Marthine's Influence On Haitian Culture

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Born and raised in Haiti, a country whose culture combines a range of influences from the many people who have settled it, Marthine considers herself as one of the proudest woman in her town. Living in her native land for fifteen years, she learned from her parents many important elements of the Haitian culture such as religion, family structure, the importance of education and employment. Although these elements are important to one’s identity, how they really affect us is what I hope to prove in my essay.
Religion is one the many aspects Marthine learned from her parents. Although most of the population is catholic, her parents are Christians who worship in a nearby Pentecostal church and are involved in various choirs and prayer groups. …show more content…

Like most families, Marthine lived in a “lakou” a cluster of houses shared by extended families. There the elders are the most respected as they are perceived as grandparents figures, they stay home and care for the infants while their parents work. They are also known for the good advices they give, they share everything from their food, clothes, to their money.
Moreover education and employment are also valuable assets to Haitian families. Although Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and is often referred to as the home of the unemployed, Marthine grew up with her parents’ daily reminder that “le travail c’est la liberte” a saying that simply means that working gives freedom. She then developed a strong sense of independency and believed that finishing school will give her the education she needs to compete for a job, thus becoming an independent …show more content…

In the article “From Home to School” Dilg shows the different experiences some students have at home and at school, she says: “They roll out of bed at 7:45a.m., wolf down breakfast, and sprint across the street to class. The local hangouts they frequent during lunchtime are the same ones they’re drawn to on the weekend. For other students, leaving each day the neighborhood of their home for the neighborhood of the school means losing touch with family, relatives, friends, and the community where they’ve been raised. For some it means traveling each day between two different worlds. For some it feels like living two different lives and not fully inhabiting either”. (P 147-148) Very often ELLs or newcomers find themselves not only struggling to learn a new language but also fighting between their original culture and the new one they are creating. They try very hard to stay true to their roots while they are also pretending to be someone else just to fit in, which results in a lack of sense of

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