Cécile Accilien, Kennesaw State University, Georgia, United States
This chapter analyzes concepts of home while considering themes of im/migration, deportation, and exile in three Haitian popular films: Dyaspora $100, Kidnapping, and Deported. Through analysis of these films, I examine what “home” may mean for Haitian diasporic communities. As I show, the economic impact of transnational migration is a critical factor here. The films depict the ways in which Haitian immigrants maintain, negotiate, and build identities both individually and collectively. The chapter demonstrates the complexity of identity and belonging particularly for young people who have been deported to Haiti, often finding themselves alienated while at “home” in a space that is not welcoming. Throughout, I explore some of the ways in which home is a fluid and complex space for Haitians in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora.