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Afro-Haitians

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Afro-Haitians
 Haiti
Spinach sales in Port-au-Prince
Total population
c. 11,020,000 est [1]
Languages
Majority: Haitian Creole
Minority: French Frespañol
Religion
Roman Catholic 54.7%, Protestant 28.5%, (Baptist 15.4%, Pentecostal 7.9%, Adventist 3%, Methodist 1.5%, other 0.7%), Vodou 2.1%, other 4.6% none 10.2% (2003 est.)[2]
Related ethnic groups
Afro-Caribbean African people French Haitians German Haitians Mestizo Cajuns Mulatto Haitians Saint-Domingue Creoles White Haitians Indo-Haitians Chinese Haitians Zambo Indo-Caribbean people Arab Haitians Italian Haitians

Racial and ethnic group

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Afro-Haitians or Black Haitians (French: Afro-Haïtiens, Haïtiens Noirs; Haitian Creole: Afro-Ayisyen, Ayisyen Nwa) are Haitians of the African diaspora. They form the largest racial group in Haiti and together with other Afro-Caribbean groups, the largest racial group in the region.

The majority of Afro-Haitians are descendants of enslaved Africans brought to the island by Spanish Empire and French Colonial Empire to work on plantations. Since the Haitian Revolution, Afro-Haitians have been the largest racial group in the country, accounting for 95% of the population in the early 21st century. The remaining 5% of the population is made up of mixed persons (mixed African and European descent) and other minor groups (European, Arab, and Asian descent).

See also: Slavery in Haiti and Demographics of Haiti

Haitian nationality

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Main article: History of Haitian nationality and citizenship
This section is an excerpt from Haitians § Definitions.[edit]

According to the Constitution of Haiti, a Haitian citizen is:

  • Anyone, regardless of where they are born, is considered Haitian if either their mother or father is a native-born citizen of Haiti. A person born in Haiti could automatically receive citizenship.
  • A foreigner living in Haiti who has had a continuous period of Haitian residence for five years can apply for citizenship and will have the right to vote, but is not eligible to hold public office until five years after their date of naturalization, excluding those offices reserved for native-born Haitians by Constitutional law.

Dual citizenship

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The Haitian Constitution of 2012 re-legalizes dual citizenship, allowing for Haitians living abroad to own land and run for Haitian political office (except for offices of president, prime minister, senator or member of the lower house of Parliament).

History

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See also: Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, Saint-Domingue, History of Haiti, and History of the Dominican Republic

The Island of Ayiti was inhabited by the Arawak Peoples: Taino, Ciguayo and the Siboney. Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sighted the Island on 6 December 1492. He named it La Isla Española ("The Spanish Island"), later Anglicized as Hispaniola. The Spanish controlled the Island from 1492–1697. The French in took control in the Treaty of Ryswick[3] and renamed the western portion of the island as Saint-Domingue, of what will later become known as Haiti, while the other still maintained their Spanish colony in the eastern two thirds of what later became the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo.

Further information: Slavery in Haiti § Saint Domingue (1625–1789)

The French Colonial empire had many colonies in the Caribbean known as the French West Indies:

Slavery supported their plantation economy in which Saint-Domingue was their most important. Between 1681 and 1791 the labor for these plantations was provided by an estimated 790,000 or 860,000 slaves,[4] to produce sugar, coffee, cacao, indigo, and cotton. The slave system in Saint-Domingue was considered brutal, with high levels of both mortality and violence.

Further information: Haitian Revolution
Further information: History of Haiti

Origins

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The African people of Haiti derived from various areas, spanning from Senegal to the Congo. Most of which were brought from West Africa, with a considerable number also brought from Central Africa. Some of these groups include those from the former Kongo kingdom (Kongo), Benin (Ewe, Yoruba) and Togoland. Many other people trace so much of their DNA from the native people.[5][6] Others in Haiti were brought from Senegal,[7] Guinea (imported by the Spanish since the sixteenth century and then by the French), Sierra Leone, Windward Coast, Angola, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, and Southeast Africa (such as the Bara tribesmen of Madagascar, who were brought to Haiti in the eighteenth century).[8]

Demography

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Although Haiti averages approximately 250 people per square kilometre (650 per sq mi.), its population is concentrated most heavily in urban areas, coastal plains, and valleys. Haiti's population was about 11  million according to UN 2018 estimates,[9] with half of the population being under 20 years old.[10] The first formal census, taken in 1950, showed a population of 3.1 million.[11]

According to The World Factbook, 95% of Haitians are primarily of African descent; the remaining 5% of the population are mostly of mixed-race and European background,[12] and a number of other ethnicities.[13][14]

Genetics

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This section is an excerpt from Genetic history of the African diaspora § Haiti.[edit]
Y-Chromosomal DNA
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Afro-Haitians, who were sampled in 2012, were found to have carried haplogroup E1b1a-M2 (63.4%), within which were more specific sub-haplogroups, such as haplogroups E1b1a7-M191 (26.8%) and E1b1a8-U175 (26%), and subgroups within those sub-haplogroups, such as E1b1a7a-U174 (26.8%) and E1b1a8a-P278 (13%); there were also various sub-haplogroups of haplogroup R1b (e.g., R1b1b1-M269, R1b1b1a1b2-M529, R1b1b1a1b*-S116, R-M306, R1b2*-V88) as well as haplogroup R1a-M198.[15]

Autosomal DNA
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The ancestry of Afro-Haitians, who were sampled in 2013, were found to be 84% African.[16]

Medical DNA
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Risk allele variants G1 and G2 are associated with chronic kidney disease, which are common among populations of Sub-Saharan African ancestry; the G2 variant occurs at a 3%-8% rate among populations of western Central African ancestry and origin.[17]

Some infectious diseases are protected against due to African ancestry.[17] Hereditary blood disorders, such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, produce an effect on the development of hemoglobin, which, consequently, prevents the reproduction of malaria parasites within the erythrocyte.[17] Populations with West African ancestry, including among the African diaspora brought via the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, tend to have occurrences of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.[17]

Culture

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Main article: Culture of Haiti
Kanaval in Jacmel, Haiti, February 2014

Culture, religion and social organization are the result in Haiti of a process of syncretism between French and African traditions.

Religion

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Majority

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Christianity:

  • Roman Catholicism:

A majority of the population identifies as Catholic. At 66.65%,[18] the Catholic Church holds historical and cultural significance in Haiti.

  • Protestantism:

19.07% [18] portion of the population is Protestant, including various denominations like Baptist, Pentecostal, and Adventist.

  • Independent Christians:

7.06% [18] of the population are Independents/ non-denominational

  • Syncretism:

Many Haitians, particularly those who identify as Catholic, also practice Vodou, a syncretic religion that blends elements of West African religions and indigenous Haitian traditions.

Minority

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Haitian Vodou and Ibo Loa
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A small minority (2.71% [18]) cultural practice in Haiti is originated from the African diaspora religions of Ancestor worship. This probably originated from the synchronicities and blending of:

The entire northern area of Haiti is influenced by the practices of the Kongo. In the north, these are often called Rites Congo or Lemba. In the south, the Congo influence is called Petwo (Petro). Many loa are of Congolese origin, such as Basimbi and Lemba.
    • The Taíno people's Zemi existing through mainly through Jatibonicu Taino Tribal Nation
    • Fon
    • Yoruba Orisa system
    • Other West and Central African nations.
Judaism:
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A small Jewish community exists in Haiti, with a history dating back to the colonial period.

Islam:
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There is a small Muslim community in Haiti, primarily composed of converts and descendants of former slaves.

Bahá'í Faith:
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There is a small but growing Bahá'í community in Haiti.

Languages

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Two languages are spoken in Haiti. French is taught in schools and known by about 42% of the population,[19] but spoken by a minority of black and biracial residents, in Port-au-Prince and other cities. Haitian Creole, with roots in French, Spanish, Taino, Portuguese, English, and African languages, is a language with dialectal forms in different regions. It is spoken throughout the country, but is used extensively in rural areas.[20]

Music and Dance

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This section is an excerpt from Haitians § Music and dance.[edit]

The music of Haiti combines a wide range of influences drawn from the many people who have settled on this Caribbean island. It reflects French, African rhythms, Spanish elements and others who have inhabited the island of Hispaniola and minor native Taino influences. Youth attend parties at nightclubs called discos, (pronounced "deece-ko"), and attend Bal. This term is the French word for ball, as in a formal dance. Styles of music unique to the nation of Haiti include music derived from Vodou ceremonial traditions and Méringue, Rara parading music, Twoubadou ballads, Mini-jazz rock bands, Rasin movement, Hip hop Kreyòl,[21] and Compas. Compas, short for compas direct, is a complex, ever-changing music that arose from African rhythms and European ballroom dancing, mixed with Haiti's bourgeois culture. It is a refined music, with méringue as its basic rhythm. In Creole, it is spelled as konpa dirèk or simply konpa, however it is commonly spelled as it is pronounced as kompa.[22]

Until 1937, Haiti had no recorded music, until Jazz Guignard was recorded non-commercially. One of the most celebrated Haitian artists today is Wyclef Jean. Wyclef Jean, however, left the country before his teenage years and began the Fugees with Lauryn Hill and Pras, who together went on to become the biggest selling hip hop group of all time with The Score released in 1996.
Further information: Music of Haiti

Cuisine

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Main article: Haitian cuisine
A table set with Haitian cuisine

Notable people

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See also

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References and footnotes

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  1. ^ "HAITI 2023 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT" (PDF). www.state.gov.
  2. ^ "Haiti - The World Factbook". Cia.gov Website.
  3. ^ Clavel, Robert (20 September 1697), English: The Acts and Negotiations together with the particular articles at large of the General Peace concluded at Ryswick, by the most illustrious confederates with the French king. (PDF), retrieved 7 April 2025
  4. ^ Coupeau, Steeve (2008). The History of Haiti. Westport, CN: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 18–19, 23. ISBN 978-0-313-34089-5.
  5. ^ Fernández Esquivel, Franco (2001). "Procedencia de los esclavos negros analizados a través del complejo de distribución, desarrollado desde Cartagena" [Origin of black slaves analyzed through a distribution complex developed from Cartagena] (in Spanish). Revistas Académicas de la Universidad Nacional. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  6. ^ "African Origins of Haitians". haiti360.com. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014.
  7. ^ Hall, Catherine, Review of The Birth of the Modern World 1780–1914: Global Connections and Comparisons, by Christopher Bayly online at history.ac.uk, accessed 7 August 2008
  8. ^ "Opinión: El merengue Dominicano y su origines" [Review: The Dominican merengue and its origins] (in Spanish). ciao.es. 16 August 2003. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Country profile: Haiti". bbc.co.uk. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  10. ^ "New Haiti Census Shows Drastic Lack of Jobs, Education, Maternal Health Services". United Nations Population Fund. 10 May 2006. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  11. ^ "Haiti: Population". Library of Congress Country Studies. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  12. ^ "Haiti: People and society: Population". The World Factbook. July 2017.
  13. ^ "The Virtual Jewish History Tour: Oceania: Haiti". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  14. ^ Shanshan, Wang; Huang Zhiling; Guo Anfei (19 January 2010). "Chinese in Haiti may be evacuated". chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  15. ^ Simms, Tanya M.; et al. (11 May 2012). "Y-chromosomal diversity in Haiti and Jamaica: Contrasting levels of sex-biased gene flow". American Journal of Biological Anthropology. 148 (4): 618–631. doi:10.1002/ajpa.22090. PMID 22576450. S2CID 38473346.
  16. ^ Fortes-Lima, Cesar A. (22 November 2021). "Disentangling the Impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in African Diaspora Populations from a Genomic Perspective". Africa, the Cradle of Human Diversity Cultural and Biological Approaches to Uncover African Diversity. Brill. pp. 305, 308–321. doi:10.1163/9789004500228_012. ISBN 978-90-04-50022-8. S2CID 244549408.
  17. ^ a b c d Tříska, Petr (2016). "Genetic Legacy Of Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade In Present Populations: Anthropological And Clinical Context" (PDF). University of Porto. pp. 47, 49–50, 52. S2CID 132835585.
  18. ^ a b c d "Haiti: Major World Religions (1900–2050) (World Religion Database, 2020)". The Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  19. ^ Wolff, Alexandre (2014). La langue française dans le monde 2014 [The French language in the world in 2014] (PDF) (in French). Paris: Nathan. ISBN 978-2-09-882654-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  20. ^ DeGraff, Michel (16 June 2010). "Language Barrier in Haiti". The Boston Globe.
  21. ^ "Music and the Story of Haiti". Afropop Worldwide. Archived from the original on 13 November 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  22. ^ Wise, Brian (9 June 2006). "Band's Haitian Fusion Offers Fellow Immigrants a Musical Link to Home". New York Times. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
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