Haitian culture is a mixture of indigenous Indians, African slaves, and French and Spanish settlers. After Haiti gained its independence, there was much political and economic unrest. When Haitians immigrated to the United States, many became doctors, teachers, social workers, and professionals. Although there have been Haitian success stories, there are other stories of failure and despair due to the fear of deportation and the racism they face. Through the field of social work, I would like to help these people settle in this country and as a Christian I would like to give them hope. Haiti is the oldest black republic in the world, independent since 1804. It is located in the Antilles. on the western side of the island of Hispaniola, the eastern two-thirds of the island is the Dominican Republic. In 1992, Haiti's population was approximately 6.5 million, of which approximately 29 percent lived in urban centers and 71 percent lived in rural areas. The birth rate is 44.6 per 1,000 inhabitants and each woman has approximately six children. Life expectancy is 53 years for men and 55 years for women. Most Haitians are of African origin, there is a smaller percentage of mulattoes, and therefore of European and African origin. Creole is the main language spoken and ten percent speak French. Unfortunately, only 23 percent of the population can read. Although Voodoo is practiced by most people, strangely, 80 percent are Catholic and 10 percent are Protestant. Before Haiti was called Haiti, its original inhabitants, the Arawaks, Tainos and Caribs, called it Quisqueya. These Indians were exploited by Christopher Columbus, he took their gold and renamed the island Hispanola, because Spain was financing his explorations. Indian pop...... middle of paper......12.Dreyfuss, Joel. “Invisible Immigrants: Haitians in America Are Hardworking, Mobile, and Largely Misunderstood,” New York Times Magazine, May 23, 1993; pp. 20-21, 80-82. Gollab, Caroline. The impact of the industrial experience on the immigrant family: the huddled masses reconsidered. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1977. Laguerre, Michel S. American Odyssey: Haitians in New York. New York: Cornell University Press, 1984. The Complete Haitiana: A Bibliographic Guide to Scholarly Literature, 1900-1980. Millwood, New York: Kraus International Publications, 1982. Sontag, Deborah. “Haitian Migrants Settle in and Look Back,” New York Times, June 3, 1994; p. A1.Valburn, Marjorie. “A once ragtag immigrant organization transforms into a coalition defending Haitian-American rights,” The Wall Street Journal, February 4, 1999; p. A24.