A Journey of Hope:

This is the experience of a Haitian woman living in Tapachula, Mexico, where she and thousands like her have voyaged through seven to eleven different countries, either via Brazil or Chile after fleeing Haiti, only to find themselves isolated, unsupported and marginalized in profound ways. A city near the border with Guatemala, Tapachula is an in-between place for Haitian migrants as they wait for their papers to travel elsewhere, some aiming to seek asylum in the United States.

This Report documents the daily indignities to which Haitian migrant and refugee women are subjected on their journeys in search of refuge, and also offers insight into their astounding resilience against all odds. Among the greatest strengths of the Report is its intersectional approach, highlighting the impact of overlapping structures of patriarchy and racial and xenophobic subordination on Haitian women. Not only must these women navigate the legal and social challenges of being foreign nationals in Mexico and the other countries through which they travel, but they must also navigate intolerance and exclusion based on racial and gender identity, which has been heightened by racist intolerance in the regions through which they move and attempt to settle. As the report highlights, among others, the racist and xenophobic politics of the United States are enforced even beyond the territories of that country because they are outsourced for enforcement by Mexican and other officials long before refugees and migrants even approach the U.S. border.