Imigração haitiana e racismo estrutural brasileiro: haitianos na de Rio de Janeiro (2010-2024)

Abstract

Since 2010, Brazil has witnessed a significant increase in Haitian immigration, with the number of Haitian residents rising from fewer than 200 between 1940 and 2000 to approximately 161,000 by 2024, according to UNHCR data. This thesis examines, from a historicist and critical perspective, the migration process of Haitians to Brazil, particularly to Rio de Janeiro, between 2010 and 2024. Its primary objective is to analyze Haitian migration to Brazil from 2010 to 2024, aiming to highlight the multiple dimensions of Brazilian structural racism (cultural, socioeconomic, and institutional) as manifested in the lack of access to social policies directed toward migrant and Black populations in Rio de Janeiro. The findings reveal that structural racism in Brazil operates insidiously, rendering the specific needs of the Haitian immigrant population invisible and treating them as if they share the same historical and social conditions as Brazilian nationals. This dynamic manifests in barriers such as inadequate training for professionals, institutional rigidity, and the implementation of universal policies that fail to account for the particular vulnerabilities of this community. The SUS (Brazilian Unified Health System) and the SUAS (Unified Social Assistance System), though founded on the principles of universality and equity, perpetuate inequalities by not adapting their practices to the specific conditions of immigrants. Methodologically, the research combined a literature review, documentary analysis, and fieldwork, including semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant observation, ensuring direct contact with Haitian leaders in Rio de Janeiro. Conducted by a Haitian researcher, the thesis offers a critical analysis of the researcher's role as a member of the studied group, providing an insider perspective that focuses on the lived realities of the community. This approach sheds light on the dynamics of exclusion shaping the experiences of Haitians in Rio de Janeiro, emphasizing how structural racism not only limits access to fundamental rights but also reinforces pre-existing inequalities, perpetuating cycles of exclusion and vulnerability