REMEMBERING HAITI
She leaned back solemnly, turning her
face towards the window. Her eyes traced the windowsill as she scanned her
memory. A smile cracked sharply through her impressed lips, as though a laugh
would follow.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes,
and began to tell her story--
“I
remember the beautiful summers. The sunsets, the beaches, and just being
surrounded by lots of water,” reflected Nahomie when asked if she remembers her
former home in Haiti.
FAMILY VALUES
Nahomie Bellevue is Haitian American.
Her daughter, Johanne Bellevue, came to the U.S. three years ago, and her two
sons, Brian Jean-Noel and Karmyne Noel are Americans by birth. The traditions
and values Nahomie grew up with never left her. She teaches her children to
understand the values, as a part of their family heritage and who they are.
"I remember as kids, the village
kids would play among ourselves. During the events, we would all gather
together around a bonfire and the adults would tell us stories," said
Nahomie. "Stories of the history and the generations before us, and all of
the things they went through. That's what we did as kids."
Nahomie and her children are living a
good life in the U.S., though not a day goes by that she doesn’t think of Haiti
and the childhood memories she wished her children could have shared.
HOW IT ALL HAPPENED
When Nahomie was a small girl, her
mother and father left Haiti, relocating to America. They came to find work and
to make a better life for their family, leaving Nahomie to be raised by her
aunt in Haiti. After being separated from her parents, they sent for Nahomie to
reunite with them in the U.S. when she was 13 years old. She was happy to
arrive because she missed her parents, but the culture shock caused home
sickness and fear to overwhelm her.
"In Haiti, the children are always
out on the street or at the beach," explained Nahomie. "Once I reach
America, everything changed. I was confined to the house a lot, because my
parents were overprotective. I remember thinking "I left Haiti for
this?'"
The chilling winter was a severe shock
to Nahomie, because temperatures rarely get below 70 degrees in Haiti.
"Haiti is tropical. It's hot, the sun is shining all year round,"
Nahomie said, raising her arms and expanding them, exemplifying sunshine.
"Then I arrived in November. In December, it got very cold. I thought to
myself, 'I don't know if I'm going to survive this.'"
Over time, Nahomie became settled in
America. The family lived in Florida because of the beaches and the warm
temperatures. “The beaches in Florida reminded me of Haiti,” admitted Nahomie.
Most of her family now resides in Florida.
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
“One thing I like about America is the
fact that you have your freedom,” said Nahomie.
As
a girl in Haiti, the older women prepared the girls for marriage as soon as
they were walking age. Girls were trained to be home makers, to cook and iron.
The freewill to be a child and play outside all day was not a priority for
Nahomie.
Nahomie said that she likes how women
have more equality, especially because of the feminist movement. “It is really
a man’s world in Haiti,” said Nahomie, "Women don't really have a say so
about much. We just listened and followed instruction. If we didn't, the
consequences of a disobedient female came pretty close to being charged for a
vicious crime."
Being in the U.S. for over 20 years,
Nahomie has been independent, and taught her children, especially her boys how
to take care of themselves. The young men back in Haiti were not treated as
harshly as the young women. “The brothers, they were put on pedestals!”
exclaimed Nahomie. “I can still hear my parents saying ‘They are boys, they
don’t need to do this and that.’”
Regardless of the traditions Nahomie
grew up in, she taught her sons to cook and clean. Many young Haitian men grow
up unable to take care of themselves without their mothers or sisters to help
them. This is because they grew up sheltered. Nahomie did not want to punish
her sons by sheltering them, disabling their ability to be independent strong
men.
REFLECTIONS FROM
BRIAN JEAN-NOEL
“I am proud to be an American,”
said Brian, Nahomie’s oldest son. “I just wish I was more fluent in our
language, however.”
Brian Jean-Noel, like many children
with International parents, grew up speaking English, and failed to learn the
parents’ native language. The priority is English, because it is the most
common American language, but the cultural importance of learning the native
language is nearly forgotten.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m missing
a part of who I am because I can’t understand or speak the language,” said
Brian.
A THOUGHT FROM JOHANNE BELLEVUE
Johanne Bellevue grew up speaking
Creole, one of Haiti’s two prominent languages. Johanne lived in Haiti until
three years ago. She stayed with her father, Newton, who is Nahomie’s husband.
Newton works frequently in Haiti, therefore, making it nearly impossible to be
home with his family for months at a time.
“I am happy to be her in the U.S. with
my step-mom and my brothers,” said Johanne. “Sometimes I feel like I just want
to return home to see my family, my friends, and my country.”
Johanne
gets homesick frequently, especially since her father is constantly away. She
is learning to adapt in America, by working and taking classes at Maple Woods
College.
THIS IS HOME
Nahomie sat up and begin to look
around her home, smiling brighter than before. “I think I am very happy where I
am in life,” she said. Nahomie works in Pharmaceutical Management, taking care
of the household and children while her husband is away. Soon, Brian will be
graduating from college in the medical field, Johanne will continue taking
classes, and Karmyne will enter into High School and play Varsity football.
“This place is where I came to be
with my parents, raise my children, and advance in my career,” said Nahomie.
“This is home.”
