Welcome to Brooklyn!!!

Written by Daniel Charitable

My grandparents live in Port-au-Prince. Even though they lived in Port-au-Prince, they had to travel to the countryside from time to time to get food for their families. They had lands in the countryside that they let farmers work on. When the harvest time comes, they share the crops 50/50. The road they travel from Port-au-Prince to the countryside had a lot of patholes. It used to take them about four hours to get there by bus.
In Port-au-Prince life was very hard for my grandparents. According to my mother, my grandfather was a lawyer who had his practice in the country. He used to travel to the country when he had to go to court for legal matters. Lawyers who practice in the country don’t make too much money. The most that my grandfather used to receive per court settlement was $150. My grandmother used to make peanut butter to sell. Also she washed a man’s clothes once a week, and in the mornings cleaned his house. With the money that my grandfather received from court settlements, the food that he brought home from the country, together with the money that my grandmother made, they were able to take care of the family.
My grandparents used to pay $300 in rent every six months for a two-bedroom house, plus $3 per month for electricity. They had to walk to a public tap to get water. There was no stove in that house. So, they used charcoal to cook food.
My grandparents had three children: My mother and her two brothers. All three of them attended private schools. The school system in Haiti is composed mostly of private schools. It is very difficult for families to get their children into public schools. With the little money that they earned, they had to take $60 from it to pay for my mother and her two brothers.
In the early 70’s my grandparents migrated to this country. They sent papers to an agency in Haiti to have my mother and her two brothers come. In America life was better for my grandparents. Not only they were able to find jobs, but the living condition was better. The only thing that they did not like was the fact that they had to learn English. They never mastered the language. They understand more than they speak. America has been very good to them. They have houses in New York as well as in Haiti.
My parents came to America in the late 70’s. As teenagers, they had to learn English. In terms of education, my father has a doctorate degree from Walden University. My mother has a Master Degree from Long Island University. My father is a college professor at New York City Technical College. My mother has a day care. Everyone in the house helps in the day care.

My grandparents live in Port-au-Prince. Even though they lived in Port-au-Prince, they had to travel to the countryside from time to time to get food for their families. They had lands in the countryside that they let farmers work on. When the harvest time comes, they share the crops 50/50. The road they travel from Port-au-Prince to the countryside had a lot of patholes. It used to take them about four hours to get there by bus.
In Port-au-Prince life was very hard for my grandparents. According to my mother, my grandfather was a lawyer who had his practice in the country. He used to travel to the country when he had to go to court for legal matters. Lawyers who practice in the country don’t make too much money. The most that my grandfather used to receive per court settlement was $150. My grandmother used to make peanut butter to sell. Also she washed a man’s clothes once a week, and in the mornings cleaned his house. With the money that my grandfather received from court settlements, the food that he brought home from the country, together with the money that my grandmother made, they were able to take care of the family.
My grandparents used to pay $300 in rent every six months for a two-bedroom house, plus $3 per month for electricity. They had to walk to a public tap to get water. There was no stove in that house. So, they used charcoal to cook food.
My grandparents had three children: My mother and her two brothers. All three of them attended private schools. The school system in Haiti is composed mostly of private schools. It is very difficult for families to get their children into public schools. With the little money that they earned, they had to take $60 from it to pay for my mother and her two brothers.
In the early 70’s my grandparents migrated to this country. They sent papers to an agency in Haiti to have my mother and her two brothers come. In America life was better for my grandparents. Not only they were able to find jobs, but the living condition was better. The only thing that they did not like was the fact that they had to learn English. They never mastered the language. They understand more than they speak. America has been very good to them. They have houses in New York as well as in Haiti.
My parents came to America in the late 70’s. As teenagers, they had to learn English. In terms of education, my father has a doctorate degree from Walden University. My mother has a Master Degree from Long Island University. My father is a college professor at New York City Technical College. My mother has a day care. Everyone in the house helps in the day care.