Haitian-Americans worry about devastated homeland

Haitian-Americans worry about devastated homeland

MIAMI (AP) -- "Everyone is in shock right now. No one can get through." That's how one South Florida pastor sums up the state of the Haitian-American community in the Miami area after yesterday's magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated their home country. There are about 275,000 Haitians living in South Florida. Teachers in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood have been trying to explain the catastrophe using the simplest terms possible, but it appears to be providing little comfort. One elementary school principal says "there was a lot of crying this morning, especially from the older ones." She adds that the older ones understand their parents "are desperately trying to get in touch with family" and that few have been able to do so. Haitian-Americans in New York and other U.S. cities have been telling similar stories of frustrating efforts to reach relatives and friends. Some have been putting their efforts into organizing ways to get relief to the country. Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat says, "life is already so fragile in Haiti" that "it's unimaginable how the country will be able to recover" from such a massive earthquake.