Haitian students living in the United States fall into various groupings including American-Haitians, Haitians-in-transition, and Haitian-Americans. American-Haitians are Haitian students living in the United States who have become fully submersed into their local American culture. They tend to relinquish much of their Haitian identities and are like stem cells. Because like stem cells, they adapt to the nearest American culture and gain its characteristics.
For instance, in the case of most of the American-Haitians living in Little Haiti, a small community at the northern section of Miami, the nearest American culture is that of Liberty City, a predominantly African American community; thus, the American-Haitians within Little Haiti would most likely adapt to the customs and mannerisms of the African Americans around them.
If placed in a predominantly white neighborhood where they are allowed to assimilate properly, the American-Haitians would adopt the local customs and traditions, and would most likely become indistinguishable merging seamlessly into that culture as well.
American-Haitian Parents
The main issue with this group of Haitians is the complete disconnect with the previous Haitian generations. The development of a personal identity often depends on an individual's heritage and familial ties. Nonetheless, with many American-Haitians being discouraged from maintaining relationships with their family’s pasts, customs, and even language, they tend to never truly develop a strong sense of self and sense of heritage. This trend, which often starts with their parents devaluing Haitian culture, heritage, and Haitian Creole in the home, frequently causes rifts amongst the various generations (child, parent, and grandparents).
The same Haitian parents who most of the time at first encouraged their American-Haitian children to learn English and neglect Haitian Creole may sometimes not be able to proficiently express themselves in English or Ebonics; thus causing some communication problems in the home. This eventually leads to a language barrier between parents and children.
Parents of American-Haitian students also usually feel more discomfort disciplining their children compared to other Haitian groups during adolescence. In Haiti, the primary form of discipline is beatings whether one is one or 21 years old. Therefore, most Haitian parents become completely disillusioned upon realizing that the primary form of discipline in the Caribbean islands and in many other parts of the world is considered abuse in the United States.
Knowing that their American-Haitian children are more knowledgeable of the laws in the country than they are, many parents of American-Haitian children are reluctant to discipline their offspring out of fear of potential trouble with authorities. Consequently, they tend to be more lenient than other Haitian groups. Depending on the child and his or her local environment, this reality can either be a great asset or a potential danger. In most cases, it is more dangerous than anything else as American-Haitian groups are more likely to become associated with gangs, be involved in criminal activities, and drop-out of school than other Haitian groups and even many other immigrant groups.
American-Haitian Interventions
After describing some of the characteristics of the American-Haitians, how do address the many issues that this group face within an educational setting? The American-Haitian often assimilates quite well into the local American community; thus, it is imperative that one considers the characteristics of the closest American culture in dealing with the American-Haitians.
Students in the American-Haitian group are also frequently disconnected to their past and their Haitian heritage. Programs that encourage American-Haitians to take pride in their Haitian heritage can help them develop self-esteem and a sense of pride and respect for their past. Having bilingual curriculums that encourage Haitian students to learn multiple languages especially Haitian Creole and or French would also keep them close to their heritage and give them a better sense of self.
Above all, special parenting courses and informal and formal parental forums in which parents discuss many issues in relations to their children’s progress and better parental practices with one another are critical in helping merge the generational gaps between parents and children as it is especially of concern to this group. Giving parents the proper tools to help their children cope with the issues that American-Haitians face and aiding them bridge the generational and philosophical gaps that exist between the American and Haitian cultures are especially useful in curving some of the negative behaviors associated with this group of Haitian students.
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