Its the new frontier.

At this moment I may happily and joyfully tell you that the change has finally come. My aunt said that she didn't vote for Barack Obama because she wanted something out of it. She voted for him because of what it will mean for my generation and for those who will come after us. She said this doesn't really hit her because her country of origin always had a black president. I don't think that this blog needs much explanation. At first I was not totally convinced that I would be voting for the former senator. I am glad to say that I changed my mind about this man here. He truly is the super man of the people and hopefully he can address the crisis going on in Haiti.

January is the New.

Touissant-L'Overture was the most important leader of the Haitian Revolution. He overthrew the French commissioner and made strides to reestablish the economy in Haiti. He is important because he helped to make Haiti the first nation that was bound by slavery to gain its independence on January 1, 1804. I always found that it was interesting that this day always coincides with the beginning of the new year for most people around the world. I am proud that Haiti was the first enslaved country to gain its independence. It gives me hope that things will change in the country. Haiti was occupied by both the Spanish and the French at one point in history and this has impacted the unique culture it still has today. Even the British occupied Haiti when it was considered an important part of gaining power in the Carribean. Being from a diverse country such as Haiti is sometimes confusing because there are traditions that I do not understand. One tradition that I've recently learned more about is the tradition of eating squash soup on the Haitian independence day. My mother told me that the reason for this is because the slave owners would not allow the slaves to eat soup which was considered the most luxurious of foods at that time.


To learn more about Haiti and its extraordinary history, the best website I found is Discover Haiti

Fast Car Fugees.

In one of my previous blogs I wrote about one of my favorite artists Wyclef Jean. I discovered that my father knew Wyclef's family when he lived in New Jersey many years ago. I admire him because he gives hope to all people not only those who know him personally, but for all the Haitian immigrants and their children. During the massive floods in Haiti, Wyclef had a personal hand in improving the situation even if it was in the most minimal sense. People like Wyclef are important. Haiti is seldom remembered because of all the problems that are going on around the world. The one thing that I can say about Haitian people is that they never forget the hardships that the ones they left behind are going through. Wyclef's music gives me hope that one day the world will turn its attention to Haiti. Many people when they think about those in third world countries, they think of places like Africa and Ethiopia. Haiti is another country that is in need of the help of places that give aid to countries in need.

Say Uncle.

The current president of Haiti is a man named Rene Preval. The Presidency in Haiti in the recent years has been difficult because of the insurgents and because of the former President Aristide's removal from power several years ago. The government was attempting to elect a new Prime Minister to aid Preval in his endeavors to restore the people's faith in the government. The person they were considering is a man named Ericq. This man was unsuccessful in his attempts to become the Prime Minister in 1997 and once again in 2008. His nationality came into question because he was unsuccessful in providing the birth certificates for his grandparents and because of his economic plans for the country. This man is my uncle. Ericq Pierre, one of my father's older brothers. He currently lives in Maryland where he works for the Inter-American Development Bank. He has been a big influence on me when it comes to politics just as my father has been. My uncle stayed true to who he was and he was not elected because of the corrupt government that was put into place when Aristide was in power. His influence on Haiti would have been welcomed by the people because he wanted to begin to build a better system and he wanted to help those who were most in need which accounts for most of the Haitian population. The government in Haiti does not have the system of checks and balances like the U.S. does. I believe that if the Haitian government took a little bit of what our government has, I think that he would have been a very effective political official.

Time Travel.

Leaving the country that you call home is always hard and I knew that it was hard for my mother to leave Haiti. When she first came to this country she was miserable because not only was she homesick, but because she wasn't used to the weather. She still isn't used to the weather but she's adapted fairly well. In Haiti the weather is hot and muggy as opposed to the clear seasons in New Jersey where my family settled. She's been in this country for many years, but she hasn't lost her Haitian upbringing. In Haiti when people leave the country, they are seen as virtual strangers when they return. Living in the U.S. is at times hard for immigrants because many of them are misunderstood. The balance between the old world and the new world is really difficult because people mistake wanting to preserve the culture with hating the way things are in the states. This photo is a photo taken of the countryside in Haiti.

Generation Haiti.

With every generation comes new and advanced ways of thinking. The generation of Haitians that I've been directly involved in has been no different. The advanced ways of thinking has not been drastic in my family. My mother values everything that my grandmother valued and what her mother value before her. The relationship we all have with each other is unique because the love we have for one another sometimes amazes me. We are connected by blood though at times it seems as though we are worlds apart.


My mother had a drastically different upbringing than I did because of the country she lived in and because of the financial situation. I feel as though her view of the world is old fashioned because of where and how she was raised. I have a unique connection to her because I understand this. I also have this connection to her because of the love I have for the country where all my family is from. I was lucky enough to have lived with my grandmother for all the years that I did. During my youngest years, she raised me and I got to know so much about my family's background. I could only speak Creole to her so that boosted my understanding of her. I also had a chance to know my great-grandmother fairly well and the connection that we all shared is something I hope that it is not unique to my culture because their hardships gave me a better understanding of myself and of them as women.

Chew on this.

Since my last blog was about clothing, naturally this blog has to be about food. Just as clothing was once only thought of as a necessity, food is now treated in the same fashion. We no longer eat to live, we live to eat. Gluttony, once viewed as a sin, is the basis of our existence. In my speech class, I delivered a speech on the importance of eating healthy foods. Even though I made this speech, I am more than guilty of eating foods that have been clearly proven to be harmful to my body. In Haiti, food is not always eaten because of necessity just as in all parts of the world, but food has a different significance.

My mother always tells me stories about my grandmother and how generous she was. Food meant more than the momentary fullness it provided. My grandmother would have huge pots of food made on a daily basis to feed not only those living in her household, but also those who happened to stop by for a visit and sometimes even strangers. This was her unique way of connecting to not only the people around her, but to give back to the community that helped raise her. My mother has developed the habit of cooking in large quantities because this is how her mother showed her how to cook. My mother has failed to realize that she is not cooking for nearly as many people because she only has to cook for 4 instead of the 12-15 people my grandmother cooked for every day.