The University of Michigan honored Haitian American activist Guerline Jozef with the 31st annual Wallenberg Medal on Tuesday evening at the Rackham Auditorium. Jozef, known for her advocacy work with Haitian and Black immigrants, co-founded the Haitian Bridge Alliance. Following the award ceremony, she delivered a lecture titled “Written in Offices but Lived in Communities: An Immigration System in Crisis,” which was attended by over 300 students and community members.
Recognition of Humanitarian Contributions
The Wallenberg Medal, awarded by the Donia Human Rights Center and supported by the Wallenberg Endowment, celebrates individuals who reflect the humanitarian values of Raoul Wallenberg, a University of Michigan alum who notably provided refuge to thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II through the issuance of visas and safe housing.
In her lecture, Jozef emphasized the necessity of recognizing migration as a fundamental human right. “Whether we believe in creation or we believe in evolution, people have constantly, from the beginning of time, migrated in search of safety, in search of protection, in search of life itself,” she stated.
Jozef referenced the recent termination of temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants by the previous administration in July, amidst ongoing crises in Haiti characterized by gang violence, displacements, and a fragile political landscape. She shared the poignant experiences of two Haitian women who fled such conditions only to find their legal status in jeopardy upon arriving in the United States.
“They shared with me that when they came from Haiti in 2023 — that was the first time in their young lives that they slept without fear of being kidnapped the next day,” Jozef recounted. “On July 27, they went to bed, and, I quote: ‘We woke up illegal.’”
Through her acceptance of the Wallenberg Medal, Jozef aimed to honor those impacted by these systemic issues and called upon the audience to remember America’s immigration history. “Remember our migration story; it might be 400 years ago, (but) it is no different than somebody coming here today,” she said.
Attendees expressed personal connections to the issues raised. LSA freshman Daiancy Aquino Jimenez, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, noted the stigma faced by Haitians both in her home country and the U.S. “Even as an immigrant here in America, experiencing that was also like a cultural shock,” she remarked.
Jozef concluded her address by urging collective action to address the challenges surrounding Haitian immigration, framing them as humanitarian concerns rather than purely political ones. “The work we are addressing is a humanity issue — it’s not a political issue,” she stated.
Why It Matters: The recognition of Guerline Jozef with the Wallenberg Medal highlights ongoing issues faced by Haitian and Black immigrants in the United States, drawing attention to the complexities of immigration policies and the need for humanitarian responses.
