Your Opinion Doesn’t Matter Podcast
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Your Opinion Doesn’t Matter Podcast
Breaking Stereotypes: Haitian Voices and Community Bonds
Growing up Haitian in America during the late 70s and early 80s was a journey filled with resilience, cultural challenges, and eventual acceptance. Sherl and Emile, our insightful guests, share their personal stories of navigating their Haitian heritage amidst a predominantly American landscape. From the teasing faced in New York schools to the unique dynamics of being one of the few Haitian families in Crown Heights and Flatbush, their experiences reflect the complexities of cultural identity and adaptation. These narratives invite listeners to explore the strength and adaptability required to thrive in environments often filled with stereotypes and misconceptions.
The episode extends its focus to the broader Caribbean community, highlighting the varied experiences of other Caribbean immigrants and their descendants. Through the lens of Grenadian and Trinidadian stories, we examine the shifting cultural dynamics and the journey towards greater inclusivity and pride in one's heritage. Our conversation sheds light on the once Jamaican-dominated identity, now evolving into a celebration of diverse Caribbean cultures, and underscores the importance of education in fostering understanding and acceptance among young people today. Despite past hardships, the discussion reveals an enduring spirit of unity and resilience within these communities.
Finally, we delve into the significant contributions of Haitian immigrants, particularly in New York. The entrepreneurial spirit is exemplified by initiatives like the dollar cab service, while the strong support systems within Haitian families showcase the communal bonds that help individuals navigate new lives. We discuss the responsibilities of leaders and public figures in combating stereotypes and misinformation, stressing the need for active voices against derogatory narratives. Ultimately, the episode is a testament to the pride, perseverance, and community strength that define the Haitian immigrant journey, resonating with anyone interested in cultural identity and community unity.
Welcome. Welcome to the your Opinion Doesn't Matter podcast. I am one of the hosts, Mr Lamont, and I'm here with no strangers to the podcast. Here To my left, Sherry Berry, how are you doing?
Speaker 2:It's all well. Thank you, hi guys. How are you? Hello, hello, hello.
Speaker 1:Hi, nice, nice, nice, and her left none other. I think we're going by Black Jesus today, aren't we? Yes, yes, yes, nice, and her left None other. I think we're going by Black Jesus today, are we?
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Mr Sterling, how are you doing, bro?
Speaker 3:I'm great, I can't complain. I'm happy to be here and ready to rock.
Speaker 1:Right, right, right, right. And hey, we got somebody who's here who inspired me to start, you know, recording live. She said Ma, get out of that Zoom meeting crap. She said when are you going to record in person? None other than Shirley. How are you doing?
Speaker 4:Hey, I'm well. How are you?
Speaker 1:Everything's good On my right. This gentleman, I knew him since, who knows, since everybody was wearing AJs and Benetai and Run DMC and all that good stuff. Man, good friend of mine, emil, how are you doing? I'm doing good man. I'm doing good man, how you doing.
Speaker 5:I'm doing good. I'm doing good. Thanks for the invitation. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Yes yes, yes, anytime, man, I was trying to get you on a long time ago. He's going to be a guest again. He's going to tell us about finance. I heard a little snippet of it Talking about, you know, gold and espionage and all that other good stuff. Right, right, right, right, okay.
Speaker 3:Our aim today for our viewers is for us to take a trip through the Caribbean and highlight certain islands so you could get a better view of what it's like, you know, growing up from their perspective. So today we're going to start with the lovely island of Haiti, which is shared with the Dominican Republic, and we're going to get the views and insights so us, our audience, could get a better view of what life is really like, especially leading up to now, from the early late 70s, early 80s. So I'm going to start with asking my guests, which is Cher and Emil, which are both from Haiti I want you to give the viewers an idea of what it was like growing up in the late 70s, early 80s. What was the household like?
Speaker 4:Well, I was born here. Okay, yeah, I was born in New York, but I did grow up in a Haitian household. Both my parents are Haitian, my mom's Haitian. My dad is Haitian household Both my parents are Haitian, my mom's Haitian. My dad is Haitian. Growing up Haitian was well, it wasn't a problem until you got to school. Yes, right, so there's the. So I'm talking early 80s, so you have the language barrier. Yes, then at the time, it was a whole lot was going on in my time. It was the coming off the boat then, um, then the slangs like hbo stands for haitian body odor.
Speaker 4:Yes, yes yes, then it was the aids we bought it in here.
Speaker 3:I was gonna going to get into that, yeah.
Speaker 4:Then, or for me more so. For me then it was kind of like a look, because Haitian parents tend to with the girls with the two ribbons on the side of the hair, and I had no hair. So if you had like two ribbons on both sides but this much hair coming out, it was kind of like wow, you try to disassociate yourself. So you would say, but I would say I was from. I was first, I would say I was from canada. Then canada was like no, you can't, but how? And then you always had that one nagging friend no, you're not from canada. They knew you were haitian, you know what I'm saying. But then it was like all right, I'm from france, but france.
Speaker 2:They spoke french and I didn't French.
Speaker 4:So it was rough with the kids because kids tease and it wasn't more so the Caribbean kids. It was mostly the American children because Caribbeans have more a little bit of empathy, because some of them were like what they call just comes. They came from the Caribbean so they took a little adjusting too, but they didn't have the language barrier some had, but I didn't have a language barrier because I was born here, so it was more so harder for the kids that did have the language barrier.
Speaker 3:So that was Emil, how do you feel?
Speaker 5:So my perspective is completely different, okay, interesting.
Speaker 5:So I grew, so my family and I we grew up in I was raised in Crown Heights, okay. Then my mom and my aunt bought a house in Flatbush, Okay, right there on East 35th and off Snyder Avenue, right, and that block had just like one or two or three little houses in it and nothing but buildings on that block, right, and it's nothing but american kids. Okay, and there was one haitian family amongst the like the 15, 20 boys on the block. There was a lot of rambunctious young kids on the block, but they were all american kids and it was this one haitian family and to this day, he's like one of my best friends. So when we moved there, like, like you said, there was all of that contention, right, haitian body odor, the jokes, right, and kids were you know. Kids were like you know, especially boys.
Speaker 3:Boys are just, we're, just, we're just vicious, right, ruthless yeah.
Speaker 5:And you know the snapping and the ranking. And if you didn't have it, if you didn't know how to snap and, just you know, take them down with it. It was over for you, right. So when they found out that we were Haitian, right, it was this like oh shit, you're Haitian, oh my God, oh shit, you know. Like. And the jokes started coming and we were like oh so when we found out, yeah, and we were all, basically we're just exactly the same as them.
Speaker 5:So they were like god, he shit. Yeah, for real, like we never. You know, like what is going on and I never really understood it, right until you hear all of the jokes and I'm like yeah, we're not like that yes, right, right and, but you know, for some odd reason we were seen different than the other haitian family that's lived in the building.
Speaker 5:They like juxtaposed us to them. Why, right, um, the father of my, my buddy, he was like a tyrant, like super protective of his kids. Right, it was. There's one sister and two boys and the mom straight up nuclear family. Okay, right, just no dog and um, but they dressed. They dressed them as if they were like they just got there yesterday. You know, like they just come, like I mean, dress them just like that right.
Speaker 5:It was just weird for my mom and I my mom dressed myself and my brother and my cousin like, like slightly americanized. That's why they didn't sort of kind of like extract like the difference you don't have accents, none of that. But and I felt bad because I'm like, why are they making jokes about them like that, right, I didn't like it and I.
Speaker 5:But they were haitian too, but they were also making up, like other nationalities, that they weren't yes and it bothered me, even when I was like I was like 12 or 13 and it bothered me and, um, from there I kind of like were upset with them because they were like yo, we said we haitian, and we managed it, but y'all lying right. And then, you know, as time went on, I got because I saw the dress code differences and I understood okay, it was like almost like a kinship, understanding like, oh, I know why they're on, y'all like that, okay, okay.
Speaker 4:You know. So yeah, but you're kind of like, on point, different vehicles, the two of you.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it was just weird, like my mom, you know, she was like she kind of like this. It was like she Americanized us. We were American kids, right, we were the first generation Generation, so they assimilated us faster into that, the Catholic school, the whole.
Speaker 4:You know we love that Catholic school Great point the Christian Haitians and the Catholic Haitians totally different To be Christian in the Caribbean community. We're talking no pants, you look blah. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:I mean you mean you wear skirts to go to school, wear skirts, long skirts, long skirts below your knees.
Speaker 4:You look yeah kind of like what's those people in the um, amish, amish, oh wow, yeah, that look. But the catholications, they were a little more, they wore they wore jewelry. We couldn't wear jewelry. I didn't have my ears pierced, I was 16, so so you just had the look. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:I understand so it was a difference. Yeah, definitely. So it seemed like back then, haitians were scapegoated. Where do you feel the disconnection came from? Was it something more like the language barrier that made people feel disconnected?
Speaker 4:See, I don't know if it was a thing like in the 60s. Well, you know what. There it was, because my mom said when she first came, so my mom was came and she didn't speak any english so she got a lot of the insults. Going to high school here she went to john j high school herself. I really don't, I really it's just. I don. I really don't know. I should have done my research. What do you think, Emil?
Speaker 5:I think it was the migration. The migration it was a large West Indian. Every decade there's a series of migration of a certain ethnic group that comes to New York City specifically, right, and when we moved to Flatbush, which is huge caribbean enclave, you can assimilate and not known and not be known. If you're panamanian, you don't know. If they were pan, uh, um uh, trinidadian, bayesian, you really can't tell.
Speaker 5:And because new york city is such a massive melting pot, my parents came, my mother because they came from the. They were here from the 60s. My mom and dad came from like 1960, something 61, 62, so they were already here like by the mid-60s, working right. But the thing is, a large influx of west indians came into the country between the late 70s and the 80s and they were told listen, if you want you know, if you have family that tells you how to get here, what to do to assimilate, how to get your card, go to flatbush, right.
Speaker 5:Hispanics will go to harlem, like up, like a, like spanish harlem, right, you have um. Asians will go to chinatown, like. Each ethnic group will have their enclave and they'll build inside of it which, as far as Flatbush is concerned, it's a massive melting pot of like almost 30 different Caribbean countries people, but I think the migration of west indians, with just two flatbush, in particular um was, and obviously haitians, like you have new kirk avenue, which is known as little haiti of course, like you see it on the train right, yeah, it's called little haiti so there's your answer.
Speaker 5:So the migration and influx of a certain ethnic groups into a certain pocket of that borough, migration and influx of a certain ethnic groups into a certain pocket of that borough is is the reasoning why you have the kind of you know kind of influx of nonsense that you have.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, I want to let you know Haitians was the only, wasn't the only one that went through that. There was also people from. I was born in Trinidad, but my family's from Grenada, and at the time Grenadians, was also hiding in a plain sight too.
Speaker 2:You think we were hiding?
Speaker 3:From my perspective, I think they were hiding in a plain sight, because I went to school for a bunch of Grenadians and I had no idea there was Grenada until later on in life. Okay, I think, because at that time nobody really. There was a few famous islands. Number one was jamaica. Trinidad, I feel, was given a pass in guyana and everything else to me was correct me if I'm wrong was like really odd to people like like barbados, st vincent, grenada anguilla, yeah, so I remember, I remember talking about grenada in school and it would come up and people be like what's that?
Speaker 3:and I think that that that's what caused people people to take a step back and they would do the same thing. I had Grenada, somebody that was from Trinidad.
Speaker 4:So where were you from for a little bit?
Speaker 3:Oh well, I was born in Trinidad, so I thought I was Trinidadian all the way, and later on in life I realized that my ancestors is from Grenada. No, but where did you tell?
Speaker 4:your um oh no no, no, I was.
Speaker 3:I was a proud trinidadian. Oh yeah, it was a proud trinidadian because to me, trinidadian jamaica, they got a shield. It was good. Or you trinidadian, you jamaica, you guy in these, or y'all good, okay yeah what was your experience?
Speaker 4:I was good you was good.
Speaker 2:I came here young, so I came here at six, okay, so I went through, you know, elementary, the whole bit. So I didn't have I had one fight, and that was just at the time. You know, now you're looking back, I'm in my 40s now, so you look back and you're like, okay, well, yeah, that was also. But back then it was like a big deal and I remember they made fun of me because I had a, you know, I had an accent okay so that was you know the accent thing got it and you know they were teasing and teasing and my temperament got to me and I actually hurt the person really bad.
Speaker 2:I got suspended but um, it was just more of a defense mechanism. It was just like you don't know me, you don't know anything about me. You know what I mean. So it was just like you don't know me, you don't know anything about me, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:So it was like you know, making fun because you know, instead of saying where you were saying like you know, but you know, in my household that's normal, that's how we speak, so it's like what's your problem? You know what I mean. I think with West Indian on a whole, wherever you're from Spanish West Indian, wherever you're just always fighting to just be who you are, and you always have to. I was always a proud Grenadian. It is what it is. This is where I'm from. What they always used to say is that we're from Granada, granada.
Speaker 3:Granada, Grenada.
Speaker 2:And I'm like no, it's Grenada, and they're're like no grenada. But you know, knowledge is power so once you start to educate, or you let them know, then it's there. So look at us now right you know grenada's all over right right, you know, I think now, like when we was growing up, still you know you're going to eastern parkway and stuff like that, and this was Labor Day time, time to throw your flags up and things like that as the years go by, if you guys notice the flags has come more 82?
Speaker 5:More. This is where I'm from.
Speaker 2:It wasn't like that when. I was a teenager, everybody wanted to be Jamaican.
Speaker 3:Yes, everybody.
Speaker 1:Right. Even Americans wanted to be.
Speaker 3:Jamaican. Yes, everybody dressed like that cloths, shirts.
Speaker 4:I know there was an ever wear like it was a linen suit. Jamaican you're not, clearly, you're not Jamaican, like you know from Kingston, so then that was a thing too everybody was Jamaican, and everybody's from Kingston Right right. So then that was a thing too Everybody was Jamaican. And then it was the whole Travel Fox thing.
Speaker 1:It was just an era and Clucks and Clucks.
Speaker 2:They were a more popular island at the time I think everybody just wanted to be in that. You had the fun and you had this and everybody wanted to listen to reggae music, so you couldn't listen to soca, because that was like what? Yes, yes, that was a big thing, that was like a big thing you could go to a party and listen to soca music, because it was like now.
Speaker 1:You know they listen to what krom krom so now it's like you know you can go and they listen to what Kumpa Kumpa.
Speaker 2:Kumpa. So now it's like you know you can go and you can listen to everything, right? I think everybody now is making like this is where I'm from, this is my culture, this is what it is and it's more accepted which is a great thing, right, right?
Speaker 5:But you really had to fight through that I think it's also youthful ignorance, right. In the 1970s and 80s kids couldn't tell you where Texas was on the map. You think they know exactly where the Caribbean islands are located.
Speaker 4:Right right. Half these people are married to Caribbean people now.
Speaker 5:You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:And have a.
Speaker 4:Haitian best friend in the background.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but why were the kids so brutal? Kids are brutal man. They was real brutal man. It was different, it was crazy seeing how the young Haitian kids was getting treated. It was terrible, it was horrible.
Speaker 4:It changed for me. For some reason, it changed for me when I got to junior high school. I don't know why, but that's the time. So we talking 86, 87. It was so much like my parents are Asian. You know what I?
Speaker 2:mean, it's a proud thing, I'm a corporate.
Speaker 4:I make fun.
Speaker 2:Right, you make fun too, me too.
Speaker 1:I'm a corporate. So I can speak on that, but it was just like you know it was like what are they saying?
Speaker 2:or when you got in a car, you know, when you know they had a smell, you know. Or the body odor wasn't like oh, they definitely they hate shit, right, you know, I did it growing up and it's like you know, now that you're older you're like damn you, really you did that but it was like a thing we went.
Speaker 2:I went to james madison. I grew up on Flatbush, you know you come in off of Flatbush and I had my neighbor yeah, I still remember him. They were Haitian, their family was very nice and stuff like that, but we still made fun. We still made fun of them. They came out and this didn't match, or the outfit didn't match, or something.
Speaker 4:I out and this didn't match or the outfit didn't match or something it's like look at. Jeff, oh my god, it's group think right, you know how Jeff look now. Jeff is great, okay always a great.
Speaker 2:They were always a great family. Um, jeff Tasha, the mother, like everybody, was still great, but as kids, right, I just remember we teased them, we did tease them them. We did make fun of them. We liked hanging out with them but it still came with the why you got that on.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, or why is this going this way?
Speaker 2:You know there was a time when us, as women, we did you know, door knockers. You know I always had big door knockers and Jordans and stuff like that and they didn't have that in the same, you know, in the same ways, you know they went to bobby's, you know, um, you know. You know it's so funny. Now you can laugh about it because this thing. But back then, you know, just thinking how they went through because they had to try harder to prove who they were.
Speaker 1:Oh, we should be amongst did, for whatever reason, amongst your friends, you know, right Now that we're older, we all laugh and we joke and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:But I was a culprit, I did it, I made fun, I teased, you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And it wasn't like because I was a mean person, I think. I just went along with everything.
Speaker 5:Yeah, you went along as most kids do it.
Speaker 3:That's the thing about.
Speaker 5:How about you Sterling I?
Speaker 3:tease.
Speaker 3:I tease as a defense mechanism, because I would catch friendly fire, being that my last name was Baptiste. So I could always recall on the first day of school, when you're getting acclimated in the class and the teacher asks you and so on and so on, the teacher would always go Baptiste, are you Haitian? And I'd be like hell to start laughing. You know what I'm saying. So I felt then I let them know I wasn't Haitian and then I would tease the Haitian just to prove that you wasn't. But I love Haitians, I'm very close. I got a lot of Haitian friends. One of my closest family is from Haiti and they are great people.
Speaker 5:Yeah, Jean-Pierre, oh, that's official.
Speaker 2:That's beyond Jean-Pierre we. It's funny how we just we can all segregate ourselves amongst ourselves Like we're all black, we're all Palestinian, we're all in that, but we still fight in a battle. It's kind of sad, but you know it is.
Speaker 5:I remember the defining time of my life was high school. Um, it wasn't the block anymore, because my, I was already acclimated the guys are very acclimated to us and stuff like that. So our haitianness was like a non-starter on the block, because once you defend yourself in a way that they understood, right, especially as young boys, you're ranking on them and you yeah, it's a. You know, we played a lot of sports and I was active, like all that stuff didn't matter. I looked back and I always felt like it was always the parents, right, that probably, um, like like intimated stuff to the kids, right, because that's how, you know, we grew up on a block was nothing but american kids like I'm talking about, like overwhelming american. It was just me and other family that were haitian kids, uh, and maybe one jamaican family, and nobody gave them no guff right of course um of course right
Speaker 5:and when hit high school, I went to lachlan, lachlan was just every kind of kid imaginable, right, except for white. You're hispanic, you had his, you had american, you had west indian. And when they would read our names, like when schools start, right, like you know orientation, and my name is short, but it's hard to say, is that french? And I was like, yeah, it is said, okay, I thought so, and they would just go on, but the kids, they didn't know what French meant, right? So it was almost like I escaped something like in my head because high school is a different kind of viciousness than junior high school, right, because that's endless four years. That's an endless four years and you can get ostracized really fast in high school. And none of that. When I say four years of nothingness ever occurred like it was in haitian stuff. It was none of that because there's tons of haitian kids in my high school. Why? Because it was a catholic high school. Yeah, haitians and catholicism, it go hand in hand nazareth nazareth.
Speaker 5:Yes, yes, yes, lachlan bishop ford just loaded with haitian kids or west indian kids, um, but haitians, they are like devout catholics most of them, if not 90 of them, and they'll say their kids, they'll break their backs that's what I was in their pocketbooks to send you to a catholic school because it's part of the trials and tribulations of you.
Speaker 5:You know the way that they raised so I can honestly say that in high school that was probably a non-starter for me. It was just before that you had to almost defend yourself at 12 against the ignorance of your stupid little friends, and that lasted all of two weeks for us, you know, but it felt like forever Right.
Speaker 1:You know. But when did they know that that's a bad thing? Where did the kids get that from? How did they know? How did they feel that? What did the parents say?
Speaker 4:It could be the families, because kids don't know. Because people talk at home. Like you said, you grew up around Americans, right, and the Haitian household is like them Americans of course you know what I mean. So so I'm sure it came from home part of it and then, like the peers, I think it's the combination.
Speaker 1:So that's just like how racism basically is, like in some homes like you know, passed down to their kids. How do they know about? Why do I? They love you. They kids play it when they four or five, but then how do they know it's time? Let me just you know, let me stay away, you know, I mean the parents is talking, gotta be the parents.
Speaker 5:Media didn't help either. I mean, like that was like the height of the 80s aids was oh, the aids that was.
Speaker 3:That was. That was like a bomb. Yeah, they didn't know where it was coming from.
Speaker 5:They had to find a scapegoat, and it came either from Africa. It either came from gays or it came from Haitians, and I think that's when it became untenable, because it was nonstop. You couldn't control it, there was no social media, so the word of mouth was just vicious.
Speaker 4:Just the word of mouth was crazy.
Speaker 5:Until they found out how and when, and it took years for that not to be associated with Haitians or Africans or whatever, and you know and I think more um celebrities coming out, kind of broke it for us too yeah that that helped.
Speaker 4:But and then you, you, and then then it got switched around. Like you're Haitian, I would never know.
Speaker 2:And that part different like what does that?
Speaker 4:mean? What does that?
Speaker 2:really mean they have a look.
Speaker 4:They have a look.
Speaker 2:Right, right, what's the look?
Speaker 5:Two socks and white shoes with high waters.
Speaker 4:That was the look.
Speaker 1:Right, it was the look.
Speaker 4:Plaid and all Non-matching high waters.
Speaker 1:That was the look. Right, it was the look. It was the look like um plaid and um yeah, non-matching, non-matching yeah just coming out
Speaker 4:just wayward like I want Lisa to come out the house, like ma like really, and come pick me up with roses in her hair.
Speaker 3:It was so bad oh, that was, that was old with Cindy's too. I hit it with my mom. Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 4:I would walk like 10 steps ahead of her or whatever the case may be Well we can just talk a little bit.
Speaker 2:I would love a little bit more insight, but from what I know, from the household, my brother-in-law and just other Haitian families that I know and friends, you know. I applaud the way that they grew together. From what I know, I know, so excuse me if it's anything that I say is not, you know, factual, but from what I've seen, they'll they'll stay in a house. It'll be like 10 of them in a house and they're all living in this two bedroom or three bedroom but then a year later they got like four houses, right, you know, and they all come together to help each other.
Speaker 2:So I really applaud that. Looking at that I've seen it growing up, I've seen it as an adult of just how they just come together and they always want better for their kids, so they'll stay. You know where me? I'm sitting there like I'm not going to know what I'm going to do Too many.
Speaker 4:NGs Too many NGs, I'm not doing that.
Speaker 2:I'm going to pay whatever it is, because I need my space, and they're like you know what, they're willing to suck it up, right, and they're willing to do that and it's not really like I shouldn't say like a Haitian thing, but that's what I've seen.
Speaker 5:Okay, off of what I see, I could honestly say that there is some truth to that, but I don't know if that's a uniquely Haitian aspect, right, because most people who come from other countries will do stuff like that, like Venezuelans and Mexicans, they'll do that Spanish but not black people.
Speaker 5:Not black people in particular, but West Indians. Haitians do have the propensity to do stuff like that because they're very, very big on bringing over, like the bring over process. Right, like my mom. My mom I don't know if this happened in your households, but my mom was brought over by a friend. Okay, right, right In the 60s. My mom's work started working in 1960. I was going to 68. 1965, 66. Working on an Eastern Parkway. Remember that big, huge building that used to be right there on Eastern Parkway. It looked like a. It was like a.
Speaker 3:Utica no no.
Speaker 5:Eastern Parkway and Park Slope, so it was right there. Granamee Plaza this is back in the 80s 90s. It was a big, huge, it was a hospital. They turn into condos now. Right, it's directly across the street from the Brooklyn Public Library. It used to be right there. It was a massive building and it was actually a hospital for the elderly and my mom. It was called Madonna Residence and it was maybe like three, four, 500 nurses in there, caretakers, whatever. My mom worked there from 1966 to 1999, where they were sold to a condo developer.
Speaker 5:But I say all this to say that my mom was bought over by a friend. Then my mom bought over three or four friends, right, got them set up with green cars, the whole nine yards, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And they all were working in that place until the later 90s, from the 1960s until the 1999, until that place was shut down. My mom has bought over and I kid you not, probably about 15, 20 family members who are beholden to her for Americanizing that. They're in Canada, they're working as nurses, chief of staff here, working in like my entire family.
Speaker 5:My mother's the matriarch of our family and she has literally. She will be enshrined when it's all over because she bought people over in the way that most people will, will freak out now like, oh, if you don't, you know, come over on a boat. That's not the way to do it. I can on a raft and shit right versus on a plane. Stay at my house for six months, I get you a green card, um, and then you could, and I will find you a place to live and usher you out into the, into the, into the world yes I I could give you names on top of names.
Speaker 5:My mother's done that for that.
Speaker 3:That's how it worked in my family yeah, yeah, I always noticed a unification with asian people when I was growing up also. They always seem to stick together big time, support and support each. They was one of the few Big time, I kid you not, and that is something I really admire coming up.
Speaker 5:Yeah, dollar cab service. You see the dollar cab service up and down Church Avenue. You know, 90% of those Haitian dudes don't have a voters card. They probably came over in the 70s and 80s and they stayed here and chilled and they've been running those dollar cabs up and down Church Avenue for two and three decades. I got only one on Friday. See what I'm talking about.
Speaker 5:And that's their entrepreneurial spirit. Working on the like half illegal tip, more or less. But now it's an institution. You can't even get rid of it. I didn't even think about that my grandmother too.
Speaker 4:She came in 64. She worked, she came in 64. She worked. She sent for my mom first 68,000.
Speaker 5:See what I'm talking about.
Speaker 4:They sent for yeah, she sent for her sister this is my aunt and then she sent for a few people, then she lived in her apartment in Hawthorne so she had, like it was. You know, those apartments were big so you made like the like the living room and bedroom.
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:So like four family members, yeah, and then they all branched out.
Speaker 5:And that's how it worked, right? It was like a microcosm of the entire Haitian country. We had like one little area and then you set them off on their own Right and they all worked at hospitals. Haitians love them from hospitals. Right, you're right, because it's stable. It's stable.
Speaker 4:Yeah, nurses, all of that, they got smart. They're like the same work for one of these institutions. That's it yeah.
Speaker 3:And with the upcoming of the Haitian whole. As a people, how does it feel now to hear misconceptions of silly people, politicians donald trump, you know spreading propaganda about the haitians eating dogs and cats.
Speaker 4:I mean that um, that didn't bother me because I felt like as growing up in a haitian household, that kind of like fortified me I can't get hurt. What I am concerned about is these young kids with families? I mean in schools being teased, because I know what that feels like.
Speaker 2:Being in politics and hearing that, I mean I understand. You know, like you've been through it.
Speaker 3:I understand, you know, like you've been through it, but just knowing that this is somebody that is running to you know, running to take care of us, To be the president of everybody, yeah.
Speaker 2:When I say take care of us, like now, we look into him. Right, you know there are people that worship this man, that likes this man a lot, and to hear him say that it's like wow, and then not for nothing.
Speaker 4:there are some that feel like that will vote for him, that are from there and just to hear that it's like well, you're not offended, I was offended for you yes, I was very offended the fact that this man is sitting here saying that.
Speaker 2:How could you sit and say someone's going to you know they ate all the dolls and cats Like who says that?
Speaker 5:Who says that People know it's not true.
Speaker 4:And I feel that too, people know it's not true.
Speaker 3:You really think so? I don't think so.
Speaker 5:I think it's nice too, I don't think.
Speaker 3:People all over the country don't believe that.
Speaker 2:There was a lot of people I work in the hospital and there was a lot of people who was like. You know what he said, like oh, really, you know that's how they get there. There are some people who do listen to these. Listen to him speak, not just him.
Speaker 1:I'm just saying him because he's saying Right, right, right and they do give like, oh, really, like, this is what.
Speaker 2:So you know, it did get to some people and there's some people that believe that you know it's funny.
Speaker 4:You said that because I feel like you. I feel like nobody really believes that, but you're right, some people do believe that, midwestern small towns.
Speaker 3:You're right, some down states Did it bother you Because it didn't bother?
Speaker 5:me, it just bothered me. I laughed so hard. I laughed so hard because it was so. It was so out of bounds, almost like I have to say something to stay relevant, right, like I have to say, because you know he's egomaniacal, right, so I have to say something that is so out of bounds that I know the news will cover, that will keep me in in the space. But it was so egregiously, like, you know, irresponsible. And then I expected that from him. But for Vance to hold on to it, I'm like, okay, now this is a little different. Yeah, right, so I'm trying to figure out.
Speaker 5:All right, the Republican, his Republican base, they're so in love with him, but some of them are so intelligent enough to not say, look, he's crazy. But I like what he says about, because they hold on to that just one little thing they may like about him, because he's so, you know, he's so anti-da-da-da. I love that about him. So, whatever else he says, you know it's a misnomer to me and I'm saying to myself why are you making yourself like him so much that even the most egregious, non-irrelevant stuff that you will accept it will look past it? Right, this is what I think that they're doing Right Because you could love someone.
Speaker 5:You know it's like you hate your husband because he cheated on you, but he's your husband and he has great qualities, right. But you know, what he just did just now was so horrible, but you extracted that one thing that you like about him and you'll just stay with that and everything else. You just allow him to say that's what's happening, because the desperation is so clear. But that was so crazy. I laughed because I knew nobody believes this. It's not about the eating, the dogs and the cats. It's saying something to stay so relevant that I have to say that I don't know, because it doesn't make any sense. There's no stats that they're missing dogs and cats in anybody's streets.
Speaker 2:The fact that he said it and the fact that he made shit is what blew my mind. You could have said anything to try to stay relevant. Why did you have to go there? Yeah, it's like you find groups, it's like when we were growing up, you hear stuff. There are people who are going to hear that and there are people that actually go in to believe that. Like you know, puerto Rico just got offended.
Speaker 5:Of course Of the comment that they're garbage.
Speaker 2:No one else. You know, and I do fault some Haitians a little bit, Forgive me, because it's like I need you guys to speak up more, Because as soon as they hit about Puerto Rico, they were on TVs, they was here, they was this, they were going in Like no, I'm offended. And when he made the comment, about the. Haitian community and what he said. It was like it was a clip on the news. I didn't see anybody really running back.
Speaker 5:I'll tell you what I saw. I saw something on YouTube, but it was. It felt like it was like well, who's seen this? Right? People on YouTube, because YouTube is not mainstream media, right? In the same context, and I was saying to myself how is it that the news is not finding an entire Haitian enclave standing on a street corner going to Newkirk, right? Hi, I'm Jan Smith. I'm on a corner of Newkirk and Flatbush, known as Little Haiti, and that woman anybody could have stood there from channel 2, 3, 12, 4, 6, and just started asking questions, right, and they would have been flipping out. But I don't think they wanted, because you can't really control Haitians. When they get upset on television, they'll start flipping.
Speaker 2:But there's Haitian in politics. There's.
Speaker 5:Haitians.
Speaker 2:You're right. There's Haitians that are in high positions. They should have been able to come out and speak for the group at all. That's just my take.
Speaker 5:I didn't see that either and I was kind of wondering where is everybody?
Speaker 2:When you come for West Indians, you come for Grenadians, trinidadians, bajans. There's somebody that's higher that's going to come out and say no, this is not the way that it works, this is not how it is. This is not how it is. This is not how it's done. So I needed that to be done for the Haitian community, because that happened and it went unseen. It was like oh okay, he made this comment.
Speaker 5:They laughed about it, they joked about it.
Speaker 2:And then it still goes back to when we were growing up. As you know, children, when you know, people made fun of Haitian communities and stuff like that. It was like, okay, I made a comment, Now you move on. Why should they have to live with that still?
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's a rebuttal. I don't know, there's no rebuttal.
Speaker 4:There's a blip. After you said that, I feel like there was more of a rebuttal. What was that march on the Brooklyn Bridge march? What happened with the Haitians? We had no social media.
Speaker 5:What was, was it?
Speaker 4:the HBO or was it the AIDS? It was AIDS. And that was very, very big. We took the streets, you're right. Why didn't we do that?
Speaker 5:But they were saying we were the cause of it. Right, and something that's so unknown, that was nuts, that was a big deal. They were saying we were actually the cause of it.
Speaker 4:Right, right, so we should have. We should have the way he's saying it if your dog is missing.
Speaker 1:They ate it. Who said that? Where did he get it from, though I?
Speaker 4:feel like who believes that.
Speaker 1:No, but where did Trump get it from?
Speaker 4:I had a conversation with somebody.
Speaker 5:He heard it. I had a conversation with somebody. He said he heard it, he heard it.
Speaker 1:I had a conversation with this white gentleman, caucasian guy. He was telling me I would bring up certain things. He's on like a social network type of thing. He was telling me I know you're voting for Kamala, all this stuff. And I said I know you're voting for Trump, so forth and so on, and he started pointing out the bad things about her. I started pointing out the bad things about Trump and I brought up the Haitian situation. He said what he said and the white guy he started bringing up information of where Trump got that from. It's not like he didn't get it straight off his head. That's one of the crap on him today. But get it just straight off his head, that's one of those crap on him today. He was trying to make a case.
Speaker 4:I was just shutting him down.
Speaker 1:He had a case but I was shutting him down, you know, going at him. But I feel Trump coming from and, mind you, he's not getting charged with slander, so he's coming with some type of facts, in a sense, maybe convincing us something. He's getting it from somewhere. He's getting it from somewhere and it's hard because he would have been villainized. Camilla would have attacked him, saying yo, that's false. She didn't say nothing.
Speaker 2:She didn't say anything.
Speaker 1:She didn't say nothing, so he's getting it from somewhere, her ex.
Speaker 4:I don't know if you know, but what's the House Speaker name? Hakeem? No, the House Speaker, biden Speaker. What's her name?
Speaker 2:The House Speaker.
Speaker 4:The one that speaks for Biden.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, yeah, she comes out and she gives Correspondent.
Speaker 4:Yeah, she comes out and she gives Correspondent. Yeah, she comes out and she gives. She was actually Camilla's campaign manager.
Speaker 5:Oh, she was Mm-hmm. Are you talking about Camille Jampierre, right the press secretary? Yeah, the press secretary.
Speaker 4:She was Camilla. You're right, she was Camilla's campaign manager. That's how she got that job. So that's how she got that job. Was she? She was, she sure was. Look it up. That's facts. She was a campaign manager.
Speaker 5:I thought it was the other one, I thought it was. No, it was her it was in Sanders, simone Sanders, it was her. Well, camille Jean-Pierre became Kamala Harris lost two high-ranking black communications women black women in the time that they were there, because they they shitted on simone sanders as the first black press secretary. They gave it to that chick, jen pisaki, the white chick she stayed for a year and simone sanders was heated and she left.
Speaker 5:there was another chick they overlooked and that chick left and and k-Pierre was the last black woman on the campaign on Biden's campaign team and Kamala Harris' campaign team and they were like you, let this chick go, it's a wrap for you. And they made her press secretary.
Speaker 3:Yeah, she could have spoke up because they were working together.
Speaker 4:You're right, she could have.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and Karina Jean-Pierre is probably the most highest ranking black woman in that administration. Right right Period. End of story.
Speaker 4:Honestly, I didn't hear her say anything either. She didn't say anything.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I mean, I'm at work, so I'm like we don't watch the news at my job. We watch, like, financial stuff, and she should have been person numero uno on that podium speaking about those stupid—. Right, right, let's talk about something she could on that podium speaking about those stupid, what's the most much you could say, because she's muted she's muted she has to contain herself there's not much you can say, except for lines that they write for her or whatever.
Speaker 1:Don't you see how Trump stepped away from the Puerto Rican, the comic who made that joke about the people in Puerto Rico? He's de-distanced himself from that, but he still stands firm on what he had said. He distanced himself quick, like I don't know about this guy over there, but you know. But it's crazy, man, it's crazy. But don't worry Me. And that guy's argument, I won. Don't worry, I won.
Speaker 5:We have two more days and we'll see what happens. Yes, we have two more days and we'll see what happens.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes yes, my parting words. Things is looking kind of shaky for us with this election, but people out there, you got to keep hope alive. The next people in charge might not make a change, but you know what? Let's build our children so they could be the change. Let's that's, you know. Let's help our children, educate our children so that we could count on them. Hope that's it. Keep hope alive.
Speaker 3:My key word is inclusiveness, especially for all the islands in the Caribbean. We just talk about how the Haitians were ostracized when we was younger and now. We're at a place now where we all could get together as one and thank you for coming out.
Speaker 2:I think it's knowledge for me. I want to thank the two guests. Knowledge because you know what I learned? A lot. This was a very knowledgeable session and I came in here knowing one thing, leaving out here knowing about a hundred things.
Speaker 2:So thank you, guys both for sharing I hope that the audience picked up on it as much as I did. You know, I learned a lot about Haitian communities, upbringing society, and I thank you guys both. So I hope that our audience enjoyed the show and gravitated from some of the things that I gravitated from. So I appreciate you guys.
Speaker 4:Tom will go next. So, as well, I learned a lot listening to email, and yourself as well, sherriann. So I definitely gravitated to a lot listening to Emil, and yourself as well, sherian. So I definitely gravitate to a lot of the things that you guys were talking about, especially you, emil.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 4:Growing up Haitian was tough but I actually was kind of embarrassed that my parents were Haitian, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love my parents more so. My mom I like our uniqueness and my parents I had a child as a teenager, but they stuck behind me, so I thank them for that. I'm very, very thankful and I'm 98. No, not 98. Maybe 90%.
Speaker 2:I go out. Yay, it worked, it keep going, that's right. One Tuesday, that line better not be long, it's going to be long.
Speaker 3:I'm going to listen to you.
Speaker 4:That's going to be long. Well, if I would have thought about it, did anybody vote early? So we all going to be out there on Tuesday huh, Tuesday it is.
Speaker 5:Somebody's school facing. I want to say thanks to Sterl and Monty for inviting us out, really appreciate that. Never been on a podcast before and I can see why it's so addictive to so many people. I just want to say that, you know, one's life experiences should be like a guiding tool to how they're going to manage their lives. Right, everyone's experience is their own and it matters not like where you come from or how you're raised. It's, it's how you effectively manage your life once you take control of it.
Speaker 5:Right, um, and whether you're haitian, panamanian, bayesian, trinidadian, it's of no consequence, right, because, as cliche as it sounds, um, we're all like, almost the. We're all the same. We all want the exact same thing. We just go about it differently, right? So, um, but you know, you have to take action if you want your life to be what you hope for it to be, right. So I have this one thing I always say. I've been saying for years right, you know, don't act, do right, don't promise, prove it. Right, you have to be action-oriented. This is how your life becomes what you want it to be. Period, end of story. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice, nice nice.
Speaker 4:Great, great, great great.
Speaker 1:Your Opinion Doesn't Matter podcast and I would like to thank our guests and hopefully, you know y'all, could you know be frequent flyers, shirley. You know y'all. Could you know be frequent flyers, shirley. You know the door's always open for you, emile. Same for you. Thank you, sir. So until next time, this is the your Opinion Doesn't Matter podcast and we are out. Peace, peace, peace.