#4495: Re. comment from Mambo Racine #4417 : Graves comments

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: archim <archim@globelsud.net>

     
         I'm a bit behind in some comments because I was out of Haiti for 
     two weeks (In Cape May, NJ, Bob Morse!), and then returned to downed 
     telephone lines and no e-mail connection. (Kevin, can I come over and 
     hook-up?)
         However, I do wish to comment on the use of the term "blanc" in 
     Haiti. Yes, the word does literally mean "white", but it is not used 
     in that manner in Haiti, and I am surprised that several 
     Haitian-connection writers don't appear to know that. "Blanc", to the 
     Haitian, is used to denote foreigner, in most cases. Lots of black and 
     yellow and brown folks are referred to as "blancs" in Haiti, and that 
     has no racist intention whatsoever. Please don't be offended Mambo 
     Racine...or anyone else for that matter.
        When the US military contingent was in Haiti there were many, many 
     black Haitian/Americans as part of their group. When those who wanted 
     them to go rallied against them, the watchword was "an ba, blan" (get 
     out, foreigner), and that was odd because most of them were not 
     "blancs".  +AM/FM