Do homes in Little Haiti have an expiration date?

About Gentrification

Miami is a global city with tremendous opportunities, but also with numerous challenges to be addressed. Among them is one with significant impact: the phenomenon of gentrification. Simply put, the ever-increasing rent in specific areas, which forces residents who do not have property in their name, to leave the neighborhood when they truly do not want to move out of their communities.

To discuss the topic of gentrification, we will start with the well-known example of Wynwood. With a great history behind it before the Puerto Ricans, Little San Juan was transformed by numerous ambitious projects that promised to change the area, and, as a result, Wynwood is now nothing less than a tourist site that has displaced local history.

Just as the phenomenon of gentrification has led to the disappearance of Little San Juan, immigrant communities in Little Havana and Little Haiti are concerned not only about the displacement of their families, but also the fragmentation it means for their communities and their local stores.

Haitian Mural in NE 2nd Ave

Image taken from Google Maps where we can contrast culture identity next to the developer project Magic City

Arnold, Louis and Merlin, are some of the countless cases that are affected by the events. Some have lived in Little Haiti for more than seven years, or others still have family living in the area. However, the growing cost of rent is increasing as well as their worries that, at the pace they are going, they will reach their expiration date, forcing them to move.

Merlin, who has been living in Little Haiti for more than 10 years, mentions that the situation is very complicated, as they have been part of this territory for a long time and suddenly they want to kick them out to get their place: “It is not right. You have to give people the chance to live, you know? (…) they just want to push you out. It is not fair”. And he continues with: “The price is so high, almost doubled that nobody wants to stay”.

Here we can see the comparison between the rent prices before and after 2015 summer. Although neither the price nor the increase seems much, it is important to understand that it is the area with the lowest household incomes in all of Miami.

Since 2017, no area in Miami- Dade county has increased its rental price more than Little Haiti, in 2 years there is a flat increase of 300$ per month, as we can see in the graph showing the rent prices after 2017 summer.

image from Miami New Times article

Continuing with this data we see the decrease of people who are spending 30% of the household income in rent. We see an acceleration after the pandemic years, mainly because a lot of people lost their jobs, added to the increased demand for housing in the area during those years resulting in a lot of people having to move away or losing their house due to not being able to pay.

Graph from Zumper

This situation has led to the construction of a 1.36$ billion Magic City Innovation District development in Little Haiti. This will be a 1.7 thousand square kilometers structure. There is growing concern about the potential negative environmental and social impacts of the project, including economic displacement of residents who have historically resided and worked in Little Haiti, the majority of whom are low-income families of color. Without taking the time to establish a complete picture of the project’s environmental and social costs and benefits, Magic City Innovation District runs the risk of perpetuating economic and racial inequities across Miami communities and contributing to unsustainable development practices that threaten Miami’s long-term resilience.

The construction of Magic City, despite the clear and negative opposition exercised by the inhabitants of Little Haiti, demonstrates the lack of preoucpacion of the construction companies and governments in the face of the multiple environmental, social and economic problems that this area has suffered for years. “They’re turning Little Haiti into Wynwood.” It is the statement of Sonny, a man who has lived in this neighborhood for more than 40 years and has lived through all the events and consequences that have led to the construction of this gigantic touristic complex.

Image from Google maps perspective Haitian mural and Magic city development project.

Gentrification is a problem to be fought, economic segregation in Miami continues to increase and the incongruities between planes and reality are insabable. Trying to build a complex of such dimensions in a neighborhood mostly workers and rented immigrants, who suffer to pay their rent, shows a complete disconnection between governments and construction companies of reality.

“In Miami, everyone is from everywhere”

(1) “After sometime working for someone, I want to become my own boss”

(2) “What is happening now is that Miami is becoming so vast and expensive”

(3) “When I arrived, it was a cultural shock”

Fritz was born in Haiti and left his country in the ambition of exploring and discovering the US. By connecting with the community of Little Haiti, he started to feel inside that so-called “melting pot” Miami is often named. He graduated from Business and Administration and wanted to work as a health insurance agent. Formed a small family and has one son and one daughter. However, the situation in Miami has changed and the whole community has sensed it. But his plans of developing his most desired dream have not varied and confronts these events in the best way he can.

What’s your story regarding migration?

I left my country at 17 years old and my country was having some trouble. It wasn’t my idea, someone told me this country is going through this situation and since everyone was leaving and exploring I ended up coming here. I was under my parents roof and, when I arrived, it was a cultural shock. I didn’t know anybody, I really didn’t know what to expect, growing up I was familiar with everything around me and now i´m not there anymore, you know nothing about this place. Eventually I developed the sense to know what to do, where to go. Starting from going to school and learning the language, once you are able to communicate everything turns out to be much easier. You start to find out about the country and the culture. After learning the language I started to look for jobs and really understand the country and its culture. And I found out, especially here in Miami, everyone is from everywhere, especially because of the sun and the warm temperature in Florida. Thanks to this the culture in Miami it’s really dynamic. I find myself here because if I were to be in any other part of the US, it would be all Americans and I would feel unwelcomed. In this sense New York is like Miami, everyone is from everywhere.

When you arrive you look for the people you know, that’s why in the South of Florida you find people that only speak Spanish, jobs and schools are all in Spanish because they’ve created their own community there and it is the same here with little Haiti. The businesses are run by Haitian people who speak Creole. We all have evolved a lot, know the language and, specially, we are now professionals. I have a license, we all learn, we have a lot of engineers, nurses. You know, we come here to work. To the point Little Haiti has its own magistrate, city council and chamber, and it’s all Haitians and along them we try to be a community where anyone feels welcomed and comfortable to live in.

Do you think they are trying to make this place more urban?

Eventually yes. What is happening now is that Miami is becoming so vast and expensive, like what happened in California, so a lot of people are moving out because they can’t afford it. When I came you could buy a house for 200,000$ and after the pandemic you needed at least 400,000$. Florida was more flexible during the pandemic and the weather is better, so a lot of people from places like New York started living here, this made the pricing to be higher. Not counting the immigrants from the Caribe or South and Central America that also need a place to live.

How did you end up in this job?

Well, after I graduated college, Business and Administration, I decided I needed a license. My intent is to have my own business, and with this license I’m able to get it started. I had to do a test to get the license and sell insurance to the public. Now I can definitely manage a business with that license. I opened my own shop, I signed up with companies like Florida Blue to sell their own insurance. But I get benefits from that. The idea is that after sometime working for someone, I wanna become my own boss. I really didn’t have everything, but eventually I learned the system, I went to school here, I learned the culture. Now it’s time for me to establish myself, accumulate wealth and, when I’m stable enough, I want to finally start my own business.

And what kind of business are you thinking of?

I’m thinking of a company to sell my insurance. Or I might open my own restaurant. I learned Business and Administration, so I can administer my business. Even if I open a restaurant, I have the requirements and knowledge to run it. The only thing left needed is the capital. Either you get the capital or you go to a bank and get a loan. But once I get there I will make my business run at full scale.

Are you living here with your family?

Not with my parents, I left them back in our country. But I did file for them to come here. And they come and go, you know? They prefer over there. When they come here, they don’t know the language, they don’t know the country. They sit at the house and they feel bored. They would rather be in their country.

Could you tell us a story of someone that has been placed out from here because of the rent price?

It happened to me. I owned a house and I sold it. It was a 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom house with garage and everything. I sold it for 100,000$ around 12 years ago. Now the same house, if I were to buy it, would cost 400,000$. I moved to an apartment, but I once bought a piece of land for 30,000$ with the money I got. I’m not thinking of renting a house here because I don’t want a 200,000$ or 250,000$ mortgage. That is way too much, half of my salary will go on rent. I mean, I could afford it, but I would rather keep it low because you never know what could happen. At some point, things that go up fall down.

Do you think climate gentrification has something to do with all this?

Yes, I think that is why they are amplifying this climate change agenda lately. Now building a house is more efficient, they don’t use oil and make that smoke. A lot of things got modified. The air has also changed, it doesn’t feel that hot, you know?

First approach

Little Haiti is color, energy and spirit. It is without a doubt an example of community and harmony located in the Little River area in the city of Miami. In it, its picturesque restaurants, local stores and murals are insignias of history and unity that the community has built in the last decades.

We, in our project, will give a first-hand account of our experience that not only helped us understand the Haitian identity, but also made us part of it.

Since we arrived in Miami we have been surrounded by stories of migrant and hardworking people, looking for new opportunities for themselves and their families. And, in our footsteps we met Théo, our first approach to Haitian culture.

Théo has been living in Miami for more than five years and works two jobs at the same time to pay his rent, send money to his family in Haiti and follow the rhythm of life in the city. We had the chance to meet him in Uber, where he told us a bit of his story.

Théo left his culture, his language, and his family to start a new life 1,108 km away from home. And even though he was far away, he tried to pay for plane tickets for his parents every six months so he could see them. But the reality is trickier than it seems, because his parents, although they love to see their son, prefer to stay in Haiti, where they have been for most of their lives.

The driver also told us, with great nostalgia in his eyes, all the potential that his country has, but also how the numerous challenges they face make him move away from this territory. Some of the problems he stresses are a government of instability and unpredictable natural events, which caused his displacement to the state of Florida.

Théo driving while he shares his story

But even if Théo is far distant from his country, he will always find closeness, affection and tradition in Little Haiti. This proximity in a foreign city is what encourages him to tell his story each day with his passengers, showing them all that richness that his culture holds.

With a big cheerful smile and enthusiasm, Théo shared with us one of his favorite pieces of Kompa, Caribbean music from Haiti.

Following our haitian paths through local’s guidance

With the suggestions of locals and Théo we managed to find a starting point to get into Little Haiti: the Little Haiti Cultural Complex or also known as Mache Ayisyen. So we decided to visit the site for the typical Caribbean Market Day on a Saturday. It is a structure considered by the community as the main center in the community, where Kompa classes, art exhibitions and events that promote the Haitian heritage are held.

The structure of the Cultural Center has been inspired by the Port Au Prince Iron Market located in the capital of Haiti. Here we can see the similarity between both:

The place just opened when we arrived. A few friendly locals were sitting on the picnic benches on the outskirts of the place. Pierre, a man around 38 years old was smoking a cigar while enjoying the morning music of the location.

To set the mood, you can listen to the following audio of a normal saturday in Mache Ayisyen:

Inside the building you could find small Haitian stalls and stores with local vendors with a welcoming attitude. One of the vendors is 45 years old and has been in Miami for more than four years. She lives in Little Haiti and makes her crafts from plastic and bone. We bought from her store the white handle and some dark earrings.

On the field

Only a small tent was keeping us from the Sun’s incinerating gaze. We were waiting for the match to start. Firemen, cops and even sports athletes were at our side. With this team we couldn’t afford to lose. Our rivals were practicing their throws; we watched them silently. The speakers announce the beginning. Now we are all under the same Sun.

Before starting, one of the Haitians of my team tells me the rules really fast. He says: “It’s like baseball, you hit the ball and then you run”. “It sounds easy”, I thought. When we are all reunited we start looking at each other. They ask me if I want to start first. I don’t reckon, even if I fail, this is not a decisive play. The strategy is to shoot to my left so they cannot block the first base. The ball escapes the hand of the thrower and begins rolling smoothly towards me. A mighty kick (or so it felt like) allowed me to run to the base and stop there. A thumbs up gives me the sensation of a well-done tactic.

The rest of my team kicked the ball with real leg power. I took advantage of the brute force of them and made it home. One to zero. Then another one came. Two to zero. Then another two. Four to zero. And then, we get to six to zero. Our luck had to run out at some point and a ball that ascended like a balloon ended up in the arms of a foe. It is time for a change of roles. With a mischievous grin I turned to one of my teammates: “We are kicking ass!” I got responded with a mischievous laugh as well. The captain, a Haitian with a black hat, tells everyone where to scatter. I had to defend the last base and the left flank of the kicker. Two people got home but we stopped their play soon after. The lead is totally ours.

We were about to start shooting when a new player was added to our team. It was a Haitian girl wearing sports clothes. She took a glance at us and asked if she could start. No one rejected her petition. Álvaro came to me and whispered: “She looks like a kickball player. There is a picture of her team on her back”. Then I saw it and understood the confidence of the entire team. And I was more than impressed. She achieved the first home run of the game. There was no way we could lose. But that round took a turn when they caught our ball after getting two more points. Eight to two.

However, they did not know that the real fun was about to begin. With extreme pride I claimed: “This won’t last long”. And so it happened. Our captain, skilled as he was, caught the ball that flew over my head doing a roll. A round of applause was given to him. But the other team was not content. A big discussion arose. The enemies said that the ball touched the ground during the roll, but we defended him. The debate was fueling up, but they concluded that it was a valid catch. I gave him a fist bump and praised his feat. We were hyped up.

Two points to victory. I could not believe we were going to win the first game we got in. One of our MVPs, Jeremiah, said that he wanted to make the first kick. To everyone’s surprise, he achieved another home run. That was it, only one point away. To wrap things up, the sports girl wanted to end the game. An aura of confidence, determination and dare transmitted security to the team and fear to the foes. With a slightly bumpy ball coming to her, she kicked and began sprinting. She overpassed the first base with outstanding speed. The second base defender did not even see her. But third base was her last stop. The enemy team cut her pass and one more kick was needed.

Our trustworthy captain looked at me. “Want to do the last shoot?”, he asked. My heart started to pound harder with every step I took towards the kicking spot. “It is one kick, that is it”, I said to myself, trying to cool myself. Another smooth ball approaches me. I have to make a sacrifice, I don’t have to make it. She has to get home, I’ll get her the time. And so I directed the throw to my right so they couldn’t block her. I couldn’t see it, but a cheerful celebration happened after I hit the ball. We won. The sweat, the dirt in my shoe, the heartbeat, all were signs of a deserved victory. The girl came and we did a high-five. Then we shook hands with everyone to the cry of “great game”. After that, the Sun felt hot no more.

In community

After our stop at Mache Ayisyen, we headed out in search of experiences and so I led my group to the Soccer Park, as a prior recommendation from the craft vendor. While the girls shopped, she told me that we were likely to find a kickball game that would bring the community together. It was a monthly event at the end of the month promoting unity in the Little Haiti neighborhood. I didn’t think twice and headed there.

As I walked I saw the locals, always with a smile on their faces and ready to say hello. The road looked like any other neighborhood from one point to another, however, we came across some large letters that stood out because of the contrast of the place. These were: “Magic City”. When I saw it, I didn’t stop to Google what it was about, a new construction site to be located on the corner of NE 60th St. Next to it, a local mural that says Welcome to Little Haiti.

As we entered the park, the music was already blaring, very loud, perhaps to attract the attention of those passing by, and it certainly caught the attention of my team. When we entered, three people greeted us enthusiastically, saying, “Come, today we are going to play kickball, eat and have a good time. Everyone is welcome here!” When I heard that I felt different, I felt comfortable.

There were different booths, one for health insurance (Florida Blue), followed by a long table for vegetables and fruit products from local businesses, a very lively DJ with a full sound system, food everywhere, an inflatable for kids, several chairs to sit on, and several families sharing with each other. It was a lively view, but more than that it was an atmosphere that represented unity.

Fabienne’s son ran out of the park when someone lifted him up with one arm and returned him to his mother. The DJ had just played Kuduro Dance. Of course, the girls were dancing, and with them Maria Laura and Valeria. They formed a circle, holding hands, as they taught the girls how to move their waists like “Latinas”. The mothers were watching the scene a few meters away, sitting, smiling. They were all clapping except Fabienne, who decided to get up and dance. She took Valeria, who was singing, by the hand and let her hips loose. The girls stopped imitating the new girls’ movements and copied the woman, who let loose naturally. Fabienne’s son was now blowing bubbles as he watched the kickball game.

When the song ended and Gangnam Style played, the woman insisted on getting some drinks. When I saw the cooler I thought it was soda, maybe beer, but she pulled out small transparent containers with colored liquids. At that moment her son, who was playing with a beach ball, came running out. They were ginger drinks, as she called them: healthy shots. Something good for the body. It was my turn to be brave and try it, I might have grimaced at the stinging in my throat after the drink, but whatever the reaction was, it alerted Maria Laura. She smiled at Fabienne and claimed not to be thirsty. The woman ignored the comment and handed her a green container and said they would both drink at the same time, and that she would not face it alone. Then someone shouted “shots”, and of course, I followed. Seconds later the surroundings were shouting “shots, shots, shots, shots”, and both women drank the ginger.

Then another kid walked by, an older one, a teenager. “Joseph,” Fabienne shouted. He rolled his eyes at hearing his name but came over. She said he should take a shot, that it’s good for when he’s playing sports. The teenager refused, but the woman kept insisting. It wasn’t long before she relented. I guessed he was her son, too. One win wasn’t enough for her, and every time someone passed by, she handed out her shots. I had just finished Gangnam Style when the game ended and Fabienne’s son was running for the exit again.

Interview with Sonny and Rudy

“Gentrification is wiping away our culture.”

“I think it falls on our shoulders to empower the youth.”