據《華盛頓郵報》報道，上周四，美國總統唐納德·特朗普在與國會議員討論移民問題時，稱海地等許多國家是“屎坑國家”。

“我們為什么要接收那些來自屎坑國家的人？”有報道稱，除了海地，特朗普還提到了薩爾瓦多和非洲國家。他后來又再次單獨提到海地稱：“我們為什么需要更多海地人？把他們趕走?！?

特朗普的這番不當言論遭到了民主黨議員和部分共和黨議員的廣泛譴責。包括一名聯合國人權官員在內的許多人稱這種言論是種族主義。

上周五，特朗普否認了這番言論，他發推文稱他的語言有些“粗暴”，但并沒有使用新聞報道中所說的那些詞匯。特朗普補充道：“我對海地人沒有任何詆毀，我只是說，顯而易見，海地是一個非常貧窮和動蕩不安的國家?！?

下面是有關海地的幾點常識。這個國家確實極度貧困，飽受自然災害之苦，并且頻頻發生政治騷亂。但海地也有豐富的文化，而且在美國歷史上曾經扮演過重要的角色。

海地的歷史

1492年，克里斯托弗·哥倫布發現了海地島（現被稱為伊斯帕尼奧拉島），在殖民統治期間，島上的大部分原住民遭到了清洗。1697年，島上西部三分之一的土地被割讓給法國，該地區通過出口糖、咖啡、可可等商品一度經濟繁榮。島上人口以殖民者從西非購買的奴隸為主，他們從事大部分農業勞動。

1791年至1804年期間，自由民和奴隸舉行了一系列起義，史稱“海地革命”，推翻了法國的殖民統治。但奴隸制度遺留的貧困問題，直至今天仍舊困擾著這個島國。

1825年，面對法國的侵略威脅，海地被迫向法國支付了1.5億金法郎“獨立債務”，《衛報》認為，該筆賠償是“當時剛剛獨立的這個黑人國家年度總收入的十倍?！?

海地對美國革命的幫助

一名法國海軍上將從海地招募了約500名黑人男子，參加了1779年的薩凡納戰役，與殖民地居民共同抗擊英國人。據Ozy網站顯示，這些人被稱作“獵騎兵團志愿軍（Chasseurs Volontaires）”，而他們應征的目的是希望通過在軍隊服役，成為法蘭西帝國的公民。但戰役最終失敗，該兵團成員也遭到了流放。

海地的經濟困境

海地經濟發展落后的原因是奴隸制度的遺留問題、貧窮、自然災害、腐敗、被美國占領和政治動蕩等。2016年，海地人均GDP為1,800美元。據美國中央情報局的《世界概況》顯示，海地是西半球最貧窮的國家，國內60%的人口生活在貧困線以下。

美國的海地移民

2015年，美國共有676,000名海地移民，2010年為587,000人。2010年海地大地震之后，約58,000名海地人獲得“臨時庇護身份”（TPS），留在了美國。但特朗普政府在2017年廢除了該政策，要求他們在2019年7月之前離開美國。

美國國土安全部在2014年推出了海地親屬團聚入境計劃（HFRP）。美國國務院表示，該計劃“將允許親屬移民簽證申請已經獲批的符合資格的海地人，在簽證資格日期提前最多兩年入境美國?！蓖ㄟ^該計劃，每年約有5,000名海地人有資格取得美國合法移民身份。

海地對特朗普言論的回應

海地總統若弗內爾·莫伊茲領導的政府，在一份聲明中譴責了特朗普的言論。聲明稱：“海地政府最強烈地譴責這種令人痛恨的、粗鄙的言論。這番言論如果得到證實，是在用一個“完全錯誤的，且帶有種族歧視的視角來看待海地人社區和他們對美國的貢獻”?！?

2010年海地大地震

2010年，海地發生里氏7.0級地震，造成數十萬人死亡。而特朗普在1月12日海地大地震周年祭前一天發表了這番不當言論。（財富中文網）

譯者：劉進龍/汪皓?

President Donald Trump referred to Haiti and other nations as “shithole countries” during immigration talks with lawmakers on?last Thursday, according to the Washington Post.

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump reportedly said about Haiti in addition to El Salvador and African nations. He reportedly singled out Haiti further in his remarks, asking “Why do we need more Haitians? Take them out.”

Trump’s slur was widely condemned by Democratic lawmakers, along with some Republican lawmakers. Many called the remarks racist including a United Nations human rights official.

On last?Friday, Trump denied the comments, tweeting that his language was “tough” but that he did not use the words attributed to him in news reports. “I never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country,” Trump added.

Here’s what you need to know about Haiti, which is indeed impoverished, rocked by natural disasters, and a frequently beset by political upheaval. But it also has a rich culture and has played an important role in American history.

Haiti’s history

Christopher Columbus landed on the island (now called Hispaniola) in 1492, and during colonization, most of the native population was wiped out. In 1697, the western third of the island was given to the French, who prospered from the export of sugar, coffee, cacao and more. Most of the agricultural work was done by slaves brought from Western Africa, who made up the majority of the population.

The Haitian Revolution, a series uprisings occurring between 1791 and 1804 by both freed men and slaves, ended French colonial rule. However the legacy of poverty from slavery shapes the island even to this day.

In 1825 Haiti was forced to pay France an “independence debt” of 150 million gold francs, under the threat of invasion, which The Guardian notes was “ten times the fledgling black nation’s total annual revenues.”

Haiti helped with the American Revolution

Nearly 500 free black men from Haiti recruited by a French admiral participated in the 1779 Siege of Savannah, fighting with colonists against British. They were known as the Chasseurs Volontaires, and they were recruited with the hope that by serving in the military they’d be recognized as citizens of the French empire, according to Ozy. The siege failed and the Chasseurs were ultimately exiled.

Haiti’s troubled economy

Haiti’s economy has lagged due to the legacy of slavery, poverty, natural disasters, corruption, U.S. occupation, and political turmoil. In 2016 Haiti’s GPD per capita was $1,800. It is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, according to the CIA’s World Factbook, with 60% of the population living below the poverty line.

Haitian immigration to the U.S.

There were 676,000 Haitian immigrants living in the U.S. in 2015—up from 587,000 in 2010. Around 58,000 Haitians remained in the U.S. after the 2010 earthquake through temporary protected status (TPS), a policy rescinded by the Trump administration in 2017 that required them to leave the U.S. by July 2019.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security established the Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP) in 2014. The program “will allow certain eligible Haitians with already approved family-based immigrant visa petitions an opportunity to enter the United States up to two years in advance of their visa eligibility dates,” according to the State Department. Through this, approximately 5,000 Haitians are eligible to legally immigrate to the U.S. annually.

Haiti’s response to Trump’s remarks

Haiti denounced Trump’s remarks in a statement from President Jovenel Moise’s administration. “The Haitian government condemns in the strongest terms these abhorrent and obnoxious remarks which, if proven, reflect a totally erroneous and racist view of the Haitian community and its contribution to the United States,” the statement read.

Haiti’s 2010 earthquake

Trump’s comments came just a day before the Jan. 12 anniversary of the calamitous 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010, killing hundreds of thousands of people.