An ethno-national group, Haitians generally comprise the modern descendants of self-liberated Africans in the Caribbean territory historically referred to as Saint-Domingue.

Haiti's population is mostly of African descent (5% are of mixed African and other ancestry),[37] though people of many different ethnic and national backgrounds have settled and impacted the country, such as Poles[38][39] (from Napoleon's Polish legions), Jews,[40] Arabs[41] (from the Arab diaspora), Chinese,[42] Indians,[43][44] Spanish, Germans[45][46] (18th century and World War I), Italians,[41] and French, most marrying into the majority black populace and in turn yielding mixed race children (many of whom are prominent in Haitian society).

Haitian art, known for its vibrant color work and expressive design, is a complex tradition, reflecting strong African roots with Indigenous American and European aesthetic and religious influences.

Frequent subjects in Haitian art include big, delectable foods, lush landscapes, market activities, jungle animals, rituals, dances, and gods.

It reflects French, African rhythms, Spanish elements and others who have inhabited the island of Hispaniola and minor native Taino influences.

Wyclef Jean, however, left the country before his teenage years and began the Fugees with Lauryn Hill and Pras, who together went on to become the biggest selling hip hop group of all time with The Score released in 1996.

Vodou, encompassing several different traditions, consists of a mix of Central and Western African, European, and Native American (Taíno) religions, is also widely practiced, despite the negative stigma that it carries both in and out of the country.

The confiscation of property, massacres, and prosecution caused the upper and middle class of Haiti to migrate to more developed countries in Europe and the United States.