Haiti's Low Cultural Diversity Owing to Mulato Elite

To clarify, the concept of cultural diversity is separate from racial diversity. Cultural diversity is based on racial and ethnic diversities. The more types of racial and ethnic populations, the more languages and cultural values they share.

Haiti's racial lineage began with the indigenous Taino Indians, who were bred out of existence by slaves emigrating from the Republic of Congo. At the same time, the Spanish and French invasions changed Haiti's racial and cultural profile further. The French and the Spanish battled for control of Hispaniola. Eventually the French retained control of the western half of the island, and the Spanish the larger eastern segment, named the Dominican Republican. The French interbred with African slaves, producing the light-skinned mulatto elite, who were high-born and spoke French. The low-born and darker-skinned Haitians were of Spanish and African blood.

The dominant language became French. On mulatto-elite plantations, the African slaves learned a less sophisticated derivative of French called Créole. To sum up, Haiti's racial profile is made up of mainly French and African, and its two associated religions, Christian and Voodoo. Two languages are spoken: French by the mulatto elite and Créole by the descendants of African slaves.

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