I'm planning a trip to Haiti, will I be treated differently because the way I look?

Question

How are lighter skinned/mixed people traeted in Haiti?

Am I at a higher risk of being beaten, raped, robbed or attacked?

How do lighter skin people live compared to darker ones?

Answer 1

Light skinned people are generaly richer in Haiti. A lot of people are also mixed there because of the French and the African mixes. Most people are dark but a lot are mixed like I said. As long as you don't make it seem like you're a tourist and from America lol, then you should be fine. Don't dress fancy either or they'll think you're rich. But you should visit  www.wikipedia.com/haiti   or their government website.

Answer 2

Be care full not showing you are a tourist that's the most important thing! otherwise they will try to sell you everything due to their extreme poverty! Try to stay close to your hotel and if you have family there, just don't go out alone.

Enjoy it, because Haiti is like the Dominican Republic Beautiful

Answer 3

I lived in Haiti for 2 years.  I'm a blonc, so I didn't notice anything but black people I worked with who came from the U.S. complained that they were being held to a higher standard by Haitians than were the white people they worked with.

You should be safe, just don't walk about some areas of Port-au-Prince late at night if you are alone... especially that area around the Post Office can be dangerous even for white people at night... and, since you are black, don't visit Citi Soleil since you may not be too welcome.

Haiti is a great country and every once and a while, I think about moving the boat over there, but that just wouldn't be safe.  I can still speak a lot of Creole even though I haven't used it every day for a long time, so I could get along OK.

Buy some Barbencor Rum and have a few Prestige beers for me... The rum factory is above the Baptist Mission in Petionville and it's a great place to visit... just keep on going up the hill.

OH... one other thing... the best word in any language is the one in Creole... "BAGAY"... which means anything you want it to mean... you can point at something and say it with a question in your voice and they will tell you what it is and how much it is... or you can refer to a person of thing as a Bagay... and everyone knows what you mean... It's the greatest catchword I know of and you can use it very effectively.

Answer 4

Haiti is a wonderful country and the color of your skin will not put you more at risk of getting robbed or kidnapped...as long as you don't show off expensive cloting with designer labels all over them you'll be fine.

If you plan to stay at a resort or a hotel, you'll be fine. If you plan to stay witha a native, you should also be fine...depending on the neighborhood you will be in. And if you plan to go to the country you have nothing to worry about because people there are very friendly, kind and generous. They never mean any harm and they will enjoy your prsence as much as you will enjoy the sun and the beach (or the mountains).

Don't forget to bring sunscreen and insect repellent and enjoy your stay!

P.S: There  is a myth that generally lighter skinned people are better off than darker skinned people but there are soooo many exceptions to that "rule", some people really don't care about skin color but it's true that most of the population has that vision. It's due in part to Haiti having been colonized by Europeans...

Answer 5

We got back from Dominican Republic in November and we made a stop in Haiti. I am light skinned and I was fawned over. You have to keep in mind Haiti is very poor, so when they see a foreigner they think You have money and will sell you everything. It is a sign of desperation due to the poverty levels. I think you will have a ball. Haiti has very beautiful places. Stay close to the hotel or to relatives who are native there. I hope you enjoy yourself and bring back some great stories for us. You will be fine. At this point in time I do not think the shade of your skin is an issue. Poverty is the number one issue there.