In the limelight: Charleroi无毛视频檚 immigrant liaison says national attention has stressed borough无毛视频檚 Haitian population
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Getro Bernabe said the Haitian population in Charleroi has been feeling undue stress since former President Donald Trump referenced the group in a recent campaign speech.
The borough’s immigrant liaison since April 2023, “They put Haitian immigrants in the spotlight,” Bernabe said Monday. “They are not the only immigrants in the country, but the focus is on the Haitian immigrants right now. That makes them feel stressed out, frustrated. That’s a lot of tension.”
Charleroi’s Haitian population gained national attention after a mention Thursday by Trump in a campaign speech Thursday in Tucson, Ariz.
“Charleroi, what a beautiful name, but it’s not so beautiful now, it has experienced a 2,000% increase in population of Haitian migrants under Kamala Harris,” Trump said. “This is a small town and all of a sudden they’ve got thousands of people. The schools are scrambling to hire translators for the influx of students who don’t speak a word of English, costing local taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
A survey conducted by Bernabe in April 2023 showed Charleroi has about 2,000 immigrants from 44 countries, including China, Spain, Indonesia and African countries, along with Haiti.
Bernabe was born in Haiti, but has lived In Charleroi since 2020. As the immigrant liaison, his duties include helping immigrants with documentation, directing and aiding them in navigating everyday life, answering questions and problem solving, and serving as a point of contact and interpreter.
He said the borough’s Haitian population rejects how they are being portrayed.
“It’s a little stressful right now,” Bernabe said. “Some feel it’s just politics. For me, it’s not fair to think about Haitians like that. It’s unfortunate. They are saying some stuff that is not really true. They need to get proof before they say what they have to say about any person.”
Dr. Edward Zelich, Charleroi Area superintendent, said financial support is in place for students who are learning English as a second language, meaning there is no additional cost to the taxpayers.
“We’ve had no discipline issues,” Zelich said of the Haitian students. “They want to learn. We offer summer school classes and they come to learn English as a second language. At Charleroi, we are committed to delivering a high quality education and an inclusive learning experience.”
Charleroi Borough Manager Joe Manning said the Haitians don’t cause any more problems than the American-born citizen.
“This is much ado about nothing,” he said. “In all of the time that I’ve been here, I’ve never had any problems with these folks.”
He said other than fielding numerous media requests since the comments were made last week, it’s been business as usual in Charleroi.
Manning said he reached out to his colleague in Springfield, Ohio, which also boasts a Haitian immigrant population. Attention has been focused on that community after Trump said during the Sept. 10 debate with Kamala Harris that Haitian immigrants in the town were abducting and eating pets, resulting in threats against the immigrant community.
“I just dropped him a line,” Manning said. “I wrote to tell him, ‘I’m following your city’s story and I can empathize with you. We have a large immigrant population in Charleroi as well and I’m sorry for all the negative publicity.’ We’ve been corresponding since then.”
Some Charleroi officials also reacted to Trump’s comment, stating the issues such as widespread job losses in the borough need to be addressed, noting Anchor Hocking recently purchased the World Kitchen plant, eliminating more than 300 jobs.
“For Charleroi to move forward, investment and resources are needed to combat the economic challenges it faces,” said Kristin Hopkins-Calcek, Charleroi Council president. “Borough officials and other key stakeholders have repeatedly submitted funding requests to both the state and federal governments to address a multitude of community concerns; however, those critical resources have not come to fruition.”
Jamie Colecchi, CEO of the Mon Valley Alliance, said it’s a time to take advantage of industrial property that can be primed for immediate redevelopment.
“We have an industrious workforce seeking gainful employment in our region,” he said. “It’s devastating that our community’s legacy as a world-renowned glassmaker is coming to an end, but we can’t give up and stop here. We are looking forward to a better future together.”
Councilman Larry Celaschi said he does not support the statement by Hopkins-Calcek and Colecchi.
“Hopkins and Colechi made a wild assumption that President Trump even knew about the Anchor Hocking plant closing,” Celaschi said. “At his rally in Arizona, he was addressing immigration at the time. He wasn’t talking (about) economic policy.”
Bernabe said he has a suggestion for his fellow Haitians in Charleroi.
“We just need to behave,” he said. “Since we legally came to the country, there’s nothing to worry about. Respect the rules of the country, respect the law, and that’s that.”