The Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United StatesEdwidge Danticat In five sections—Childhood, Migration, Half/First Generation, Return, and Future—the thirty-three contributors to this anthology write movingly, often hauntingly, of their lives in Haiti and the United States. Their dyaspora, much like a butterfly's fluctuating path, is a shifting landscape in which there is much travel between two worlds, between their place of origin and their adopted land. This compilation of essays and poetry brings together Haitian-Americans of different generations and backgrounds, linking the voices for whom English is a first language and others whose dreams will always be in French and Kreyòl. Community activists, scholars, visual artists and filmmakers join renowned journalists, poets, novelists and memoirists to produce a poignant portrayal of lives in transition. Edwidge Danticat, in her powerful introduction, pays tribute to Jean Dominique, a sometime participant in the Haitian dyaspora and a recent martyr to Haiti's troubled politics, and the many members of the dyaspora who refused to be silenced. Their stories confidently and passionately illustrate the joys and heartaches, hopes and aspirations of a relatively new group of immigrants belonging to two countries that have each at times maligned and embraced them. |
Contents
Present Past Future Marc Christophe | 3 |
Restavèk JeanRobert Cadet | 12 |
Homelands MarieHélène Laforest | 23 |
Copyright | |
19 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
African Aimée American asked aunt began black crow brother called Caribbean child church City clothes color coup cousins culture Dany Laferrière dark Donna dreams dress Duvalier dyaspora Edwidge Danticat English exile eyes face father feel felt Florence Franklin French friends girl grandmother grandmother's Haiti Haitian Kreyòl head imagine Jean Jean-Bertrand Aristide Jean-Jacques Dessalines Jeannette Joel Dreyfuss knew language laugh learned Les Cayes living look Manman Million Man March mizik rasin morning mother never night Nyabinghi parents political Port-au-Prince Rastafarian Razette realized refugees remember restavèk return to Haiti seemed skin smile someone speak spirit stories street suitcases talk tell things Thurel told took Toussaint Louverture trip trying uncle Vodou voice walked wanted watching wife woman women word yard York young zombie ZOMBIE GIRLS