Haitian American Influence

In my elementary and middle school, learning to speak and write Spanish was required. Most of my classmates also grew up in Hispanic families. They also spoke English but they would only speak Spanish to the other Hispanics. What made this interesting is that they didn’t think I could speak Spanish, but I could understand everything they were saying. Being able to understood all of their gossip and all of the things they said about everyone else in the class was an advantage I had.

Similar to other immigrants my family history is somewhat compelling. Starting with my grandfather who was exiled out of Egypt in 1959 primarily as a result of the "decolonization process and the rise of Egyptian nationalism”, my immediate family and I also left France in 2004 as a result of rising tension against Jews. The migration of my grandparents and parents, from a young age, cultivated a sense of determination in me to overcome obstacles. Arriving in Miami at age 5, I had to learned my third language, English, in order to attend school. I was determined to and successfully lost my accent and got tested into the gifted program after a year of school.

My parents were rubber tree farmers. The government owns the trees so we didn’t make much money. Every day after school, I had to go and help my parents at the farm. I didn’t have time to study for another language at home; beside, my schools didn’t allow me to take an English class. The simple reason was that I’m not a teacher’s kid.

Although I lived with people who spoke my native language, there were times where I had to get through things on my own. I learned that living around those who spoke my mother language could sometimes help, but it just made it harder to learn

The culture of Haiti is a diverse mixture between African and European cultures. Haiti culture was based on the French settlement in Haiti. Other cultures that influenced Haitian culture were Spanish Imperialism and people from the Caribbean. Some traditional holidays are Independence Day, which unlike the United States, is celebrated on the first of January. On January 2nd Haitians also celebrate Hero’s Day also known as Ancestors Day. National Sovereignty Day is celebrated on May 22nd and Discovery Day is on December 5th. A custom for the people of Haiti is physically greeting each other as soon as they enter a room, by casually shaking hands or throwing kisses. Hatians are not very direct in their communications.

Sophie and Martine both speak Creole and English. This was how Martine made sure Sophie never forgot her native language and how she was able to communicate so well with her aunt and grandma during her visit to Haiti. Bong was also able to enjoy his trip to Korea because he was able to speak the language. My mother was really proud of me when I finally graduated ESOL. However, even after I graduated my mother never stopped talking to me in Spanish.

He came home from school one day, his parents were talking. It wasn’t until after they had switched to English that he realized they had been speaking Spanish. Now you would think having been born to English speaking parents, here in the United States, that I wouldn’t understand a language barrier. Growing up I watched my cousin struggle to communicate with others. He lost his hearing when he was 5 years old.

Being a child of immigrant parents has taught me so much. For example, being able to work hard for what you want. At school, I always strive to get A’s. My parent’s have taught me to never settle for anything less than a B. They know that in order for me to go to college and be successful, I not only have to get good grades but work hard to get there.

Language is used to convey a message as well as connect people to a particular culture or ethnicity he or she identifies with. People who share the same language share a bond and pass their history through language. In chapter one of The Skin That We Speak: Thoughts on Language and Culture in the Classroom Joanne Kilgour Dowdy speak about growing up in Trinidad and her mother insisting on her speaking in the colonizer's language rather than her native Trinidadian language. Joanne Kilgour Dowdy felt as if her identity was being pushed to the side when she was forced to speak “Colonized English” when she was at school or around the social elite of her community, and felt ridiculed from her peers for speaking proper as if she was white or of the elite social class. Dowdy major concern was how to have the freedom to go back and forth from home, language to the public language without feeling judged from both sides of her

Statistics show that over 11.5 million immigrants migrate to The United States in search of a better life for themselves and their children. Yet, throughout the course of the years, a negative stigma has been associated with the arrival of immigrants in The United States. They have been discriminated against and have been labeled with abasing words. However, the majority of people fail to realize that the individuals who risked their lives coming here, the ones who left their family and friends behind are the most hard-working and persistent people I have come to know because these individuals are my parents. My parents left El Salvador and immigrated to a new country in hopes of a better academic future for me.

Haiti is a unique country because it occupies the western third of the island Hispaniola, consists of two peninsulas, and is separated by the Gonave Gulf. Haiti has lush green mountains, crisp waves, and silky smooth skies. It also has a population of approximately 10 million. Haiti is also very dependent on US products.

I was raised in a traditional Vietnamese household where the sharp, lingering taste of bitter melon was a treat, family was everything, and everyone spoke Vietnamese. However, I lived in a community where speaking English was the majority and I was very clearly, a minority. There were hardly any other people who spoke Vietnamese where I lived. Because of this, I slowly lost my grasp with the Vietnamese language and my ability to communicate with my family This was terrifying for me; as a result, I have made efforts to learn and speak Vietnamese even though it sounds horrendous because I still have a voice and want to be heard.

Growing up in a hispanic home is a blessing. Having spanish as my first language then later on, when entering school, came english. Being fluent in both spanish and english comes in handy more times than not. For myself, and for those of my family members that only speak spanish. That is one of my motivations to keep learning spanish and earn the biliteracy seal.

Haitian Vs Americans Culture According to Samuel Lagerlof “Culture is what remains when that which has been learned is entirely forgotten” (as cited in Usunied,1996, p.94). Every single country in the world possesses his own culture no culture is more important than another. They’re just different. However, Haiti’s culture differs from the United States in three major points; Values, religion, and norms.

1. What were your expectations before you started serving this organization (physical characteristics, neighborhood, personnel, individuals you served, etc.? The first day I entered Sant La, I didn 't have high expectations coming in. Since Sant La is known to be a Haitian community center known to help the Haitian community.