Dyaspora #1 essay

Summary

Dyaspora is a second person perspective story of a Haitian immigrant in America. They have hard time getting use to American culture and misses Haiti a lot. However, at the end of the story, they finally get use to it a little.

#1 Essay

After finishing high school you contemplate what do you do in the future, your manman suggest you become a Pwofesè, but you decline. Over time your idea for the future job sparks when you walk to the library to read books. As you walk over the shelves looking for books that may spark your interest, you notice a Haitian book. As you examine it, you realize it is written by a Haitian man named James Dambreville, who describes a life of living in Haiti. You wanted to read it so you go to the librarian to get registered. When you arrive home you greet you manman and your sè before going into your chanm to read your book. As you read the book you are shocked by the hard life Haitians had to go through. They had lived a hard life through dictators, diseased natural disasters, and has not been able to go to school, while having one meal a day. By the time you get halfway through the book, your manman and papa call you over to for soupe your manman tells you to put the book away which you reluctantly do so. After soupe you go to sleep early for school. You wake up and have dejene before you head off to school with your sister. As you arrive to school you see your sister break away from you to go to her friends. You go to your classroom and sit next your peers waiting for the their last class to start before you graduate with them. After a long day you return back home and greet your manman, and you return back to your room to finish reading the book. You read through the book you learn the author James Dambreville left the country while it was being controlled by a dictator at the time. Coming to America before later on becoming a writer to show how much Haiti has suffered while dealing with stereotype Americans showed toward him. As you flip through the last page of the book you can’t help but pity the country before your mother calls you for soupe. When you come back you have few remaining days of school before graduating, so you went to the office to talk to a teacher about your future. He asked about what you wanted to do, and you reply back that you do not know yet before he gives you advice. During your graduation, you stand next to your peers waiting for their names to be called, as one after another go up the stage to receive their diploma, and soon your name is called upon for you to obtain your diploma. When go back home with your fanmi, your manman and papa questions again of who you are you going to be, and you then contemplate before going back to your room. The next day you go back to the library to return the book back to the librarian, and when you give the book back to the librarian she says “You seem to like reading books so much, why don’t you become a writer?”. When you get back home you talk to your manman and papa that you want to become a writer to write books, to your surprise your parents accept your decisions letting you become a writer. As you are about to go to college you contemplate what books you are going to write, the memory of reading the Haitian book pops up reminding you about the misfortune of the country and its citizen sparking an idea into your head. You make up your mind about writing Haitian books that deals with the stereotypes of Haitians. You want to follow the steps of James Dambreville.

Notes:

Pwofesè- Teacher

Manman- Mother

James Dambreville- Fake Name

Sè- Sister

Chanm- Room

Papa- Dad

Soupe- Supper

Dejene- Breakfeast

Fanmi- Family