96 percent of Haitian-Americans approve of Obama's Haiti response

Posted By Annie Lowrey Thursday, January 28, 2010 - 3:36 PM Share

That's the banner finding of this poll released today in the Miami Herald, via Ben Smith. The poll paints a picture of a devastated Haitian-American community, which numbers around 530,000 and is centered in Southern Florida. Other statistics:

Three out of five said they lost a loved one in the earthquake, which killed approximately 200,000
Two out of three said they would be willing to return to Haiti temporarily to help in the reconstruction
The U.S. government and United Nations received high approval ratings for their disaster relief efforts
Two in three disapproved of the way the Haitian government handled the disaster (though, to be fair, it was completely destroyed in the quake)
Four in five have already sent money, and a vast majority say they would adopt an orphaned Haitian child

As Michael Clemens argues in this Foreign Policy article, and as the Haitian-American community has been vocally advocating, the best way for the United States to help Haiti isn't just to provide sustained aid for rebuilding. It is to allow more Haitians to immigrate and to send remittances back to the devastated nation.

David Friedman/Getty Images

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