A Nthropology 101 - Final Midterm Paper Culture PDF

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Roberta SaintLouis

SaintLouis 1

Professor Perry Anthropology 201- 001 Due: 19 November 2013

Midterm: Culture 

George Murdock’s cultural universals such as medicine, customs, taboos and status differentiation play a role in one’s culture. Being born in Port- Au- Prince, Haiti, and coming to America at the age of five, I assumed I wasn’t in a macro setting to embrace the Haitian culture. However, being Americanized and growing up in New York City, I realized I’m in the perfect environment to not only embrace my culture but others as well, because New York City is a great big melting pot. In the area of Flatbush, Brooklyn, I feel like I’m in ‘Little Haiti.’ “Illustrating the power of shared cultural background, we are most likely to agree with and feel comfortable with people who are socially, economically, and culturally similar to ourselves” (Kottak 28). The sense of nationalism is seen and felt, not only amongst Haitians but other ethnicities as well. Although I was not raised in Haiti, my parents brought their culture to the states with them. Culture is the basic foundation of a person. Memories, traditions, beliefs, morals, values, all create the person you are today. Through the process of enculturation pieces of your identity is being formed. I was raised to speak creole until I reached a certain age to attend school. My twin brother, Roberto was placed into ESL (English as a Second Language) immediately because my twin brother was having a hard time communicating

SaintLouis 2 with teachers and classmates without speaking a mixture of creole and English in his sentences. It was a brand new environment than what we were accustomed to in our household. Diffusion as well as acculturation occurred trying to balance out what we were accustomed to and what was brand new to us. “Acculturation is a second mechanism of cultural features that results in when groups have continuous firsthand contact. The cultures of either group or both groups may be changed by this contact” (43). I recall this one incident when I was younger where I attempted to ride a classmate’s of bicycle. Shortly after trying to ride it, I fell and was bruised up pretty bad. Mom avoided hospitals for some reason (maybe because she felt her methods brought greater results) and as usual had a remedy for everything. On my bruises she used “lwil maskreti” with “zoranj.” Lwil Maskreti is usually the main medicine for most physical problems. Mental problems in the Haitian society are viewed as “hexes,” and people usually hide them. Most Haitians rarely go to doctors, or get treated by physicians. Due to financial disadvantages or spiritual reasons. Only if it interferes with the ability to work and even then home remedies are used first. Lwil maskriti is an oil that is usually categorized as “Haitian Castor Oil.” It can be used for body oil massages, stimulate hair growth, and sometimes used for pain or cut open wounds or bruises. It brings great results but the stench is unbearable to me. But my mom keeps it as a first aid kit just in case and for many instances had to use it on my brothers and I. “Zoranj” is the creole term for orange, but dealing with injuries it is fused with high levels of salt. Fruits such as limes, oranges in the Haitian culture is known to distribute healing properties (perhaps they really like citrus fruits). Yes, I wanted to orally enjoy the orange (minus the salt)

SaintLouis 3 instead of having it pressed physically against my bruises. It hurt, but my bruises were gone before I knew it. Garlic is another healing property that not only Haitians used but people all over the world uses. When my brothers consume too much sugar and not a lot of salty foods, they feel a little ill. So my mother would lay them to rest, place a needle through a clove of garlic and form somewhat of a garlic necklace and would place it on them for the night. The garlic would remove any sense of bad or unwelcome parasites in your body and usually we felt better the next morning. If any of us in the household caught the flu, I personally would choose to enjoy several cups of tea and have a few packs of halls ready to be devoured. However, if I wanted the best results I would go to my mother and she would have me consume some concoction of salt water with lemon and tea and have me rest. Just being accustomed to some of her remedies, if a friend of mine was repeatedly sneezing, I recommended them to drink salt water.

There are a few customs that are practiced in my household. There are seven individuals in my house, and once it hits 12 am of anyone’s birthday, we go on their bed and wake them up with a whole lot of energy. Say “Happy Birthday,” and once its 12:01 am we walk away as if we did not disrupt their sleep. Once they wake up in the morning, we all get together and say a prayer for them for about a hour. No bathroom breaks, or juice/food break, it’s an hour or so when we leave our selfish tendencies alone and focus on that person because God has granted them another year. “The most interesting and significant cultural forces are those that affect people every day of their lives, particulary

SaintLouis 4 those that influence children during enculturation” (29). Ancestors’ day which is a day in Haiti which occurs during the month of February is a day where people celebrate and commemorates the deceased. Usually the people who are engaged in voodoo activities do most of the praising that takes place. “Kanaval” is a traditional and custom grand event in Haiti. It’s like the Haitian version of ‘Mardi Gras’ in the states. It’s a huge carnival event where the whole nation gets together, dresses up, dance, wear masks and costumes. Music such as Konpa and Zouk is played. It’s a prideful event and is usually held in late January throughout February. Before my mother became “Christian,” she told me she would usually attend Kanaval but stopped because it isn’t “holy” event. But every year a family member obtains the official Kanaval cassette or DVD and sends it for us to watch. Every year ever since I was five, my brothers and I stand at the television, copying the dance moods we would see the dance groups do. I remember us taking terms singing each song. My favorite Kanaval song is called “Sa Ou We” by a group called “King Posse.” “Sa ou we,” means “What you see.” Nevertheless, although we are not there in to enjoy Kanaval, it’s a pleasure to still watch and admire how strong the people of Haiti are. Every year, there’s a huge chance of something geographically might occur to the Haiti, but every year they find a reason to celebrate a year of independence. Our Independence Day is January 1st, 1804. Here, were celebrating New Years Eve but right after, Haitians all over the world is celebrating in rejoice of their ancestors becoming the first people to up rise and contribute to Haiti becoming the first country to gain independence. Another custom is during Christmas where Haitians will gather together and drink “Kremas,” which is a famous but rare rum found in the states. It’s usually shipped by family or

SaintLouis 5 someone who recently came from Haiti and obtained it while there. New Years Eve, I bring in the New Year with a cup of hot chocolate and a Haitian patty. Haitian patties are seen at events, such as weddings, funerals, parties or just gatherings. It’s quite customary to find them at events, they’re quite enjoyable. Flag Day which lands on May 18th is a day where people celebrate the creation of Haiti’s national flag. A day of when pride and nationalism engulfs the entire nation takes involvement in and celebrates with food gatherings and social events. October 17th is a day where people acknowledge the anniversary of the death of Jean Jacque Dessalines. He happens to be a famous leader who had a great involvement in the Haitian Revolution against the French and the first leader to rule Haiti under its constitution. He is used as a political symbol for Haiti. He despised the idea of colonialism and later on declared himself as emperor. Personally I don’t know why there is a day to celebrate a person who is responsible for the 1804 massacre in Haiti. Dessalines carried out the orders to kill the rest of the population of whites, creole and those who were mixed, that Haiti could become predominantly purely black. Nevertheless the people of Haiti still remember him a great soldier.

The taboos in Haiti are based on body language. “Culture also is transmitted through observation. Children pay attention to the things that go on around them. They modify their behavior not just because other people tell them to but as a result of their own observations and growing awareness of what their culture considers right and wrong” (27). Pointing at someone or whistling in the presence of someone is quite

SaintLouis 6 disrespectful. In America is a sign of being jolly, perhaps grateful. Perhaps you felt the need to whistle, because a particular song just refuses to leave your head. In Haiti it’s one of the most disrespectful things you can possibly do in the presence of someone. Doesn’t matter if you know the person formally, or it’s someone you knew for ages. Placing your hands over your head in your household or walking around with one shoe is considered as a wish for your mother to pass away. To grab your shirt with your teeth is also wishing death upon your father. Passing gas or burping in front of the elderly is considered disrespectful (sort of like here). If an elderly person passes gas in front of the youth, the elderly is suppose to have their hand out while the youth grabs their hand and apologizes on the behalf of the elderly. Scratching of the throat is disrespectful. While I was younger I remember it was considered rude and ungrateful for one of us to drink any beverage before finishing our plate. Our dad would yell and shout until our plates were finished. Weren’t able to leave or use the bathroom after sitting down (only after we washed our hands). Over the years it’s taken my parents a long time to actually respond respectfully to us. Gestures such as “Thank You” and “Welcome,” or “sorry” were never said while we were younger. Now we get it often since they’ve learned its social manners and etiquette. Not that they have to (in Haiti the parents are free to do as they and say as they please to their children) I assume they got into the habit of doing it to everyone.

Status differentiation is quite noticeable in Haiti. The upper class often resides in the upper mountain region, while the poor inhabits and make up the majority of the

SaintLouis 7 population. While I was younger I recall my father telling my brothers and I, how he got followed by a beggar which he encountered in the airport. Also informed us that if we were to ever go to Haiti to closely watch how we are represented: To make sure were “dressed- down,” so no one can automatically deduce that we are from the States. Its best to avoid getting robbed and avoid the hassle of contacting police (that wouldn’t be helpful in some cases). The upper class consists of Creole people who are usually mixed with Spanish, French or White. By association when I meet a light skinned Haitian, I automatically assume that their family back home has a large inheritance of money.(It’s a bad thing to assume, I know)The middle class lives all over Haiti but mostly in the capital region. After Barbados, Haiti is the second country with the biggest population of 10.17 million people. In the country side women and men play certain roles. Men are usually responsible for doing work such as farming or tiling. The majority of the time women are doing household duties. However women do perform tasks such as harvesting, weeding or perhaps gathering wood. They also sell agricultural produce. The labors that women are put through are valued and contribute greatly to income that belong to the household. Some Haitian women are economically independent and are not required to share anything they profit from to their husbands. Common marital relationships among people in the lower class are classed “plasaj.” Government does not recognize marital unions amongst people in the lower class, but it is quite common and considered normal. Economically there’s an agreement at the beginning of the marriage. An agreement such as a husband is to provide his wife with a house as well as grant her a percentage of the land to the wife. When it comes to the children, both men and women play their roles but

SaintLouis 8 mostly women attend to them. All the children in a Haitian household are equal regardless of sex or age. Men and women back in the mid twentieth century rarely divorced but now it is common.

These universals, as well as my culture created the person you see before you. I am proud to state wherever I walk in a room, my culture as well as my ethnicity enters that room with me. Living in America I’ve embraced two cultures and they’ve played a great role in the way I represent myself. The history of my people is often declared as tragic, but that’s okay. Haiti was the first African American nation to pave the way for other nations to fight for freedom against colonialism, and provided the World with a great example to take back what is rightfully yours. I know that out of all the revolutions in the world my nation fought to be its own without the help of other nations. Haitians stood up and fought so no one can be slaves and fought even when the rest of the world did not want to intervene. I, for one, am proud to be who I am, and what nation I’m apart of. Although Haiti is a third world nation, I would not be who I am without the influence of my culture. Taboos, Status differentiation, customs and the medicine practices are what make my nation a great nation, as well as myself so ethnic and unique....