Haitian Culture

To be born in the United States yet raised by my Haitian parents in Haiti means to be born in an unknown world, simply described as the knowledge of life, confidence, and respect, all engraved in the mindset of anyone who allows it. Being raised in the Haitian culture made me realize that life is not hard unless it is interpreted to be. In order to understand the vernacular and daily life of a Haitian man or woman, one must know the history behind the perils. Gaining its independence in 1804, Haiti was trampled upon by both the French and the Spanish until Haitian soldiers fought back to rid themselves of their colonizers. From this statement, it is imperative for one to realize that the life of any Haitian begins with a fight, not necessarily

Although the establishment was American, I found myself belonging to a group of people who were still very aware of their Haitian heritage and culture. Moving from Haiti to Montreal was not easy. My life changed in peculiar ways, from the little Guarina saltines and the La vache qui rit cheese that I used to eat throughout my childhood, to the poutines served in the college cafeteria. Other than culinary changes, as a student, I have learnt valuable lessons steamed from the culture in which my parents, followed by me, grew up to follow and respect. Life as a student is filled with bumpy roads, in the literal sense where even in order to get to school, there are many existing bumps on the roads of Montreal. Other than the skepticism behind any system, my parents’ skeptic and hectic minds were not solemnly based upon how I would be raised but also how it would affect my success in whichever line of work that I would choose in the

I have made friends and met people who did not necessarily agree with the choices I made in my student life. Although I never did, do not, nor will ever engulf my thoughts in those of others, I found myself questioning the reason behind my choice in education path. My whole life I was moulded into the sciences, with a tad of fondness for the business sector of the world. Thus, it is how I have decided to pursue my life as a businessman in the Social Science: Commerce profile. Furthermore, I decided to follow my own footsteps to create a pathway of life that would fit with my terms of sensitive yet hardworking relationship between my being and my personality. Through handwork and dedication, a moment of self-realization occurred as I sat and observed the snowfall upon the children passing in front of my house on their way to school. To me, snow represented the idea of purity behind my own insecurities. Although my Haitian culture formed my pathway, it is imperative to realize that the mindset of a parent is always defined by their history. Consequently, with this history and progress, their own children’s future is