14771: Dorce: Re: 14759: Allouard: Re: 14745: Dorce: Re: 14685: (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: LAKAT47@aol.com

In a message dated 2/10/03 5:12:04 AM Pacific Standard Time, Philippe
Allouard <allouard@libertysurf.fr> writes:

<< I don't know if you live in Haiti, but those words let one think you
 never visited the country in the last years, or just in those "missions"
 like journalists, experts and consultants who often come 12 to 72 hours and
 think they know a country...  for those days, a few people are left who
 speak French in Haiti. From my small experience, (from 1999 to now)  >>
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sir,

You are speaking practically of your personal experience in Haiti not
speaking to the system of class division that uses French as a divider and
not merely a means of communication.  I have no doubt that what you say is
true.  I do not live there nor have I visited since '96.  But one thing I
know, class division exists and stops Haiti from doing anything but running
around in ever shrinking circles much like water in a flushed toilet.  That
is why people refuse to sit at the same table with those their parents
wouldn't let them play with when they were children.  They can't even imagine
that someone from the poor class could have anything of value to contribute.
You don't have to be rich to have this nasty bourgeois attitude, as you have
found out.  And you are not a poor black Haitian, so you do not know the
shame I am talking about.  I've seen it up close and personal and it's
heartbreaking.  It keeps Haitian pitted against Haitian.  It will take many
years of conditioning (generations) to change this horrible system that so
many people want to say doesn't exist.  The perpetrator never wants to see
their own crime.  Let me say one more time, the French language is not the
culprit, but it is one way, the main way, people can tell if you are someone
of worth or not.  It divides Haitians.

On your point that the American Dream is more like a nightmare for Haitians,
I couldn't agree with you more.  But I do not blame the victim.  I blame the
system whereby a poor Haitian has little chance for improving his life in
Haiti and only can dream of getting out.  This was true under Duvalier too,
you know.  When we talk about giving Haitians jobs where they can pull in a
hefty $2.50 a day, well gee, you think they might want to get on a leaky boat
and take their chances in the promised land?  Haitians are hard working and
clever, they just want a chance at making a better life.  Just like all human
beings.

Best regards,

Kathy Dorce~