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!

Wyclef Running For President of Haiti: Keeping An Open Mind

For the past week or two, the web has been buzzing about Wyclef Jean running for President. Personally, I was one of those who said "Wyclef for President" even before the earthquake. But after the earthquake so many articles surfaced about Yelé's books not being correct and him paying his mistress thousands of dollars from Yéle's money. It made me sad to read these articles because I love Wyclef. He is our pride and represents his country around the world! So, it's hard to accept that he would PURPOSELY waste money donated for his people . I still do NOT believe that he would splurge on a mistress with Yéle's money. My opinion. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt.

What I do find strange is how everyone is interested in how Yéle spends its money. I don't disagree with that. BUT why don't I see the same interest in other organizations that used Haiti to collect millions? Especially organizations that grew like mushrooms after January 12, 2010. Yéle existed BEFORE January 12. While I may agree that it's far from being a perfect organization when it comes to how its money is pent, at least I know it was not created because the earthquake looked like an opportunity to its creators. How about the other big organizations that received most of the MILLIONS donated by using pictures of our people suffering, crushed under concrete? If there was the same outrage, and articles about their books, maybe they would actually use those funds on what they received them for.

It's just strange that the ONE organization run by a Haitian that gets some media attention ,gets it for all the wrong reasons! Something is not right with that! When watching reports on Haiti or reading articles from the media giants, you would think that no Haitian is helping, while there are organizations run by Haitians that are doing what they can to help, with very little financial help. They get NO media time because there is no "smoking gun" information to put about them on the internet and no one knows them. It would not be juicy enough. Yéle gets all the attention, but for all the wrong reasons. Makes me wonder....

Now the big news is that Wyclef MAY run for president of Haiti in the next elections. So far they are rumors and people are freaking out already. Why? Some say he is not qualified enough. He doesn't have any political background. Some others say he doesn't speak French or he doesn't speak Creole enough (he is not Haitian enough like Oabama was not Black enough). Some say 'popularity doesn't mean qualification to be a leader" but even in the USA, running for office is about popularity (why didn't McCain win? He clearly had more experience). I even saw a tweet saying he is too ugly.

I understand why some may say he is not politically qualified for the job. But, for as long as I can remember, Haiti has had very politically qualified leaders, but look at where we are today. Even before the earthquake, Haiti was already a mess where money just vanished, the president doesn't care about the people, food prices skyrocket, everyone fix their own prices in any currency that pleases them, parents could not afford to pay their children tuition etc... Parents were giving away their children before the earthquake because they could not afford to raise them. All of this was happening with "politically qualified" people in power. And the earthquake just showed all of us that it's not about diplomas, and which language you speak to do good. Unfortunately, just about all of the heavy politically educated "leaders" of Haiti survived and look at where the people are six months later? Still under sheets, tents with babies, and they are not even able to provide security to them. Women, young girls, as young as 5 years old are getting raped; they are not even smart enough to demand all of the organizations to provide jobs to young Haitians even those with multiple degrees! Proof that diplomas don't make a man patriotic. Once they get paid, they don't care about the population.

Some others are panicking because Wyclef, so far, has shown some signs that he cares about the "little ones". And that won't work for SOME, should he become President. Since he was raised in the United States, he may want to set some standards for workers, for example, or even listen to the people when they talk to him (which never happens in Haiti). Some Haitians WANT Haiti to stay in limbo, so they can be in business and don't pay any taxes, pay less then minimum wage etc... A President who is listening to the people, grew up in the USA and might start doing things the normal way can be panicking to some.

Personally, I don't care that he doesn't have any political background. I think if he surrounds himself with new people, not those who are already there, he MIGHT do well. I think, if Wyclef runs and becomes President of Haiti and remembers how a real country should look like, he can rebuild and restart tourism again. By restarting tourism, jobs will be created for the people and they will start taking care of themselves, instead of begging, risking their lives catching boats to other places or go get lynched in the Dominican Republic. That's just one of the good things I can see coming out of this. So far, NO PRESIDENT has seen the potential of Haiti being a destination for tourists again. They are too busy begging and filling their pockets.

I am not sure how I feel about a potential run of Wyclef for President right now, but i am not against it. I am open to it. If he runs and presents plans that look like they may work for the betterment of Haiti, I'm all for it. Because I am tired of those beggars who have done nothing but making us look like fools to the world. All they have done is thieving and squeezing everything out of the population, selling the country piece by piece to whoever wants some. Next week, we will all know if he will run and if he does, I can't wait to see what he has to offer. Everyone makes mistakes; no one's perfect. If his plans sounds right to me, besides the fact that he is not some broke man who just wants the highest paying position in Haiti, he has my vote.