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Haitians share the community and caring of their culture

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Katia Jasmin organizes to provide resources, translation.

By Marijke Fakasiieiki

With hate crimes on the rise and stereotypes of Haitians making the news, Katia Jasmin started Creole Resources in 2023 to educate people in the region about Haitians and to share resources with Haitians living here.

They organized a celebration of Haitian Independence Day on Jan. 6 at the Spokane City Council meeting. More than 50 people from several organizations came to sample food, learn about Haitian culture and meet Haitians who live in Spokane.

Raised by her grandmother, Katia learned the importance of helping others.

"My family are people persons. We help people," she said.

After she moved to Spokane, she started Creole Resources, an organization for Haitians who find it hard to navigate in a different culture.

Because Haitians speak Creole and have the shared experience of struggles and violence they left, it is easier for them to ask each other for help.

When she first established Creole Resources, 70 Haitians showed up to an early event. After that, Haitians enjoyed gathering more often to share concerns.

When the U.S. government started the temporary workers permit program, some local Haitians began to sponsor their parents and other family members.

Katia estimates that there are now about 500 Haitians in the region.

"Every week, two to three Haitians arrive and are helped by Haitians who have jobs, own businesses, provide homecare and childcare, and work in industries," she said. "The Haitians here work hard supporting their families at home and bringing them here."

Katia said that Maranatha Ministries is the faith home for many Haitians in the community. Having a faith community that worships in Creole with English translation is important.

"We feel the spirit. The way we worship may be different, but we worship the same God," said Katia, whose father, Luc Jasmin Jr., is the pastor.

Katia, who was born and grew up in Haiti, came 11 years ago with her family from the Dominican Republic. She is now a U.S. citizen.

"At one point when I was 16, gang members came to my house and put a gun to my head. They took me. I panicked. I thought they were going to do bad things to me," Katia said.

After that, her family moved to the Dominican Republic, where she lived for 10 years and studied business management. Haitians, like Katia's parents, believe in the importance of education. Even if they lack food, they will sell items to send their kids to school.

Before moving to Spokane, she visited her grandmother who was living in Boston.

Katia held several jobs, working first at the call center her brother owned and then working at cell phone companies.

She began to teach at a daycare center and was assistant director for seven years. She also trained as a pharmacy assistant and was the office manager at the Jasmin Group, LLC.

Now she is the director at Parkview Early Learning Center and a part-time organizer with the Spokane Alliance, along with running Creole Resources.

The main work of Creole Resources is to help Haitians learn the basics for survival and find jobs, housing and interpretation.

"We accompany Haitians to doctor's appointments and help them fill out job applications. We partner with Teamsters and Peirone Produce who provide work for Haitians," she said.

Creole Resources provides an interpreter for job trainings, so Haitians know what a job entails. Interpretation helps Haitian girls with college degrees find daycare and jobs in daycare.

"Some people say we are here to take their jobs, but we are here to help fill in gaps," Katia said. "Hospitals need people to clean. Haitians with higher education—even doctors and lawyers—are cleaning, because they need a job to help support their parents and siblings in Haiti.

"Haitians are hard workers. We and other immigrants are filling a gap, doing jobs others are not willing to do," Katia said.

Another role of Creole Resources is to dispel prejudice about immigrants, such as false rumors that were spread by politicians about Haitians in Ohio.

"We welcome people who want to know who we are to come to our gatherings, sit with us and ask us questions," said Katia.

"We are here because life at home is terrifying. If things were better, we would have stayed," she explained.

"We are human beings and believe in the Savior. We are all children of God. Let's work together. Let's not fear or hate each other," she appeals, based on her experiences in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and now in the U.S.

Katia cries reading hate-filled messages sent to her and other Haitians, wondering how some people can be so hurtful toward people with a different skin color.

"Those who hate don't know my heart, but judge me because of how I look, not what kind of person I am," she said.

After the unrest in Haiti since the Haitian president was assassinated three years ago, the Dominican Republic sent many Haitians back because of the color of their skin, even though they need Haitians to work in construction, Katia said.

Dominican Republic citizens are white people of Spanish heritage, while Haitians are black people of African heritage.

Katia would like there to be more local channels to accept college-educated Haitians—such as doctors, lawyers and accountants—so they can contribute more to U.S. society, which has a shortage of doctors and professionals.

Creole Resources helps Haitians overcome the language barrier by encouraging them to take English classes at Spokane Community College or from Creole Resources.

"Out of my faith, I believe we are all brothers and sisters. The Bible invites us to help people in need and to feed the hungry," Katia said. "The little I have I share with others. It makes me happy. To see that my neighbor and their children are happy, I try to help, to be available to those who need me.

"I am blessed to have the family I have. My grandmother is a strong woman. My family is strong and models the faith we have in God and our desire to help people," said Katia.

"When you see someone who looks different from you, don't judge them, don't push them away, don't mistreat them. If they are lost, show them the way. If they are hungry, help them out," she invited.

Haitian children are experiencing trauma from conditions they left. Now some children in school are being told by classmates to go back to Haiti, Katia reported. "Show them love, because they are going through struggles and are here in peace to prepare for their futures.

"We've been through a lot, but we did not know depression or other mental health issues before. We come here to learn and to offer our help. Even though we are from another country, we are educated, we speak several languages, and we have expertise. We fill jobs where there is need."

Katia said for Haitians in Haiti and here, neighbors are family and look after each other.

Responding to negative news stories, Katia reaffirmed that Haitians are good people. She hopes others will respect the Haitians who are in the Inland Northwest.

"Everyone matters. We all have a purpose. Only God knows that purpose," Katia said, inviting people to meet Haitians, learn who they are and perhaps develop relationships by volunteering to teach an English class with Creole Resources.

For information, email info@creoleresources.com.

 
Copyright@ The Fig Tree, February 2025