Haitians in Springfield want to be acclimated, ‘don’t know how to ask,’ immigrant tells forum

Racial tension and lack of cultural communication in Springfield, exacerbated by the thousands of Haitian immigrants who have relocated to the city in Clark County, was the impetus for a public community discussion Thursday night.

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Rony Symmat, one of the immigrants who spoke at the meeting held at City Hall, said, “I got four kids. I want my kids to have a better future than I.”

Symmat said he and fellow Haitians living in Springfield want to be acclimated to the area, but they need help to do so and don’t know how to ask.

“They want to know how to drive, but they need help,” Symmat said. “They want to know how to talk to you, how to ask when they are close to you, but they don’t know that. Most of them don’t know that they just need help. . . . They’re all coming here because they need a better opportunity.”

Symmat was one of more than 10 people who went to the microphone during the event, “Welcome to the Table: Let’s Talk Racism.”

Denise Williams, NAACP Springfield Chapter president, organized the meeting with the help of the city. The aim is to encourage all communities in Springfield to come together to curb or stop the hateful speech that has been directed toward the Haitian community in the city. Some have said some of the tensions intensified after 11-year-old student Aiden Clark was killed on the first day of school in August 2023 when a Haitian immigrant, Hermanio Joseph, was illegally driving a minivan that collided with a school bus, causing it to overturn.

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There are more than 10,000 Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, according to records kept by the city and county.

Haitian immigrants “are not going anywhere. So how do we co-exist?” she asked rhetorically. “As one people,” she said in answer to her question.

Taylor Flora, a member of the broader Springfield community, said Haitian immigrants “are not illegal. Even [U.S.] Congressman [Mike] Turner [R-10th District] recently, in a meeting with [city] leadership, said these are not illegal immigrants. They are here legally.”

Williams, in addressing the meeting, outlined several action items the NAACP chapter would work toward, the first being able to sit with local store owners to ensure Haitian immigrants are not discriminated against as shoppers.

Williams also is working toward establishing a housing committee, making more driver’s education classes and job programs available for the Haitian community.

The goal is to convene community meetings every month. But with the outpouring of black and white residents who turned out to Thursday night to fill the City Hall chamber, the next meeting is being scheduled to be held in the next three weeks.