Essay On Haitian American Culture

The Haitian American culture has been a long-surviving and well-adapting culture. Starting with the indigenous people that occupied the island, before Christopher Columbus’ arrival in 1492. Columbus, being a conqueror for Spain, claimed the island of Haiti for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and named it Hispaniola meaning “little Spain”. From thenceforth the indigenous people of the island were killed off during gold conquests and the ruling of the Spanish by forced labor and diseases. With very little of the indigenous people surviving, Hispaniola became a part of the Spanish rule that was forgotten. The modern Haitian American culture has pulled several cultural influences from the Spanish, French, African, and other Caribbean cultures …show more content…
When the relative is dying or has died all family members nuclear and extended are called to the house where the person is dying. They begin rituals of prayers and begin preparing any funeral arrangements necessary. After the person has passed many Haitians don’t believe in an afterlife unless they practice Catholicism or Protestantism. Once prayer rituals are done and the person has passed and burial arrangements have been made, the body is placed in a casket and is paraded down the streets with a band and relatives dressed in their Sunday best. This parade is a celebration and a time of mourning. Once the burial ritual is done then extended family will go back to their homes and go back to day-to-day things. The Haitian American Culture has had problems with being studied and not having a bias against the culture. Because of the many poorly done research and press that the Haitian culture has gotten the American people have issues seeing the Haitian culture without bias. The culture of Haiti being so vastly different and having that level of distrust with the way the culture is displayed and