We could spellbind you with tales of Haitian atrocities, toxic pollution, and the ugliest forms of poverty. But you won’t catch us doing it. While we’ll never pretend that there aren’t rancid elements of Haitian society, we’ve made a conscious choice to hone in on the good that exists in their society.
To begin with, I want to point to a linguistic anomoly which I beleive communicates something significant about the Haitian people. Latin languages are pervaded by a “no-interrogative” to conclude sentences. To provide a tangible example, consider how often you hear something like this in Spanish: “Hace frio, no?” It’s a sort of cross check to ensure that what they’re saying is being properly communicated. In English, we might say “It’s cold, right?,” or, “It’s cold, isn’t it?”
Haitian Creole is a derivative of French – a Latin language, yet in constructing their own language, Haitians took a different tact, using a “yes-interrogative” to conclude their sentences. “Fé cho, oui?” “It’s hot, yes?”
Perhaps this is reading too much into it, but I believe it’s an insight into the optimism which we keep telling you seems to permeate their smiles.
The other interesting bit of Haitian trivia we wanted to share involves a custom of greetings which dates back to the early days of the freed-slave society. When approaching another’s house to make a visit, the Haitian people announce, “Oné!” (Honor) to which is replied, “Respé” (Respect) -two virtues which replace the parametric vices in slave-society: dishonor and disrespect. It seems to be a token of their commitment to uphold fundamental principles for which their independence was earned.
