1995: (Racial and Linguistic Dualism in the Post-Colony): Haitian society is defined by a 200-year-old racial schism, where 90 percent of the population are …

1995: (Racial and Linguistic Dualism in the Post-Colony): Haitian society is defined by a 200-year-old racial schism, where 90 percent of the population are noirs and 10 percent are jaunes or mulâtres. This division is often described by local thinkers as a “virus” that ravages the republic, creating two separate but interlocking worlds. The linguistic barrier further cements this divide, as 85 percent of the country speaks only Kreyòl, a pungent blend of African and European tongues, while the state is administered in French by a small minority. This “private language” acts as a defensive shield against outsiders and contributes to the penetrability of a closed society. The resulting social graph shows a clear correlation between race, literacy, and wealth that continues to dominate national life.