Referring to Haiti and Africa as “shithole countries,” President Trump’s ignorance was derogatory and offensive, but it did not undermine the intelligence and tenacity of people who better our country each day through their dedicated work. This weekend, I sat down to speak with Luna, a health care worker who immigrated from Haiti and has been a citizen for almost twenty years yet still carries her passport with her “just in case.” Luna’s family is one of achievement in all fields. Her brother is an engineer, one of her cousins is a lawyer, another is a nurse practitioner at Mass General, and her son works in computer science. Luna conveyed the anger of her family and friends as the President insulted their country. Yet, she calmly expressed: “His words were hurtful, but I don’t let them bother me because I know who I am.” She was more concerned about the impact of Trump’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in eighteen months. TPS has allowed 59,000 Haitians to work and live in the United States. Luna spoke about her friend who has been working and paying taxes under TPS for five years, and who, now in need of dialysis, has no medical coverage. Many of Luna’s other friends were forced out of work after their TPS could not be renewed and are struggling to support their families. She noted that the Chicago was founded and settled by Jean Baptist Point Du Sable, a Haitian explorer and entrepreneur.
Luna described Trump’s statements as desecrating the identity of the United States, a country of immigrants. She said: “The President does not have the knowledge or experience for the job” and that his actions are comparable to the mindset of a dictator. Luna communicated that the President believes himself to be higher, above and distant from others. She advises Trump, “We are all humans, treat us equally!”