Introductions are in order…

For those of you who don’t already know me, I’d like to start by telling a little bit about myself and why I started this blog.

My parents emigrated from Haiti when I was three years-old and my sister and I soon followed. I grew up in Marin County, California where I learned quickly to assimilate to the American culture. Throughout my childhood, I seesawed between the very conservative culture of my parents and the often times “liberal” culture of my peers. By the time I completed high school, I began to realize that I felt much more comfortable with the idea of being a Haitian immigrant in American society and started gravitating towards more of my parents’ cultural norms. When I completed college, I stood firm with the ability to enter and exit either culture with great ease whenever necessary.

 

Now married to a first generation immigrant, and raising two children who are considered second generation immigrants, I often find myself struggling to maintain their sense of comfort with both the American and Haitian culture. I am constantly confronted with issues for which there is no right or wrong answer.

 

Through this blog, I hope that parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, caregivers and children facing multicultural dilemmas will share their advice, experiences, questions and frustrations so that we can all perhaps continue through this journey with more support and knowledge.