One of the Diaspora Network's key values is prayer and fasting. We believe one of the most important and renewing gifts the immigrant church brings to North America is a deep commitment to prayer and fasting. We want to invite the broader Church to join in on what God is doing, and so each week as a network we pray with and for a specific group in diaspora. We often highlight a leader and church of specific diaspora group here on this blog and share how they have invited us to pray with and for them. All are invited to participate every Friday over Zoom (10-10:30 am CST). Click the link below to join us!
For this week, we are highlighting the Haitian diaspora! 🇭🇹
As of 2024, estimates show roughly around 852,000 Haitian immigrants in the U.S.1
Some of the oldest and/or largest Haitian diaspora communities are in NYC, Miami (Little Haiti), Chicago, and New Orleans.2
A majority of foreign-born Haitian immigrants are naturalized citizens, while others are refugees or asylum seekers fleeing the violence in their home country.
There are around 30,000 Haitian diasporans in Houston, and a smaller number in Austin.
Despite current media narratives about Haitians, the community itself is proud of their roots and history. Dr. Peniel Joseph, a historian and Haitian American professor at UT Austin, says this: “The Haitian diaspora in America and around the world carry pride, not shame or embarrassment, about their rich history. Haiti, against all odds, taught much of the world to sing a new song of freedom, hope and liberation.” Led by Toussaint Louverture, a former slave-turned general, enslaved Africans successfully revolted against French, Spanish, and British forces and in 1806, Haiti became “the New World’s first Black Republic.”3
Similar to Dr. Joseph, Pastor Dordy Pierre-Paul of Higher Transformation Church shared that the Haitian diaspora’s “rich cultural traditions of food, music, and storytelling” are gifts to the Church in North America. Furthermore, organizations like Haitian Austin Hub exist to celebrate and promote Haitian culture and create a space for the diaspora to come together and work for the flourishing of their communities.
Austin churches
Houston churches
Prayer Points:
Gratitude: for the gifts of food, storytelling and music, and perseverance through trials
Multiplication: for new Haitian churches to be raised up in the Greater Austin and Houston areas
Next Gen: embrace their stories and family histories, seek healing, and increase their faith
Mutuality: for Haitian churches in Austin & Houston to care for one another in times of doubt or uncertainty, for non-immigrant churches to show radical welcome & receive the gifts of their Haitian brothers and sisters
https://cis.org/Camarota/Fact-Sheet-Haitian-Immigrants-United-States
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/haitian-immigrants-united-states-2022#distribution
Dr. Peniel Joseph: “This is the story of Haiti that matters most.” CNN Op-ed.
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