LI Cuture Post

Long Island Culture Guide: Haiti

Posted June 4, 2010 by Naveen Sultan

For many Long Islanders, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated Haiti’s infrastructure six months ago was the first time they had thought much about the tiny Caribbean nation, located just south of Florida. But with 22,000 Haitian immigrants in Nassau and Suffolk counties, it’s easy enough to find Haitian culture right here on the island, from Manjé Kréyol (Haitian Creole cooking) to paintings at a Haitian art gallery.

Long Island experienced an influx of Haitian immigrants 35 years ago when Haitians living in the New York area decided to branch out of their cultural hubs in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and Queens Village with the hope of cultivating prosperous businesses and organizations in the suburbs.

Since then, communities have emerged in towns and villages across Long Island, including Elmont, Uniondale, Baldwin, Hempstead, and Westbury in Nassau; and Wyandanch, Brentwood, and Bayshore in Suffolk. Haitian immigrants now make up five percent of all immigrants on Long Island, according to David Dyssegaard Kallick of the Fiscal Policy Institute.

Want to learn more about the local Haitian community? Clear your calendar this Saturday for Haitian Family Fun Day in Brentwood, an event that offers a family-size sampling of Caribbean culture. After that, hit up some of the tropical hot spots below for a taste of la vie haitienne.

Bring the Gang to Haitian Family Fun Day

This Creole-flavored festival (Sisters of Saint Joseph’s Church, 102 Second Ave, Brentwood; Saturday, June 5; noon-6pm; free) is the perfect family outing with a Haitian twist. Look out for a folklore dance performance by youth groups Haitian Flava and The Hit It Girls and the musical sounds of Surette, a local Haitian-American singer whose music is a mix of pop, R&B and Konpa (Haitian music with African and European roots.) Together, the music and dances are perfect ingredients for a Haitian fèt. 

Make sure to bring school supplies as the organizers, Haitian Americans United for Change, are raising funds to sponsor two elementary schools in Haiti.

Sweets and Treats

Tired of Chinese takeout? Try authentic Haitian cuisine at Taste of the Islands (460 Peninsula Blvd, Hempstead; 516-489-5925; Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm; Fri-Sat 10am-10pm; Sun 10am-5pm). A bakery and restaurant, Taste of the Islands serves up reasonably priced, savory delicacies such as tassot (fried goat), poisson (fish stew), legume (vegetable stew), riz et pois rouges (rice and beans). If you don’t order plantains with your meal, you’ll regret it for weeks. Browse the bakery counter for pain haïtien (Haitian bread), sweet Haitian butter cakes, and beef, chicken & fish patties, which are a bargain at $10 a dozen.

For more of a formal sit-down Haitian dinner go to Mirelle’s Restaurant (170 Post Avenue, Westbury, 516-338-4933; Tues-Wed 4pm-10pm; Thurs-Fri 11am-10pm; Sat-Sun 11am-11pm), which has a cozy-yet-grandiose dining space often used as a party venue in the Haitian community. The restaurant has rustic elegant architecture with an emphasis on the hand-carved wood across the walls. Although the menu is continental, be sure to order a Haitian dish, like lambi (conch shellfish marinated in Creole spices) or griot (fried pork cubes).

Delve Into the World of Haitian Art

Nestled in Greenport is one the largest Haitian art galleries in the country, Art Haiti ( 403 Main Street, Greenport, NY, 631-477-8555; Wed-Sun 11am-5pm; free), where you can explore an eclectic collection of paintings by island artists. Gallery owner Fred Lambrou has traveled to Haiti for the past 21 years to find renowned and up-and-coming Haitian painters to feature here in Suffolk.

Grove to the Good Word

Stop by St. Martha’s Church (546 Greengrove Avenue, Uniondale; (516) 481-2550; Sunday Mass 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm) where you can hear the church choir perform Creole hymns in harmony with Haitian drums beats, live guitar, bass and drums. The lively and upbeat sounds of the musicians mixed with the powerful voices of the 30-member choir keep the hour-and-a-half service rockin’.

Volunteer To Help Haitians Here and Abroad

Since the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti last January, Long Islanders have been looking for ways to help victims, and Haitian Families of Long Island (60 Oliver Avenue, Valley Stream; 516.792.1104; contact: Maryse Emmanuel-Garcy at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) is offering a number of volunteering opportunities. The local organization makes mission trips to Haiti to bring medical aid, provide educational courses, and give social work assistance. The organization also offers volunteer opportunities on Long Island where you can help Haitians who have just arrived to the states by teaching them English and basic life skills such as using the bus, computer literacy, and working on arts and crafts with senior citizens.

Did You Know?

There are about 22,000 people born in Haiti living on Long Island—14,000 in Nassau and 8,000 in Suffolk. People born in Haiti make 5 percent of all immigrants on Long Island. Because immigration on Long Island is quite diverse, with no single country of origin dominating, the five percent share makes Haiti the fifth most common country of birth for immigrants on Long Island, after El Salvador (12 percent), India (6 percent), Italy (6 percent), and the Dominican Republic (5 percent).

—David Dyssegaard Kallick of the Fiscal Policy Institute citing “Fiscal Policy Institute Analysis of the 2006-2008 American Community Survey”


Image courtesy of kthread via Flickr.