In this episode, we dig into a side of Haitian history most people never hear about: how waves of Middle Eastern and European migrants helped shape the country’s modern elite. We start with the big picture—why Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians, Germans, French and others left their homelands in the 19th and early 20th centuries, how they arrived in the Caribbean, and why Haiti became such an attractive place to settle and do business.

From there, we connect that migration story to the powerful families who dominate Haiti’s economy and politics today. We talk about names like Bigio, Acra, Madsen, Apaid, Mevs, Boulos, Vorbe, Abdallah, Baker, Jaar, Khawly, Martelly, and more—where they came from, the sectors they control, and the controversies and scandals that follow them, from questionable contracts and political influence to gang finan ...