Charleroi鈥檚 Haitians express concern, surprise over outcome of election
Haitian native Evency Dorzelma admitted to being somewhat surprised by the outcome of last week鈥檚 presidential election.
The former police officer and popular musician in Haiti said that鈥檚 the sentiment of many of his fellow Haitians who now call Charleroi home.
鈥淚t was a stressful day,鈥� Dorzelma said last week. 鈥淲e were wondering how things were going to unfold. It didn鈥檛 resonate the way we were expecting it. All those lies that were spread, accusations. We would have expected a different outcome. The American people have decided otherwise.鈥�
Charleroi gained national attention in September after now President-elect Donald J. Trump claimed the borough experienced a 2,000% increase in its Haitian population and schools were scrambling to hire translators for the influx of non-English speaking students at taxpayer expense.
Tension in the borough followed, with inflammatory and derogatory remarks about immigrants cropping up on social media, prompting a few Haitian students to withdraw from school as parents feared for their safety. Ku Klux Klan fliers also appeared at homes of some of the immigrants.
Getro Bernabe, Charleroi鈥檚 immigrant liaison, said he hasn鈥檛 heard much from the Haitian population in recent days.
鈥淭hey stay quiet,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t looks like there鈥檚 relief after all of this tension before the election,鈥� Bernabe said. 鈥淣ow everybody is staying quiet. I haven鈥檛 heard anything up to now. We鈥檙e just observing.
鈥淭he only thing I would say is congratulations to the American population,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey made their decision. They picked their candidate and that鈥檚 it. It鈥檚 the result of the election. It鈥檚 OK.鈥�
Bernabe served as an officer in the Haitian Coast Guard and as a liaison to the U.S. Embassy in Haiti. Corruption and gun violence led to his fleeing Haiti.
Many Haitians moved to Charleroi for affordable housing and job opportunities.
A survey conducted in April 2023 showed Charleroi had about 2,000 immigrants from 44 countries including China, Spain, Indonesia and African nations as well as Haiti.
Like Bernabe, Dorzelma fled Haiti in 2018 amid increasing violence. He came to the United States through a program called Temporary Protective Status, which allows migrants from other countries who are considered unsafe in their home country to work and live in the United States for a temporary, but extendable, period of time.
He owns and operates the Private Ride Shares taxi service in Charleroi.
鈥淲e hope the new president leads the country in a way to gather the American people together and stop the misogyny, divisiveness, selfishness and xenophobia,鈥� he said.
He admitted there is some concern, as the president-elect has pledged mass deportations.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think any immigrant community feels safe,鈥� he said. 鈥淒espair, that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e experiencing. We are concerned or worried for the next three months with what鈥檚 going to happen, unless the American people step up for what is right. The immigrants have brought a lot of energy to the economy of this country. If the Justice Department can prevent this mass deportation, that鈥檚 all we can hope for.鈥�
David Barbe, owner of Fourth Street Foods in the borough, employs numerous immigrants, including Haitians. He is curious to see what transpires.
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 a little leary,鈥� Barbe said last week. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e wondering what programs will be ending. They鈥檙e wondering what Trump鈥檚 stance will be on it. So are we. I understand about criminals and undocumented people, but I don鈥檛 know what his perception is going to be for the people that have done everything the right way.
鈥淚t would affect not just my business, but you have thousands of businesses across the country that have done things properly. It depends on what our new president decides to do. Hopefully, he understands. He鈥檚 a businessman.
鈥淗opefully, people who are doing things the right way and have been doing things the right way will be given the consideration they deserve.鈥�
Barbe said the company had an outside agency conduct an audit of his company鈥檚 employees, who he classified as 鈥渁mazing.鈥�
鈥淭hey鈥檙e good, solid people,鈥� Barbe said.
Borough Manager Joe Manning said the borough has been eerily quiet in post-election days.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 see as many people in the street, which is kind of eerie and bizarre,鈥� he said.
He noted that a reporter from Philadelphia contacted him the day after the election to gauge the climate there, and Manning said there was little to tell him.
Dorzelma said he鈥檚 written a song, 鈥淏etter Together,鈥� that he hopes will be reflective of the near future.
鈥淥ne nation under God, make no room for division,鈥� he quoted from the lyrics. 鈥淭here鈥檚 really nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.鈥�