Haitian immigrants hopeful Springfield, Ohio, will rise above political turmoil

Residents in Springfield, Ohio, are attempting to come together after their community has been plagued by bomb threats and tension in the aftermath of unfounded claims that Haitian migrants were abducting and eating their neighbors’ pets.

Springfield is a small town of about 60,000 residents in the western part of the state. Once a manufacturing hub that was home to nearly 80,000 people, its economy began to shrink in the 1980s after factories closed and jobs moved overseas.

The town remained that way until 2015 when the Chamber of Commerce tried kickstarting its economy. The addition of new jobs and cheap cost of living attracted a handful of Haitians, who moved to the US to escape the turmoil in their own country.

Through word of mouth with friends and family, that trickle quickly turned into a surge during the pandemic. Today, anywhere between 12,000 and 20,000 of Springfield’s population is Haitian, many of whom are legal US citizens.

There were growing pains for the city, both in infrastructure and ways of life. But tensions boiled over in August 2023 after a Haitian driver crashed into a school bus, killing one child and injuring more than 20 others.

“It wasn’t vocal all the time but you could see it, you could feel it,” said Jacob Payen, a Haitian immigrant and veteran who served in the US Navy. Payen and his wife moved to the city three years ago.

They say the crash was a catalyst for what turned from skepticism into cynicism about the Haitian community. It’s something that people like Amanda and Jacob fear could impact Springfield for years to come.

“As a people, we have a way of life and we’re here to live. We’re not here to hurt anyone. “We’re not here to take anything away from anyone,” Jacob said.

Despite all the turmoil, Jacob has an optimistic outlook on the place he calls home.

Scripps News spoke with one couple who said they drove nearly three hours just to visit a local Creole restaurant in Springfield and to show their support for the community. It’s that support that Payne says outshines some of the hatred and cynicism the Springfield residents have faced.

“I can tell you — 10 years from now, we’re going to have a harmonized city and a unified city of Springfield,” he said.