Remembering the Duvalier era: Resistance, Exile, and Solidarity in the Life Stories of Haitian-Montrealers

From 2008 to 2012, Haitian survivors in Montreal were invited to share their memories of the Duvalier dictatorship for the oral history project the “Life Stories of Montrealers Displaced by War, Genocide, and other Human Rights Violations.” In their interviews, they recalled memories of life in Haiti before and during François Duvalier’s rule, as well as their experiences of exile after fleeing the country. In most cases, the stories they shared revolved around violence and the hardship they experienced after forced displacement. Other times, however, they recounted stories of resilience, resistance, and hope. This thesis explores this aspect of their life stories and asks how Haitian-Montrealers challenged the history of the Duvalier dictatorship in their interviews for the Montreal Life Stories project. As first wave Haitian exiles, some of these individuals took part in resistance against the Duvalier regime in Haiti, while others became involved in political and social causes after fleeing into exile. While their journeys as political activists varied, the ways in which they told their life stories as survivors shared striking similarities. In focusing on how they recounted their experiences of activism and exile in their interviews, as well as the reasons why they recounted them as they did, this thesis offers a more complete account of how Haitian-Montrealers remembered the Duvalier era for the Montreal Life Stories project. Additionally, it also explores the transnational connections and political solidarities they forged after fleeing Haiti, revealing the ways in which their lives and experiences have since extended beyond the legacy of the Duvalier regime