Throughout Logansport’s history, immigrants have been the town’s bedrock. In 1826, the town’s original settlers were immigrants not native to the land originally occupied by the Miami and Pottawattomie tribes. It was the Irish immigrants in the town that built the Wabash and Erie Canal and put Logansport on the map. Between 1900 and 1950, Italian immigrants moved to Logansport, resulting in the town’s population peak in 1950. In the 1990s, the now Tyson plant opened, resulting in an influx of Hispanic immigrants becoming a significant part of Logansport’s culture.

Logansport is a town founded by immigrants. It is a town built by immigrants. It is a town populated by immigrants, and it is a town that attracts immigrants. We are a town that is and always will be by and for immigrants. It is who we are and who we’ve always been.

We are now in the midst of a new immigrant influx, this time from the country of Haiti. Haiti is currently in the midst of a crisis. Its government and economy have collapsed, violence is at an all-time high, gang warfare has broken out across the country, thousands have been killed or kidnapped, and hundreds of thousands displaced. Many have been forced to flee their homes and come to America for a better life, with many coming to Logansport, where Tyson has provided rare job opportunities for these immigrants.

Yet, in a time when we should be helping and welcoming them to a city that has thrived in its diversity, we have instead seen division and hatred.

Logansport has been struggling for decades. The population has mostly been in decline since 1950. The economy has been stagnant at best, and poverty is above average. These new immigrants have brought what Logansport has needed, people, which the city has been unable to attract a significant amount for years. Yet, now, suddenly, it’s a problem? At what point isn’t it about concern for the city’s infrastructure and resources, but instead rooted racism and intolerance?

We must ask ourselves why there is so little empathy for Haitian immigrants. The answer lies in systemic racism that dehumanizes Black people, especially those from impoverished nations. Haitians who are fleeing environmental disasters, political instability, and violence are not met with compassion. Instead, they are treated as unwelcome invaders, subjected to being painted as “criminals.”

Recent articles published by some media organizations falsely claim that Logansport is struggling because of these new immigrants. Because of them, the town’s native residents are being sidelined or ignored. Articles published by the New York Post, for example, have falsely claimed that white students are being sidelined or ignored to make room for Haitians. This simply is not true in any form. Articles like these are irresponsible and downright dangerous, bringing unwanted and negative attention to a small town and broadcasting it nationally for millions to see.

It is ridiculous that we have to say that there are not tens of thousands of Haitians moving to Logansport, that the town hasn’t been “taken over” or “overrun,” and that white students are not being pushed out of our schools. Yet, we have to because those who are spreading these lies have done little to nothing to correct them.

We also need to address the comments made by various figures regarding the current situation, specifically comments made by Micah Beckwith, the Lieutenant Governor candidate for the Republican Party. Beckwith has on multiple occasions called for the deportation of these immigrants, who are here completely legally and has said multiculturalism is bad. This is who our Lieutenant Governor could be, a man who would go as far as to call for the removal of the legal residents of Logansport.

To reduce Haitian immigrants to “illegal aliens” or “threats” is not only grossly inaccurate but unjust. This rhetoric erases their humanity, ignoring their dignity and desire for a better life, values that we claim to uphold. We cannot claim to stand for freedom, equality or justice while treating Haitian people as less deserving of those ideals.

Logansport has many flaws, as do most cities. Yet, we should be proud of our unique diversity, contributing to a diverse local culture. We should be proud of the fact that those who are looking for a better life have come here to find that life. It is embarrassing and disgraceful to see those who call themselves residents of Logansport engage in such hateful rhetoric because that is not what Logansport represents. It is disgraceful to allow hate groups to spread hate in this town. It is not who we are as a city.

This story was originally published on LHS Magpie on October 28, 2024.