My life in St. Thomas
To be a Haitian in America is very hard and difficult; a lot of people look at us Haitians they are ready to judge us. People treat us with disrespect; it's as if we don't even exist in the place we call earth. It's even harder for us students who go to school, and imagine our parents who don't speak the English at all. Every day we struggle with the American lifestyle and people keep throwing word at us. I wish someone could tell me why the take Haitian people are considered to be evil. People call us names that hurt. Sometime I am so badly hurt me so bad to see that people don't want to sit next to us in a classroom just because we Haitian. People don't understand that not all Haitians do voodoo because they are told that voodoo is a culture of Haiti. Some people don't even know the meaning of voodoo but they still say Haitian is evil.
When I fist moved to America I was shocked to realize the extent of disrespect for Haitians. Everyday I am bullied by those English speaking students. They keep saying to me things like "Stupid, Go back to your country. We don't need you here". I could not understand what they where saying but my other Haitian friend who knows a little English translated for me. I had felt so bad. But I couldn't do anything because I don't speak English well or even know to respond the words. I just sat back and cried and when I got home I told my father I don't want to go back to school any more because the students keep on bullying me. They call me so many names such as ignorance, stupid, and much nastier words. I just don't understand how people can be so heartless as if Haitians are not human beings. God created one world, but we humans just divide the world into different types of people just because I speak Creole or French and you speak English that doesn't make us any different, in God is right.
I moved to St.Thomas US Virgin Island in the year 2006. I didn't know anybody; I had no friend or not even birds to talk to. I was lost as if in a jungle. When people spoke to me I did not understand what they were saying and I just kept on saying "Huh. Two months later on I met this English speaking girl and she was very nice and friendly. Even know I couldn't understand everything I tried my best to understand. As soon we got into CAHS the same girl who spent three years being my friend, turned around and told to me that if she knew I was a Haitian she wouldn't even talk to me because Haitian people smell bad. I was shocked and I was embarrassed at that because I was in the middle of the gym. From that moment on I realize how heartless people can be. A lot of people tell me that Haitian is not people I find it very hard to believe and people told me that Haitian people only come to America because they cannot live in their country. To be honest, if my father did not bring me to America I would not come to America. When I was in my country I used to live better and I did not have a problem for food, or a shelter.
In my country I was happy and I used to have fun. Now, people are disrespecting me just because they are born in a small American island. What they don't understand is that a lot of Haitian people left their country just like the: Arabs, Spanish, Dominican, people from st. Kitts, St. Marten and a many more places just to get a better education and better opportunities to improve their live and lives of their children, is not because they did not have a life back to the own country. I know some Haitians who moved to America who have big businesses but because someone tried to kill them, they moved away from the country. My father didn't move to America because of family problems or because of poverty. My father moves to America just because he wanted a better life and to support his family.
My father told me that just being a Haitian would be a very difficult thing . Every time you told someone you are from Haiti it is as if you just told them that you were born in a restroom. My fathers told me Haitian don't have justice in St. Thomas. I believe it because when a Haitian dies, they never find who has killed him or even care about it. The government never says anything about it and we are ignored as if we don't even exist to them. When I talk to my dad, I ask him why he works seven day a week. He told me that he wanted to pay his bills and help his other brothers. He tells me that work is hard, but he doesn't have a choice. Even though the labor can be back-breaking, he's smiling at the end of the day. He says that he is thankful to be able to make a little money to send home to Haiti. "Sometime life might be hard, but always remember where you came from because one day you will need your people. People show you love just to get something away from you; other wise, they don't care about you or your feelings."
Sometime I wonder if Haitian people will be loved by many in St.Thomas, because the only way people hang out with you is if you are a drug dealer, or a wannabe thug. I guess I will never be accepted because I don't plan to become a drug dealer or a thug. My dreams are to rise above the insults, disrespect, and yes, like prejudice. I will prove that even thought I am a Haitian, one who hated by others, I will succeed as a good human being. I will not return evil for evil. I will make my family proud of me because of my accomplishments.
By Johnson saint fort
