15640: (Hermantin)Miami Herald- A Banner Day For South Florida's Haitains (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Mon, May. 19, 2003


A BANNER DAY FOR SOUTH FLORIDA'S HAITIANS
Holiday commemorates fight for freedom

BY NATALIE P. McNEAL
nmcneal@herald.com

>From SUVs with Haitian flags attached, flapping wildly down State Road A1A,
to community events in parks, South Florida Haitians celebrated their native
country's Flag Day with bravado and pride on Sunday.

Flag Day commemorates the creation of the Haitian flag on May 18, 1803.
Rebellious slaves ripped the white stripe out of the colonial French flag,
then declared independence the following New Year's Day.

''Our flag means a lot to us,'' said Mona Vallon of Port St. Lucie, who
drove to Hollywood to celebrate Flag Day at Topeekeegee Yugnee Park. ``We
are patriotic about our country.''

On Sunday, there seemed to be no such thing as too many flags for 65,000
people of Haitian descent in Broward. Women wore the Haitian flag as
headbands, belts and skirts. Men donned Haitian flag jerseys and T-shirts
with airbrush designs.

Those who didn't wear the flag made a point of wearing red and blue
clothing, the dominant colors of the flag.

At T.Y. Park, a Haitian Flag Day ceremony organized by the Seventh-Day
Adventist Church attracted hundreds, with people coming from as far away as
Fort Pierce, Jacksonville and the Florida Keys. The meeting doubled as a
church social.

Groups of girls danced to Haitian music blaring from the CD players in their
cars.

Families ate baked turkey, fish or rice on the park's wooden benches. Young
men played soccer or basketball through the afternoon. Almost everyone spoke
in Creole.

Paintings in Haitian Primitive style showing market scenes in rich tones
were sold under a tent. Purses made out of treated coconut shells were also
for sale.

''Many people go to Haiti just to buy this type of culture,'' said Asser St.
Val of Miramar, who helped with the art sale.

In Fort Lauderdale, at Huizenga Plaza, hundreds more turned out to celebrate
Flag Day.

The festive mood also overtook Miami's Little Haiti. Miami Edison High
School's marching band, color guard and Air Force JROTC livened things up
during a parade through the heart of the community. After a prayer from
local pastor Jean Servin Dieu Josue, the parade started at the headquarters
of Veye Yo, a Haitian political organization, near the corner of North Miami
Avenue and 54th Street.

Michael Saintil, a former Miami resident who left Haiti when he was 2 years
old, now at 28 remembers a time where it wasn't so easy to openly express
his patriotism.

''Back in the '80s, you didn't see stuff like this here,'' Saintil said of
the parade. ``Back then they used to run Haitian kids out of Edison.''

In Delray Beach, Philippe ''Bob'' Jeune, president of the Haitian Citizen
United Task Force and a radio announcer, called Flag Day ``the biggest party
celebrated by all Haitians around the world.''

Asked why the U.S. national anthem was sung before the Haitian one, Jeune
said it was because Haitians love and respect the United States.

''We are in this country that receives us,'' Jeune said. ``No other place in
the world does the same for us.''

In Hollywood, several people said it was important to celebrate Flag Day so
their children, many born in the United States, would know their culture and
be proud of it.

''This is a way for the children to express themselves through their
culture,'' said James Simelus of Lauderhill.

The festivities across South Florida also drew attention from
non-Haitian-Americans such as Miami Beach resident and Cuban-American Luis
Leon, who decided to come to the Little Haiti parade for a Sunday afternoon
outing.

''Haitians are very warm, friendly people,'' Leon said.

Herald staff writer Daphne Duret contributed to this report, which was
supplemented with information from The Palm Beach Post.

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