14274: Schweissing: Nassau Guardian: Haitian/Bahamians encouraged to hold their heads up (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Daniel Schweissing <dan_schweissing@hotmail.com>

Bahamas
The Nassau Guardian Thursday, January 2, 2003


Haitian/Bahamians encouraged to hold their heads up


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Please allow me space in your paper to voice an opinion which has been
playing on my mind for most of the year.


My concern, as a Haitian/Bahamian over this past year has been at the way a
lot of Bahamians same to have so much contempt for Haitians residing here in
the Bahamas. What really hurts is the fact that the children who were born
here are being made to pay for our parents coming here. For eg. many
graduate from school and cannot work as they have to wait for citizenships
to be approved, and cannot attend local colleges unless we agree to pay
foreign student fees when they are actually born here.


It is not our fault that they came here, it's also not our fault that we
were born here. The fact is we (Haitian/Bahamians) are here. Most of us are
contributing to the only home we have ever known. The vast majority of us
are law abiding citizens who most of the time must face humiliation,
setbacks and knockdowns because of our background.


I want to encourage my fellow Haitian/Bahamians as we move into a new year
to hold their heads up, and to the Bahamian community asking them not blame
us for our parents being here. We are here because it's what God wanted. As
Deserada says " I am a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the
stars I have a right to be here".


Juliette Joseph


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