Chile vs. Haiti...Who's Better Off????

I read a post to the Being Latino blog page that left a bad taste in my mouth. It had nothing to do with the commentary, but with the subject. It has been debated in the media wether or not the people of Chile is in a better position to deal with the 8.8 earthquake that hit the city of Concepcion this past weekend as opposed to the people of Port-Au-Prince Haiti. I mean really now, does it matter? Earthquake victims are earthquake victims regardless of where they are from and what economic class they come from. Those that are under the rubble are trapped regardless of what school they went to, what neighborhood they lived in and what jobs they did. Take the following article as an example: Why Chile Fundraising is Off to a Slow Srart.

The article quotes an article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy dated March 1, 2010 which states the reasons for the lack of fundraising for Chile's earthquake victims. Here are some of them (Thanks to Efrain Nieves of the Being Latino Blog for the synopsis):

According to the Chronicle:

- Oxfam America had so far raised $3,499 for relief efforts in Chile while it raised $2.9 million in the same time period for Haiti;
- World Vision U.S. has raised $220,000 so far for Chile while $3.9 million was raised in for Haiti;
- The American Red Cross held off on launching a text-messaging campaign for Chile relief efforts, although it raised $1,000,000+ for Haiti.

What's the hang-up?

There are a few reasons for the slower pace, says The Chronicle.

- Chile is in a better position to deal with the damage than the impoverished country of Haiti.
- The earthquake happened over the weekend when fewer people are tuned into the news.
- Chile had requested assistance from the United Nations, but not yet from international humanitarian groups.

Not to place blame, but the Latino community has dropped the ball. Being the largest "minority group" here in the United States should have led to a bigger movement to generate aid for the victims of Chile as was done for those in Haiti. Where are our actors, actresses, singers and influential people here in the United States asking for funds and making songs for the Chileans as was done for the Haitians. It really sucks that this becomes a popularity or pity contest (depending on your point of view). To paraphrase my friend Matt Hill who compared the poor in the United Staes who are in need to those in Haiti:

You put a suit or pretty dress on them (the poor in Haiti) they look great and Oprah is proud. You put a suit on one of ours and it looks like a homeless guy in a suit. It's all about perception and Haiti is in.

And I guess Chile is out.

To Donate to Chile through Habitat for Humanity Click Here
To Donate to Chile through the Family Care Foundation Click Here
You can now text “Chile” to 90999 to donate $10 to survivors of the Chile earthquake.