The diaspora
Haitians, far from home.
More than a million people of Haitian descent live in the United States, and hundreds of thousands more in the Dominican Republic, Canada, France, Chile, Brazil and the islands around them. Most left because staying became impossible. Almost all still have family in Haiti.
01In the United States
Florida first, then New York and Massachusetts
Share of Haitians with Temporary Protected Status by state, 2024 (USCIS data as reported). New Jersey, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and North Carolina also have growing communities.
02What they carry
Faith, family and a home they can’t go back to
Family at home
Money sent from abroad keeps many families in Haiti alive. It is one of the largest parts of Haiti’s economy.
Two languages, often three
Every Haitian speaks Kreyòl. Many also read French, the language of school and formal church life, and their children grow up speaking English.
A deep faith
Prayer, fasting and long, fervent services are part of life for many Haitian believers. Church is family.
Grief and resilience
Many have lived through the earthquake, violence or a dangerous journey. They have also learned to start over, again and again.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (2021 ancestry estimate); Migration Policy Institute, “Haitian Immigrants in the United States”; Statistics Canada, 2021 Census; ONE Dominican Republic, ENI-2017; Chile INE/SERMIG estimates (2021); figures are approximate.