Foreign Aid Through the Eyes of Haitian Immigrants in the Midwest

This qualitative study's primary goal was to explore the perceptions of the foreign aid system in Haiti by Haitian immigrants living in a major metropolitan area in the Midwest. There is limited research addressing first-hand experiences with foreign aid in Haiti by those of Haitian origin. In addition, there is a large gap in the literature that aims to understand what affect exclusion from the foreign aid system has on people of Haiti. Five men born in Haiti between 20 and 50 years of age participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences with foreign aid in Haiti. The interviews were analyzed using a phenomenological approach. Results indicated that Haitian Immigrants believe job creation/sustainability is more effective than giving resources, that the government plays a significant role in the failure of foreign aid and that they feel excluded from the foreign aid system in Haiti. Participants indicated that they have a distrust in NGOs, but that regardless of the flaws there is great appreciation of foreign aid in Haiti. Participants discussed dependence on the foreign aid system and lastly offered novel and valuable suggestions as to what improvements to the foreign aid system can be done in Haiti. These novel suggestions included but were not limited to: Haiti adopting a more universal language, and the US acquiring Haiti as a territory. Results from the current study expand on the understanding of foreign aid system in Haiti as told through first-hand experiences.