The Haitian Controversy
In the spring of 2012 a book called "Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft
Auto" (by David Kushner) was released. It details the history of Rockstar
Games from its beginnings to the present (as of publishing). Part of the book
chronicles the controversy concerning the Haitians, the basics of which
are as follows:
One of the New York television stations had a feature called "Shame on You"
which exposed shady goings on within the city and nearby areas. In November
of 2003 newscaster Arnold Diaz, who runs the feature, ran a piece on Vice
City.
He focused on how you are supposed to kill the Haitians within the game.
Arnold considered it racist and was very upset with it. This was why he
featured it on "Shame on You".
It didn't take long for the Haitian community to respond. The Haitian Centers
Council put out a press release protesting the game's content.
Haitian-Americans protested outside New York's City Hall. Haitian president
Jean-Bertrand Aristide went talking to the U.S. authorities about the racism
within the game.
The protests became so loud that Rockstar Games was forced into making an
apology and then into making changes within new prints of the game to rectify
the situation. This controversy is why there is a Version 3 of Vice City,
dubbed "Haitian-Friendly".
