Shut Up! Take Your Compliment And Shove it!

An hour ago, I was at a convenience store getting couple of items, while I was inside, my phone rang and I started speaking in Creole with a friend I haven't heard in a while. As I was speaking, this man who was standing behind the counter was staring at me. As I was speaking on the phone, he was trying to get my attention by asking me SLOWLY "Miss, h.o.w. d.o.  y.o.u. s.a.y.  I.  l.o.v.e.  y.o.u.", of course I ignored him, since I was still on the phone. He asked again. "Why do you want to know", I asked. "Well, I wanted to tell you I love you". He proceeded to say "Buh, Miss! How come you smart! You coulda fool me", 
 "Excuse me, what do you mean?"
"Well, in farty years (he means forty), first time I meet a smat (smart) hation (Haitian)"
"Go s...", I wanted to tell him to go suck a nut, but I retain myself.
 "Maybe you should get out more, get off island a little bit. See the world before making your conclusions. As far as I know, Haitians are some of the most intelligent people on this earth. Because some just arrive here and don't speak your language yet, doesn't mean Haitians are stupid."
"Well, miss, I been arong de worl (around the world), I was in de aaamy (army), I been to Santo Domingo..."
"Santo Domingo is not Haiti. Anyway..." and I went about my business. The store owner told me "tell him again. Ignorant people like him need to know". But I didn't think it was necessary to continue because I was losing my cool.

These kind of comments are so common on St Thomas and the thing is, they expect you, the Haitian to say "Thank you". No. you're being disrespectful with your backhanded compliments! When will people realize that these kind of comments are not OK? Just because you make that one exception doesn't mean I will agree with you that all other Haitians, except me, are stupid! this is pure ignorance! I do regret not telling him something REALLY bad but at the same time, I am proud of myself for having self-control.

I should be used to these comments by now, I have been getting them since I moved here over four years ago. When I started dating the person I am still with right now, some family members had an issue with the fact that I was Haitian. When they learn to know me, one of them still had issues with Haitians "except me". She would introduce me to people and add "She is Haitian BUT she is smart. Yeah, very smart girl" but then she would ask me things like "How come ahyou Haitians so dark, mehson!" Or "Why dem people so stchupid! They can't even fill out a western union form and their names so hard to say and dey so retarted dey wouldn't wait for it. Then, I have to be calling stchupid names..." Right in my face. Me, the Haitian.

Then, there was the suspicion that I was with him for a green card! When they learned I had a green card before I even moved here, his cousin boldly asked me to show it to him Of course I asked him to get the *** out of my face, but how disrespectful is that?! And these are black, island people who are always ready to cry RACISM for any little thing or even a look from a white person.


I won't even go over everything I have heard from co-workers and other random ignorant people on the streets of St. Thomas. That same "in-law" person once said "there are no light-skinned Haitians". One day I was watching videos of T-Vice, CaRiMi, she swore I was lying about them being Haitians... One co-worker once told me "you're the first pretty Haitian I've met. I thought all Haitians were ugly". I again told him to get out more because "I'm far from being the prettiest Haitian out there" (really)! When my reaction was the total opposite of what he expected, he was puzzled. Seriously, when you have those kind of retarded, ignorant comments, keep them to yourself. Any Haitian in his/her right mind will NOT say thank you to your "compliment".

So far the worst behaviors and comments I have gotten have been from Black, Caribbean people. I have worked with people who automatically assumed I didn't know anything, that I was stupid etc... Coworkers got very hostile toward me because I'm Haitian and I  was getting higher salary then them. Some said it in my face, especially at that clinic where I was employed for almost a year in the administrative department. I had to work extra hard to prove myself. I was attacked, I was promised "a good beating" by immature pricks, all for no reason! I was only guilty of being Haitian and getting a higher salary, which I deserved!

Needless to say that Haitians who can't speak English and defend themselves like I can go through hell everyday at work. People who look like them but just happen to be more fortunate and speak another language put them through hell and do them some injustice.

I am so tired of this crap!  The same way you feel when you think you are a victim of racism, is the same way I feel when you discriminate against Haitians. You all need to stop it and stop it now! It's not pretty to be ignorant!

Why Does No One Cares To Protect Them?

How do you feel watching this video? The U.N men walking around with huge guns but never care to go to camps and other areas where they are needed to protect these defenseless women and children, why? Why does this young girl have to be in the streets getting raped? This is outrageous! If the U.N.is not there to protect the people, who/what are they protecting? Why are they there?

Where Are The Jobs?

I have not posted anything on this blog for the simple fact that I was hoping to have something different, something cheery to post about. But I searched, I looked and found nothing. So, I guess I will blog what's on my mind.

We all know that it's been height months since the January 12 earthquake and nothing - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING - has changed. People are still under sheets and tarps; millions in donations, the rubble is not cleared, the reconstruction has not yet started; many fancy meetings later between the "big people" who own the country, nothing concrete yet. I am a hundred percent positive that ten years later, we'll still be talking about the same things. I have no doubts.

The thing that has been bugging me for a while now is the job situation in Haiti. One would think that right now there would be no shortage of jobs for not only qualified Haitian professionals, but any Haitian willing and able to work in Haiti with all of these projects, work waiting to be done... But reality is, young people are applying for jobs but they are not getting hired. Despite presenting all the letters, resumés, qualifications, not even interview! This is so discouraging and infuriating! Especially when some of them are posting links on social media about how they have job openings and looking for applicants, but in reality, it's not true. They are not hiring. They simply have to go through the procedure of posting them.

I personally contacted an organization about a job posting they tweeted months ago. First, I called and spoke with a lady in the HR department. She asked me to email her my cousin's resume, who is very qualified for the job and has the experience required. I immediately called him and he emailed his resume, diplomas, letters and filled out the application online. The lady emailed me saying that she was very pleased with what she saw so far, and will give his application "special consideration" but first he had to show that he is a Christian and is involved in his church by providing a letter from his pastor, since the organization is a Christian organization and one of the requirements was that the applicant must be able to "spread the good news of God" as part of his work. My cousin who happens to be very involved in his church immediately got the letter and waited for the interview. He waited, and waited... We were so confident that he would at least get the interview that was promised to him. But it never happened! I tweeted them, I sent messages... At first, during a phone call, she said "don't worry, we will be calling applicants soon. He is THE FIRST applicant and meets all the requirements. He'll definitely get interviewed". I believed her. But when that email or phone call never came, I contacted her again via email, twitter, no answer. And then the organization simply unfollowed me on twitter and stopped answering any of my emails.

Months later, I checked their website, I saw new openings. I told two people that I know would meet the requirements, they applied but never even got a call. My cousin later got a job with MSF . Last time I spoke to him, he was still with them. I am not sure if he still has the job now, but really hope that he does.

All of this is to show that MANY organizations claiming that they are hiring but can't find qualified people in Haiti, are simply full of it. There is no reason for so many young men and women to be actively looking and applying for jobs but are not even given a chance of an interview. In the mean time, school is about to open in Haiti, everyone has someone who must go to school but has no resources, no money and so far, has no clue what to do or how it will happen. Most schools in Haiti are private, with exorbitant tuition fees and no regulations. They set their own prices when they want and however they want.

I am not going to blame the NGOs for not providing jobs because they are not there to fix anything; they would run out of business if they do. They are there to keep Haiti on foreign aid. This is why they exist; this is why they were created; this is how they make their money and receive praise and glory. I blame those useless leaders who are selling the country piece by piece to anyone with a green dollar. I blame the "President" for not setting any kind of rules on those organizations, demanding that they employ a number of Haitians in order to be established in Haiti. In the meantime, aid workers from some organizations are splurging money they receive to help the people on Dominican prostitutes in Petion Ville, new cars, fancy houses, restaurants, bars, while, just blocks away from them, the people they are supposed to be helping are dying for basic needs.