interview writing

For the oral project I decided to interview my girlfriend’s mother, for both the obvious reason that she would be the best candidate for such an interview, being that she was born and raised in the Caribbean, is the only person I know living in the U.S. who was born and raised in Africa or the Caribbean, and because of the ease with which I could get in touch with her and set up a date for the interview, but also because her story is rather fascinating, in my opinion. As I had mentioned earlier in the class, during my group’s presentation, her story also reflects some of what we have learned thus far about African women and those who have ancestral links to them. For instance, a new-age adaptation of the grandmother hypothesis is central to her story. Furthermore, the notion of women’s roles in African societies and their presence outside of the home is also integral to her story. Lastly, the respect for elders, which we learned permeated every aspect of African society, especially the position of mother and grandmother, is also prevalent in the story of Junide Lormeau.

Before we began the interview, she explained that it would be difficult for her to give the best representation of Haiti, or life in Haiti, because English was her second language. Being that she was born and raised in Haiti, she spoke both Haitian Creole and French fluently, but had only learned English later in life, around the time that she emigrated to the United States. Despite this fact however, I felt that she spoke very well, and only on a few occasions did I need to say excuse me, due to her thick Haitian accent, or she need to ask how to say something in English. When we began the interview, the first thing she said was that most people in the United States don’t truly understand the struggles that Haitians face on a daily basis, and so it is hard for them to comprehend exactly where you are coming from. She then told me that she was born in the capital of Haiti, Port au Prince. Like we learned in class, when referring to her family, she was sure to specify that she was the oldest of two siblings, her and her younger sister Armelle. She then told me that her and her sister were raised primarily by their father, Auguste Cleophat’s sisters, being that their mother, Almelisa Lormeau, was very young herself. But she was also sure to tell me that her mother was always there and always worked to help support them despite her young age. She also told us that her mother’s father was the head of the household, but that her mother’s mother worked to support the family as well. Of their home, she simply said that it was a large house, according to Haitian standards, and that her whole family lived in it together.

She told me that she was picked on a lot as a child, both for being short and also for being smart. She said that even her own cousins would tease her for her height, although she was quick to say that she always thought everyone in the Cleophat family was short. She told me that her mother eventually opened her own business, which she also helped with, selling Haitian art, toys for children, games, and other little things. There were many chores to do as a young person, including helping with the cleaning of the house, preparing meals, and washing clothes by hand with lye soap, because there were no washing machines, a luxury that she said most American take for granted. When she grew older, she went to school for cosmetology, and eventually opened up a hair salon with her sister Armelle. She was proud to also state that the hair salon was still there, even after the earthquake, a blessing from God in her opinion, and that her younger sister now ran the business. She reminisced about going to the market with her aunts, her mother, and her younger sister. She said that she missed the beautiful church services and the songs that were sung in her native tongue. She said they were Catholic, and that her mother would take her and her sister to church early in the morning and they would pray and sing for hours, “asking good from God to protect us,” as she said. She voiced several times that she missed not only the warmth of Haiti’s climate, but also the warmth of its people and the sense of community that she felt there.

She also spoke of politics, and though she was quick to posit that she never involved herself in the political sphere of Haiti, she also said that experiencing the corruption and chaos was unavoidable. For example, she said she remembered multiple occasions as a young girl when she would have to find a different way to school because her usual route was blocked by gunfire and rock throwing in the streets, as protesters clashed with the Tontons Macoutes of Francois Duvalier, also known as Papa Doc, who she said was a corrupt and ruthless leader. She said under him the Haitian people were always under attack and there was generally more violence under his rule. In her opinion, she said she believed Haiti’s best leader was Jean-Bertrand Aristide, because he was for the people. But she also said that is why they wouldn’t let him stay in power. She said corruption and greed from within Haiti and without did all it could to keep him from power.

She told me that when she was in her twenties she married. A few years later when she became pregnant, her husband left her, and so she decided to emigrate to the United States. In Haiti her name was Junide Lormeau Cleophat; however, in the U.S. she would simply take the name Junide Lormeau, choosing to keep her mother’s maiden name. She then told me that she gave birth to Kemly in a U.S. hospital by herself, surrounded by strangers who could barely understand her. She said it was a traumatic experience, but it gave her daughter automatic citizenship. Shortly after her birth however, Junide sent Kemly back to Haiti to live with her grandmother, where she was raised for two years, also learning to speak Haitian Creole and a little French. She was then brought back to the United States along with her grandmother when Junide had prepared everything and had stabilized herself here, opening up another hair salon, June’s Hair Salon, which she still runs to this day, and which is named after her childhood nickname, June, after the month she was born in and named after. She also said she chose the name because June was easier for most Americans than Junide.

When I asked her about the difference between living here and living in Haiti, she said that life back home was slow and people were relaxed, but in the United States everything is so fast and people are always in a rush. The people in Haiti were more friendly and would stop and talk with you, but here many people are rude and do not have time for anyone but themselves. Again, she said that she was still not used to the cold weather here and that the warmth of Haiti is something she looks forward to whenever she returns, which she said she would like to do some day. The language was a huge issue for her, as she could speak perfectly with anyone in Haiti, but here she feels she will always be judged for her heavily accented English. But, she said that Haiti and the U.S. had a lot in common too. She said that both countries had a problem with corrupt and greedy leaders. She said the U.S. does not distribute its wealth fairly and does not care for its people who suffer. She said that most U.S. products are both poor in quality and overpriced at the same time. She said that she missed Haiti’s traveling market women, who would go door to door with baskets of fruit, vegetables, and other products on their heads. She complained about the lack of adequate health care in this country, despite its wealthy status. For instance, she explained that despite the fact that she has been here for years, is now a U.S. citizen, and owns her own business, she still cannot afford health care. But at the same time she did say that she recognizes that it is here that her daughter stands the greatest chance at success.