Pride or Lack Thereof

One thing that I was not anticipating finding in Haiti was a serious lack of self-respect on the national level. It makes sense, I guess, if you think about it. I had just never thought about it. When was the last time you heard anything good about Haiti from anyone but an ethnologist? From many of the interviews I have done, I get the impression that Haitians hate Haitians. They have nothing good to say about themselves as a nation. Obviously, that doesn't go for everyone, and there are many notable exceptions of people who think differently. But the normative discourse is one of mistrust and faithlessness. Haitians are incapable of leading the country, the say. Haitians are stupid and mean, and the only thing that matters to them is money. Haitians are untrustworthy. Haitians have not lifted a finger to help other Haitians, its only through the blans that anything gets done in this country. Haitians need a mentality change. It's staggering, really, the lack of pride many Haitians have. Of course, when people say these kinds of things, they are rarely talking about themselves or their friends. Well, maybe sometimes they are. These kinds of thoughts are in direct contrast with other stories that I hear, stories of mobilization, of community, of solidarity. But it is clear by the way people talk that those moments are viewed as the exception to the rule. On the largest level, this self-hating discourse reflects the utter disillusionment with the Haitian governing classes. Everyone knows that entering politics is one the few avenues to fast wealth in this country, and there is little expectation that a Haitian politician will do anything else with his power except find opportunities to profit. More than one person has told me that if they were given a position of power they would certainly use it to distance themselves and their friends from poverty. Distancing oneself from poverty seems like a completely reasonable thing to do (Haitian elites are bit on the extravagant side, I might say) but the economy isn't developed enough to offer opportunities to access wealth besides corrupt politics. But the result is a political system corrupt that citizens refuse to sully their names by participating in an election. That's one of my big concerns with the upcoming elections. Many many people don't believe in voting, hence the pitifully low turn out levels. But it's not because they are not politically educated, but rather, they are all to aware of what elections bring about.

People often say in conversation that Haitians hate to watch other Haitians succeed, and would rather destroy you than be happy for your successes. This anti-cooperative mentality is responsible for the lack of solidarity and impairs the ability of 'the people' to unify and make demands on its government. Rather ironic in a country whose motto is "L'union fait la force." When questioned, people often trace this back to the colonial era or the Revolution. Slave mentality, they'll say; jealously of those who were able to find freedom or status. Hatred along racial lines. Or they will recite how the leaders of the Haitian Revolution, after independence, successively betrayed and murdered each other until there was only one left standing. But how is a slave mentality reproduced over two hundred years? Is this the slave mentality that organized and united thousands of people on a single night to begin a thirteen year fight against slavery? How does the behavior of the political elite infiltrate a society and rot its core (to be clear, I do not share these opinions, I am just reiterating what I hear)? This are the stories Haitians tell themselves, but I doubt they reflect 'reality'. Why do these people have so little to be proud of? Of course, you can say they had a rather sexy and glorious slave revolution, but how long can you ride of the tails of a single national mythology? It's like nothing else ever happened. Independence in 1804, then Duvalier in the 1950s. I have a friend here, a Haitian doctoral student, whose project is to construct national pride through education that highlights the some of the spectacular things the Haitian nation has done: first country to recognize Greece. Homeland to the Venezuelan flag. Supporter of the Latin American independence movements. Site of immense cultural richness and diversity. But I have to ask myself, how much is any of that going to mean until people can find jobs, and homes? What does it matter that Haiti supported anti-colonial movements if it can't find ways to shelter and employee its citizens? What good will a self-image makeover do if there is not serious material change to substantiate it? I'm sure my friend has a response to this. I can imagine a few things: for example, if Haitians had more respect for their countrymen than maybe there would be more reluctance to exploit and demean? Maybe Haitians would feel more outrage when they hear stories of corruption and abuse? A positive sense of people-hood could lead to a much needed sense of solidarity. It is only with solidarity that communities are going to be able to demand honesty and respect from the government. It is a must if a social or political revolution is ever going to take place (my idealistic but preferred solution) . Maybe people accept their condition because they have little faith in anyone else to help them organize out of it. In that sense, even though I feel like my friend's work is cosmetic, maybe it has revolutionary implications all the same.

4AM: Another thing I was not expecting to find in Haiti: the Adhan morning call to prayer. It's 4 AM, and there is someone in this city alerting Muslims that there is only one God and Mohamed is his prophet.