News and Events

Louisiana Creole Research Association

"Relief for Haiti"

Many of you have been calling or sending emails asking what we, as an organization, can do to help our neighbors in Haiti. None of us can turn on our television sets without seeing the horrors of what is taking place over there. It is truly heart wrenching to watch but, for us from New Orleans, this story touches us even more personally.

Haiti is not only a country that is very close to our shores, but it is also a country that is very close to our hearts. It was the slave revolt (beginning in 1791 and into the early 1800’s) that sent thousands of its people, both white, free people of color, and enslaved to the shores of North America; especially New Orleans which became the site of the largest concentration of these émigrés. Many blended right into our Creole communities and enriched it with their Creole cuisine, music, strong Catholic faith, French speaking language, trades, and professions. As Sylvana Joseph states in her article this morning in The Times Picayune, “ If you live in a shotgun house, if you eat red beans on Monday, if you swing to jazz or zydeco then you, too, owe a cultural debt to Haiti.”

How many of us in the genealogy field have found documents showing that we are of Haitian ancestry? Those of you, who have not begun this quest, would find this connection also.
The look we see on the faces of these people is similar to the ones we saw on our very own in the aftermath of Katrina. The inability of family members to reach their relatives in Haiti is so reminiscent of our relatives’ inability to have reached us. The memories of losing family members, homes, precious heirlooms, and our old, historical city are still fresh in our memories and were rekindled by the events of this week. It was very touching to learn that Haiti, the poorest nation in our hemisphere, sent $36,000 to Katrina relief and dozens of Haitian-Americans from South Florida came to Louisiana and Mississippi to help clean up and rebuild.

This catastrophe was not the outcome of a pact the Haitian people made with the devil, as Pat Robinson recently stated. Rather it was the result of a country and its people that have been ravaged by one natural disaster after another, years of serious oppression under slavery, generations of greedy dictators, and extreme poverty.

In closing, LA Creole is asking that you please donate to this cause. One organization that many of us recommend is the Catholic Relief Fund. 80% of Haitians are Catholic and the church has been in Haiti many years helping its people. At present there are 300 staff members preparing food boxes packed with sardines and peanut butter to feed 50,000 people. The first 500 meals were scheduled to be delivered today. You can reach them by phone at 1-800-736-3467 from 8a.m.-11p.m. (EST)/ or go to www.crs.org. The Archdiocese of New Orleans will hold a special collection at all masses over the next 2 weekends, if you prefer to give then. For those of you out of the city, I’m sure your churches will be doing the same. Also, checks can be mailed to… ..Catholic Relief Service P.O. Box 17090 Baltimore, MD 21203-70905.

Of course, there are other worthy organizations that are getting help to our Haitian neighbors. Choose whatever one you so desire, just make sure it is legitimate. Even the smallest amount is needed.

The Haitian musician Wyclef Jean’s organization Yéle Haiti http://www.yele.org/ also will accept immediately a $5 donation via text message, the cost of which will be put on your telephone bill. Go to the website for more information.