Historical Dictionary of Haiti by Michael Hall

Author:Michael Hall [Hall, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Published: 2011-07-14T23:00:00+00:00

I

INDIGENOUS MOVEMENT. Literary and artistic movement that developed in Haiti during the 1920s and affected subsequent generations of writers and artists. During the U.S. military occupation, Haitian intellectuals imbued with the philosophical tenets of Noirisme began to question the overt attachment of Haitian writers to French writing genres and styles. The Indigenous Movement in Haitian literature developed during the late 1920s out of two seminal events: the creation of La Revue Indigène: Les Arts et la Vie [The Indigenous Review: Arts and Life] in 1927 by Jacques Roumain, Philippe Thoby-Marcelin, Carl Brouard, and Antonio Vieux; and the publication of Jean Price-Mars’ Ainsi Parla l’Oncle [So Spoke the Uncle] in 1928. The Indigenous Movement began to emphasize the legacy of African cultural heritage in Haitian society, stressing the importance and relevance of the Haitian black peasant, Haitian folklore, and Voodoo. What began as a literary movement also developed into an artistic movement. The Indigenous Movement in Haitian art revived inspiration for Haitian artists by placing emphasis on the African cultural heritage. One of the more noteworthy artists of the Indigenous Movement was Pétion Savain, who is most famous for his colorful market scenes.

INDUSTRY. The fastest-growing sector of the Haitian economy. By 2000, manufacturing had replaced agricultural commodities as the nation’s leading export sector. Currently, the industrial sector accounts for 20 percent of the gross domestic product but employs less than 10 percent of the labor force. The main industries in Haiti produce apparel, beer, cement, cooking oils, flour, rum, soap, and sugar. With the exception of apparel, the majority of these products are consumed domestically. During the first decade of the 21st century, the export-oriented apparel industry dominated the export sector. The Association des Industries d’Haïti (ADIH)/Association of Industries of Haiti, established in 1980, is actively involved in promoting the development of assembly plants in Haiti.

The industrial sector is composed of small-scale local manufacturing enterprises, large-scale state-owned and family-owned corporations, and foreign-owned assembly plants. The manufacturing sector consists of over 500 companies, most of which are small or medium in size. Although representing over half of the nation’s industries, they employ less than 10 percent of the industrial labor force. Large industries, with more than 300 workers, represent less than 10 percent of Haiti’s industries but employ over half of the industrial labor force. The assembly factories located in Port-au-Prince account for the largest share of the industrial labor force and make the most significant contribution to the nation’s international trade.

The growth of assembly plants in Haiti has been conditioned by the availability of cheap labor, proximity to a willing market in the United States, and changes in U.S. tariff law. Since 1962, the United States has pursued a tariff policy that only charges duty on the value added to goods assembled in overseas plants. As a result, the number of assembly plants in Haiti during the dictatorships of François Duvalier and Jean-Claude Duvalier increased from 17 to 200. Approximately half of these assembly plants were owned by Haitians.

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