The City of Springfield recently proclaimed May 18 as “Haitian Flag Day.” The ceremony is an acknowledgement of the city’s growing Haitian community, which has grown significantly in the past five years.
The day is also celebrated within and outside the country, as Haiti adopted its flag on the same day in 1803 during its revolution against France.
Harriette Joseph, who migrated to Springfield two years ago, sang the Haitian national anthem. As she sang, they raised the Haitian flag along with the American flag at the Springfield City Hall plaza.
“It's where we are for now,” Joseph said. “[This day] is so important for us because we know how important it is for you guys, the Independence Day. So it's the same way for us, we are fighting for our freedom.”
Springfields Haitian community is growing. Although no official estimates exist, city leaders believe it’s in the thousands.
Miguelito Jerome lives in Springfield and runs New Diaspora Live — an online Haitian creole radio station. He said coming here can be hard but it feels good the city acknowledges they’re here.
“We have a community that exists and it's a community that is contributing to the growth of the city,” Jerome said. “We now can finally feel that we can start building partnerships with different entities and start feeling that people actually care. And that means a lot when people start listening and caring about your opinions, your tradition, your language.”
City officials said they want to continue building up a relationship of trust with the community and make them feel welcomed.
Alejandro Figueroa is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
