Haitian immigrant in Springfield, Ohio defends community
Alimemby Estimable, 19: “I’ve been seeing a lot of people talking about, just saying a lot of stuff that’s not accurate.”
The city of Springfield, Ohio, was thrust into the political spotlight after former President Donald Trump raised rumors that Haitian migrants are eating pets during the presidential debate, which have been proven false.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in,” Trump said. “They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. This is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.” Trump said during the Sept. 10.
The Columbus Dispatch fact-checked those rumors, but Springfield has remained in the news.
Since then, Haitian immigrants have been at the center of the nation’s immigration debate, and the implications have been nothing short of intense.
Bomb threats, school closings, rallies, and more have come at the cost of misinformation and baseless claims. Associating eating pets with immigrants is often considered a longstanding trope that exposes racism and discrimination.
Here is a recap of events that happened since the pet-eating claims surfaced.
Local officials: ‘No credible reports’ of crime by Haitian migrants; geese and duck harvesting fueled rumors
In a statement, Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck said that there is no evidence of any cats or other pets harmed or eaten by the Haitian immigrants, or Haitians participating in “illegal activities such as squatting or littering.”
The misinformation continued, this time about Haitian migrants stealing and harvesting ducks in Springfield. A viral photo showed someone carrying a dead goose, but the photo was actually in Columbus. The poster (wishing to remain anonymous), who took the photo in July, said he regrets taking the photo and did not expect it to be used by right wing accounts to be weaponized against Haitian immigrants.
Ohio woman accused of eating cat is from Canton, not Springfield
A YouTube video titled “Haitian Woman Eats Neighbour’s Cat in Springfield” falsely insinuates a Haitian woman in Springfield killed and ate a cat. The video actually comes from Canton police bodycam footage during an Aug. 16 incident.
A 27-year-old Canton woman was accused of killing and eating a cat, but has no known connection to Haiti, the Canton Repository reports.
Safety threatened: Schools, city and county buildings evacuated
Several threats were made targeting Springfield City School District schools. Students were evacuated on Monday and sent to a different location to be picked up by their parents.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said that there have been at least 33 separate bomb threats targeting the Springfield City School District, which were determined to be hoaxes. In an effort to increase security, the Governor’s office stated that 36 troopers will be stationed throughout the schools and will conduct sweeps every morning. Bomb detection dogs will also be stationed in Springfield each day.
Wittenberg University cancels sporting events because of threats
Wittenberg University canceled or postponed all of its athletic events, including both home and away games, until September 23 due to “ongoing threats of violence” on its campus and around Springfield, the school announced, according to the Dispatch.
The college began canceling events over the weekend. It has moved all classes online until Sept. 22 due to similar threats.
Wittenberg’s NCAA Division III football team was set to play an away game at Hiram College Saturday at 4 p.m. That game has been removed from the school’s online schedule.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine denounces pet-eating claims as a false ‘piece of garbage’
Gov. DeWine, who was born in Springfield, has been outspoken about the pet-eating rumors that took over the internet.
“There’s a lot of garbage on the internet and this is a piece of garbage that was simply not true, there’s no evidence of this at all,” he told ABC’s “This Week.”
Last week, DeWine announced that he is dedicating $2.5 million to address the increase in the area’s Haitian population, which included resources for healthcare services and driving safety for Springfield and Clark County. The Haitian population is said to have increased to 15,000-20,000 in recent years, the Dispatch fact-check reported.
JD Vance doubles down on rumors, says he will ‘create stories’ to bring attention to Americans suffering
As if the false pet-eating rumors weren’t bizarre enough, JD Vance has continued to add fuel to the fire by sharing a video posted on X last week by conservative activist Christopher F. Rufo showing what looks to be skinned animals on a grill, claiming the video as proof of the rumors. (Rufo’s post mentioned migrants in Dayton were eating pets). Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims refuted the claims, calling them baseless, false and dangerously irresponsible.
Vance continues to defend the rumors with no regrets, telling CNN’s Dana Bash that “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do, Dana, because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast.”
Vance said that the accounts come from his constituents, and that creating means that “we’re creating the American media focusing on it. I didn’t create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield, thanks to Kamala Harris’ policies.”
The rumor spread by Vance has been debunked by officials.
Trump said last week that if reelected, he would implement “large mass deportations from Springfield, Ohio,” that will “get these people out. We’re bringing them back to Venezuela.” Springfield saw an increase in migrants from Haiti, not Venezuela, The Enquirer reported.
Springfield’s Haitian community impacted by rumors
Haitians in Springfield are feeling the effects of the false claims made against them. Some have been the target of verbal racist attacks hurled against them, being called “dirty Haitian” and an “illegal,” The Columbus Dispatch reports.
Due to safety concerns, the city cancelled its annual CultureFest, originally scheduled for Sept. 27 and 28. The local festival celebrates diversity and unity each year in downtown Springfield, but was recently cancelled in light of recent news. “We deeply regret having to cancel CultureFest, as we know it is a beloved event for our community,” City Manager Bryan Heck said in the post. “However, the safety of our residents and visitors must come first.” City officials consulted local and state law enforcement when coming to the decision.
Some celebrities, such as Springfield native John Legend, spoke out in defense of Haitian immigrants. “Nobody’s eating dogs,” he said in an Instagram post. He adds that Springfield has had a large influx of Haitian immigrants who came to the city for job opportunities and encouraged empathy towards immigrants.
“They wanted to live the American dream, just like your German ancestors, your Irish ancestors, your Italian ancestors, your Jewish ancestors. Your Jamaican ancestors, your Polish ancestors—all these ancestors who moved to this country,” the singer said.
President Joe Biden also condemned the spreading of the false conspiracy, saying “It’s simply wrong. There’s no place in America. This has to stop what he’s doing. It has to stop.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-17 07:19:00
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