Personal Narrative: Dress Reform In Haiti

From the start life has always been a battlefield for me and my family. In Haiti my father had studied to become an engineer despite his poor upbringing and my mother had worked multiple jobs to help support the family. Life in Haiti had already been tough but after a coup d’état and an election there was finally hope that Haitians would have to live under a repressive government no longer. The new government created hope which was then solidified when Duvalier announced his candidacy, by this time he was already a well-known physician that took part in many public health campaigns. My father remembers when Duvalier was elected, with promises of rebuilding a broken country and the happiness that followed, but this did not last. Shortly after

I was a Follower of Christ and I didn’t even know it. I was the last of three boys to two faithful Christian parents. My parents attended St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron, OH. I was baptized and confirmed by the same Bishop. Some of my earliest memories are of me standing in the pews with my parents and stacking the prayer books as if it were my own pulpit and I would pretend to be the priest giving the Sunday sermon. I didn’t know what he was talking about but I always thought that I would be like him one day. I was an acolyte and attended the youth programs regularly with my friends. I completed my studies to earn my God and Country award with the Boy Scouts.

What does the average American really know about the country, Haiti? Is the lifestyle all black magic, spells, and séances? Is this media portrayal of Voodoo the only way of life and what is Voodoo, any way? These questions come to mind when someone wants to know the truth about Haitian culture and life in Haiti. Haitian culture consists of deep rooted religious beliefs, music, and Haitian cuisine.

Growing up in Haiti has strengthen my survival instinct at an early age. With barely enough to eat, we was dying one by one. Medicine and treatment was very rare for us. Imagine dying from a simple cold due to the fact that aspirin and cough medicine was foreign to us. I recall walking around wishing for better days or looking for ways to help. And I remember being told I was coming to America. America, the place where even the most impossible dreams come true. America, where education is free and very beneficial. Regardless of how young I was, I knew with every fiber in my little body that I would try my hardest to be successful in America. Unable to speak english, school become a challenge. But to all my teachers surprise it took me less

South Florida can be viewed and appreciated for it’s cultural diversity. At it’s core, it can be assumed that it is the pinnacle of popularity among tourist. It is a melting pot of island nations and shares multicultural foundations of places like Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica among many, many others. People get to experience the ethnic foods, and arts from these cultures, guilt free. Very few care to know the history, migration patterns, family structure, or cultural behaviors of these cultures, in which this paper will highlight. The Haitian-American population of South Florida is one of these ethnic groups with a rich history and culture worth exploration.

Groggily stumbling into the kitchen, I was met with nine pairs of eyes reminding me I wasn’t in America anymore. Eleven days ago, my team and I had flown into Port-au-Prince and driven to Jacmel, directed by Angel Wings International, a local organization that worked to deliver healthcare in Haiti. I received the run-down for the day: we were heading West toward a rural clinic located in Baie d’Orange. Climbing into a musty truck bed, I noticed a crew of dentists, doctors, and pharmacists accompanying us, signifying the most important day in our three-week-long trip. The truck revved into action, racing in Jacmel’s dusty streets, past the swelling river, through winding mountain passes, stopping at a tattered USAID tent that covered a burgeoning crowd of hundreds. Scanning the crowd returned the gaze of scared men, women, and children whose lives could be drastically changed through proper checkups and treatment.

While I was growing up in Haiti with a happy family. I was a happy child, bad at home but I was a smart girl in school. My family was there for me when I need them, whether in a bad or good situation, they never let me go. Also, my family always found a way to keep a big smile in my face. They always knew what was wrong and right when I maked a bad decision. One day, all the happiness went away. My life became harder, I was scared, and sad. On March 20, 2005, I thought I was going to die. I became ill and had malaria symptoms. I missed school for two months. I could not sleep, eat or enjoy my childhood. The only thing I was able to do was stay in bed all day. It was good that I did not have to do my chores, but I realized it was boring and

When I was ten years old I gave some families in Haiti some clothes. Yes, I know every family has a clothes, but when you live in an area with people who have less then what you have it is sad. In the summer of 2012 my family and I went Haiti. Before that my mother told me to procure any clothes or shoes that do not fit me to put it in the box. Family members in Haiti would come to be able get any kind of item for their family. Every year my family would consolidate money, clothes, shoes, or toys to bring to Haiti. It would be a 3” by 4” feet box to fit everything people needed.

I was blessed to be able to go through such a good school system. Some people complained about going to a private, Christian school, but I really enjoyed it. I do wonder sometimes though what it would have been like to go through public schooling and if that would have changed how I am today. I think the strong morals and values I hold today were largely created by my upbringing. But, I do think I used to simply claim to be a Christian because of my family. If my parents are Christian that must mean I’m a Christian, right? Going to college made me realize that my faith is something that I have to make my own. My faith is not necessarily my parents’ faith. I have to make a decision on what I believe and what I stand for, separate from my family. I remember that around the age of 14 I started to feel distant from God and was not very strong in my faith. Throughout high school I think I had different points of feeling “spiritual highs,” but felt like my faith was lukewarm. Today, I think I am starting to separate my parent’s faith from my own, and starting to make it mine. I feel like this is something everyone has to do at some point in their life. In the past year, and in the past couple months especially, I have had a stronger relationship with God. I definitely don’t feel “strong” in my faith, but I feel like I am growing spiritually. I think being here and the

Being a member of a hard-working class and visiting Haiti, I’ve witnessed the socio-economic conditions that plague my community such as health shortfalls that could’ve been eradicated with education and ingenuity. Born to a Haitian immigrant, in a single parent home, I’ve learned to appreciate the structure and close-knit community that has shaped my outlook on life and define the person I am. In Haiti, every immediate neighborhood, every adult became your parent and transferred into every aspect of my life. This ideology derives from Haiti’s national saying “L’Union Fait La Force”, which means “Unity Makes Strength”. You could not pass a village or neighborhood in Haiti without a woman -- no matter the age -- carrying out food and a bucket

Introduction: Today, developed societies are fabricated on obtaining information about the current world through multi billion dollar news corporations which can be be accessed from televisions, papers, websites, and radios. Since the general public is accustomed to this manner, these substantial publishers can effortlessly mold the population's beliefs to suit their desired ideals by reporting on news with incorporated propaganda and subjectivity. So when it's becoming perplexingly more difficult to access factual information about current world events, you have to to analyze whether the source your obtaining news from contains any political agendas, subjectivity, or assumptions. If none, the truth can then be founded upon evidence,

I had never thought that one day I could leave my native country, Haiti. In August 2000, my father decided to move to USA with me. I really felt happiness and sadness at the same time. I was happy because I will go to a country with a better quality of life but I felt sad for leaving friends and relatives. Before leaving Haiti, three important things came up in my idea. Go to church, organize a party with my friends and family, and get to the airport with my Dad.

In just thirty seconds, my life had taken a chaotic turn, making me realize just how much I had taken for granted .

I am so excited about taking this course not just because I want to enhance my writing skills but also because I want to know about the Haitian literature in general. This includes, cultural and historical events, writing masters and everything else that takes part of the Haitian literature that complement the essence of Haitians culture. I would like to learn all these relevant aspects about Haiti since I do not know that much of this country. I just know that Haiti is a very poor country where people are very in need and the government does intervene to improve the quality of lives of its residents, and that Haitians native languages are creole and French.I would like to know why the governments does not take action about it. So, in I order to understand the political aspects of the Haitian government, I will need to know about the history of this country. Its foundation, and all the ideologies and philosophies that has been involved through the diverse political systems of Haiti.

As I stepped off the plane I thought to myself; Am I really about to step off the plane into the poorest country? Was I prepared for a week in Haiti? Looking back Haiti challenged me more than I have ever been challenged before; physically, mentally, and emotionally.