OPAWL denounces attacks on Haitian-Ohioans

Over on Instagram teamopawl issued a solidarity statement, “OPAWL STANDS WITH HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS IN OHIO.”

We are greatly disturbed by the racist, xenophobic, and false narratives about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio that were amplified by political candidates and elected officials this week. OPAWL - Building AAPI Feminist Leadership denounces these baseless claims and affirms our solidarity with Haitian and Black immigrant communities across Ohio.

The claims made online and on the debate stage have been reliably debunked by Springfield officials and reputable local reporting. We need to join together across lines of race and ethnicity to combat harmful disinformation about immigrant community members who call Ohio home. We also need to avoid amplifying flattened, one-dimensional narratives and jokes about who Ohioans are.

As a feminist base building organization of Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders in Ohio, many of our members are tragically familiar with the dehumanizing tropes that are being weaponized against Haitians. The same stereotypes have been used to cast Chinese and Asian American immigrant communities as foreign, grotesque, and dangerous for centuries, contributing to societal othering and countless acts of racially motivated and systemic violence. This rhetoric scapegoats vulnerable communities to justify inhumane immigration policies and poses a grave danger to all immigrants, including Haitians who come to the US seeking a better life for their families.

We ask our communities and allies to join us in doing our part in addressing disinformation when we see it. When we work together, we can make Ohio a place that honors all people without exceptions.

Check out the full statement with links to accurate information and local reporting, which is also posted on OPAWL’s website.