For Haitians, disparaging tropes are an opportunity to share ‘the beauty of our country and people'

During Tuesday’s presidential debate, former President Donald Trump repeated unfounded claims that Haitian immigrants “are eating dogs and cats … eating people’s pets” in Springfield, Ohio. The assertion, echoing a growing narrative in right-wing media, reminded Carmine Simon Smith of other false accusations from the 1980s and ’90s that Haitian people were at a higher risk of spreading HIV.

“The fact that Donald Trump wants to double down on something so ridiculous just breaks my heart again,” Smith said. “It’s disparaging of a race of people. We are always getting dragged and put as the inferior poster children of what not to be. I’m very disappointed and heartbroken.”

At the same time, this is a moment not only to vigorously dispel “a despicable lie,” but also to illuminate “the beauty of our country and our people. We are hard-working, loving people who add value to communities,” said Smith, a technology company project manager in Atlanta who was one of several Haitians interviewed by NBC News. “Most of us or our parents started with very little and built up our lives, which helps build communities.”

In recent weeks, influential public figures like Trump; Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, Trump’s running mate; and other conservative figures have spread the rumor that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are stealing people’s domestic pets and eating them. Local police and the city manager have repeatedly said there is no evidence of the claim.

The rumor follows years of insults hurled at Haitians and Haitian Americans, including unfounded claims of cannibalism, and Trump’s hostility toward Haitian immigrants during his administration. In 2018, he referred to Haiti, El Salvador and African nations as “s---hole countries” speaking to senators at the White House.

Neither Vance nor Trump’s team immediately responded to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, Haitians have been influential in many parts of American life, Smith said, heightening the “level of disregard when someone running for president doubles down on something that has proven to be not true.”

Smith’s family runs deep in Haiti’s history and politics. A grand-uncle, Francois C. Antoine Simon, was the country’s 18th president. Her father served in communications in the administration of controversial President Jean-Claude Duvalier, also known as “Baby Doc.” When Duvalier was overthrown, Smith’s father chose America over France or Canada as the place to start anew.

“For a country that has such a rich legacy as the first Black Republic, we have not gotten the respect that we deserve all these centuries,” Smith said. “Saying something so asinine perpetuates people’s fears and glorifies the negatives. We are a people of dignity and grace. That’s never discussed. It’s always negative about Haiti. That has to stop.”

Smith added that Haitians are “serious about our food. Haitians’ food is a top-tier tasting cuisine, with all of its flavors and seasonings. And despite the poverty, we will boil grass before we go and eat a domestic animal, like a cat or dog. To say that we did or have is just appalling — especially after it has been proven we didn’t.”

Moses Jean-Pierre, who founded the nonprofit group Hoops For Haiti in Boston, which aids Haitian immigrants with jobs, education and socialization, said he is having a hard time resolving his anger over the accusations. 

“I work every day with Haitian immigrants, and no one works as hard as them,” he said. “They come in and try to be productive members of society. They are just looking for opportunities to work hard and send money back home and start a new life. And for them to be targeted and used as a pawn in politics … well, it really bothers me a lot.”

Because of Haiti’s history of corrupt politics, dismal economy and social unrest, particularly in the capital, Port-au-Prince, the country has become a “whipping boy” for the uninformed, Jean-Pierre said.

“So there’s no surprise there. It saddens me that so many Americans are sharing it and falling into the racism,” he said. “You have a population of businesses in Springfield, Ohio, saying they’re happy for these immigrants being there because their production is amazing. They’re focused on work, not social media. That’s the Haitian people: working to build for their families.”

Nasha Pierre (no relation to Moses Jean-Pierre), a flight attendant in Phoenix, was born in the U.S. to parents who migrated first to Florida and later to Las Vegas. She watched as her parents took custodial and house cleaning jobs to provide for her and her two older sisters.

“That’s the image of Haitians that I know to be real,” she said. “We have a very rich culture and a very loving community. The things that Trump says and all that is going on around Ohio, that speaks to his character, not ours.”

She noticed that Vice President Kamala Harris laughed when Trump brought up the bizarre scenario during the debate. 

“It’s so stupid it’s funny,” Pierre said. “It’s always been his tactic against Black people in general — to use scare tactics and categorize an entire community. And because of that, I don’t personally take offense, because it doesn’t tell the story of my people or my family. We are people of character. Dignified people.”

But she and others said they are concerned about safety because of Trump’s rhetoric. 

“As a Black community in general and immigrants in particular, we are not safe in America,” Pierre said. “It’s dangerous for Trump to be a leader of so many people and say a group of people eat cats and dogs. It’s extreme, but some people believe it no matter what the truth is. And that makes it dangerous for us.”

On Thursday, Springfield’s City Hall was evacuated after it received a bomb threat. The bomb threat “was issued to multiple facilities throughout Springfield,” the city wrote on social media. Mayor Rob Rue indicated to local media that the threat included complaints about Haitians in the city.

Dany Philippe, a salesman in New York, said he felt uncomfortable after he read the story of the alleged incidents Monday and then heard Trump “double down” on” them Tuesday. 

“You look at Twitter or X and you know it puts us in a bad position because people are commenting like they believe it, like we are savages,” he said. “It’s really unreal.”

On social media, Haitians have expressed disgust about the depiction, while others “won’t even entertain something so crazy,” Smith said. “So there’s ‘let’s not talk about this because this is so ridiculous’ group. And then there are those like me that are so passionate we have to speak out.”

“Yes, there is poverty and corruption there and an uprising and all sorts of stuff,” she added. “But that does not define Haiti or Haitians. You never hear people talk about our character or how hard we work and how dependable we are. You hardly hear about the beauty throughout Haiti — there are beautiful waterfalls and beaches and palm trees — and the different types of beautiful people that are there. That’s Haiti. Not some ridiculous tales of eating domestic animals.”

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• Far-right activist Laura Loomer's access to Trump reveals a crisis in his campaign
• Before Trump, neo-Nazis pushed false claims about Haitians as part of hate campaign
• 'Making peoples' lives hell': When he couldn't pay for cancer treatment, the hospital sued