope, looking at an object in their hand. Behind them, another person stands near scattered stones and uneven dirt. The background on the right side rises into a hillside with patches of vegetation. At the far right edge, part of another person is visible. The foreground throughout is sandy, with rocks and debris scattered across the ground.Runoff – The rock and tire shelter foundation addresses the terrestrial challenges of rain runoff. Photographer: Tania, 26-year-old woman
The photograph shows a pale sky above a hillside on the top left. Below the sky, dense bushes and plants fill the upper left and center areas. At the bottom left, loose boards and pieces of wood lie beside coiled cables. Moving toward the center, a round object partly covered with a light-colored cloth rests among rocks. To the right, the hillside continues upward with scattered stones, dry soil, and patches of vegetation. The foreground shows uneven dirt and rocks across the lower portion of the photograph.Contamination – Contaminated water, from the neighborhood's canyon system, runs through the dirt road separating the shelter buildings. Photographer: Julia, 18-year-old woman
The photograph shows a pale sky above a hillside on the top left. Below the sky, dense bushes and plants fill the upper left and center areas. At the bottom left, loose boards and pieces of wood lie beside coiled cables. Moving toward the center, a round object partly covered with a light-colored cloth rests among rocks. To the right, the hillside continues upward with scattered stones, dry soil, and patches of vegetation. The foreground shows uneven dirt and rocks across the lower portion of the photograph.Contamination – Contaminated water, from the neighborhood's canyon system, runs through the dirt road separating the shelter buildings. Photographer: Julia, 18-year-old woman
The photograph shows a part of a metal gate featuring vertical bars and heart-shaped patterns on the top left. Below the gate, a retaining wall made of stacked tires filled with dirt and rocks extends across the left side. In the center, the wall meets a dirt slope with scattered plants, rocks, and debris. To the bottom right, additional tires, pieces of wood, and a coiled cable lie on the ground. At the top right, a structure with transparent vertical panels and horizontal lines is visible, supported by beams that project outward.The Wait – Two Haitian women look at the entrance of the shelter where migrant families wait for asylum and carry on with another day. Photographer: Yohal, 42-year-old woman
The photograph shows a part of a metal gate featuring vertical bars and heart-shaped patterns on the top left. Below the gate, a retaining wall made of stacked tires filled with dirt and rocks extends across the left side. In the center, the wall meets a dirt slope with scattered plants, rocks, and debris. To the bottom right, additional tires, pieces of wood, and a coiled cable lie on the ground. At the top right, a structure with transparent vertical panels and horizontal lines is visible, supported by beams that project outward.The Wait – Two Haitian women look at the entrance of the shelter where migrant families wait for asylum and carry on with another day. Photographer: Yohal, 42-year-old woman
