*Warning, this post contains some cursing*

On my recent trip to the states, I ended up standing next to a group of African-Americans on the train ride to my connecting flight. They were a group of professional twenty-somethings – probably headed to some Caribbean island for vacation. They were simply chatting along about people they were friends with and whatnot when I heard one say “I better take my black ass over here before I catch whatever you have”. I don’t know if it’s because it had been a while since hearing that, but that put a huge smile on my face.

See, as much as I go on and on about being Haitian, the fact remains that I moved to the US when I was 3 years-old. That means that all my formative years were à la Américaine. I always attended diverse schools – and diverse in Marin County means predominantly white with a plethora of small ethnic groups – however, I spent the most time with African-Americans. I don’t think I even had to “try to fit in” because it was pretty much all I knew outside of my strict Haitian household. Back then, I didn’t appreciate the type of language that is so commonly used among black people. Even as an adult, I’d say things like “negro, please” to my close black guy friends. It just flowed. And the best part was it was something you said only to each other. I don’t know any other ethnicity who points out their race when referring to themselves.

At times I forget I can be just as much Haitian as I am African-American. I learned the history as it were my own and still remain well-versed in all aspects of the Civil Rights Movement. I even co-founded a black student union in high school and played Angela Davis in a Black History Month presentation. And I got all this in addition to the Haitian history I learned from family. Not to mention all the neat sayings that only Haitians get away with saying to each other, as well. I’m so grateful to have such a rich background filled with knowledge of two extraordinary cultures. So, what does this all mean? Whether it’s my Haitian or African-American side, I am a black person for all intents and purposes and that makes me feel part of a very special group.

Let me add the caveat that I don’t use the “n” word for the same reason I don’t use the “b” word – there’s just a certain line of derogatory I don’t cross. We all have our limits, right?

Tags: African-American culture, Black History Month, Expat, Haitian-American in Venezuela

This entry was posted on Monday, February 6th, 2012 at 7:19 AM and is filed under African Americans, Expat, Immigrants, Race Relations, Social Norms. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.