‘Down here … Haitians are winning’: negotiating co-ethnic partnering in South Florida

This article explores the social function of intimate relationships within diasporic Haitian families living in Miami, FL. Drawing on 10 months of ethnographic observation and 41 in-depth interviews with ethnically identified second-generation Haitian Americans, the analyses of these data reveal a generational and cultural negotiation of co-ethnic partnering, which positions co-ethnics as the preferred romantic choice for second-generation Haitian Americans. This dynamic reinforces broader social hierarchies and probes the relationship between intimate relationships and social mobility, specifically how ethnic identity influences opportunities and constraints in forming such relationships. This article discusses the implications of romantic choices in shaping Black mobility and the continuity of Black ethnic identity, arguing that intimate relationships respond to regional racialisation processes and highlight how Haitian Americans navigate the ‘collective Black’ category.