22658: Raber: [iso-8859-1] Re: 22657: Louis: [iso-8859-1] About "ambition[iso-8859-1] " (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: P&M Raber <raber@valkyrie.net>

I think the majority of Haitians are very ambitious.  This is why they
prefer to emigrate to the US over all other countries. The US is the land
where they can let their ambition turn into entrepreneurship (many quickly
become self-employed), or work 80 hours a week if they want to,  in order to
support those left behind as well as to build homes in both the US and in
Haiti.  In Haiti, neighbors cannot stand to see neighbors get ahead.  I have
even seen that same attitude within a family unit when it had to do with
delaying childbearing to obtain an education.  One girl's female cousin made
her life so miserable that she left her job and used her diploma as her
ticket to Canada.  On one hand most Haitians would hate the
socialist/communist model where the social classes get leveled (except for
the political leaders who live the high life) but government controls your
life and money.  On the other hand, most can't stand when a neighbor gets
ahead before they do as in the capitalist system.  Even if a man has the
money to build a very tiny  home or to upgrade his straw roof to metal, he
will buy the supplies (to prevent him from spending the cash), hide the
supplies, and build over many weeks in order for people not to hate him.
For some reason, this type of behavior does not seem to be an issue once
Haitians leave Haiti. Maybe it's because they feel "stuck" in the homeland.
Once abroad, Hope is abundant, work plentiful, and there is little time to
meddle in neighbors' affairs..