Hans Dorval:
CLASS OF 2001
North Miami Senior High SchoolClass of 2001
North miami, FL
Hans's Story
Hans is from North Miami, Florida. Hans's schools include North Miami Senior High School. Hans later attended Florida A&M University (Rehabilitation Services, Health Science) .
Music Hans likes includes Arnetta (Model), Lupe Fiasco, Aerosmith. Books Hans likes include Still Standing by Rae Pearson, The Bible, The Secret. Movies Hans likes include Crystal Finlay's Movie Pot, The Man with the Iron Fists, Inception. TV shows Hans likes include The Rickey Smiley Show, True Blood, PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton.
One of Hans's favorite quotes is:"Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."
What does a Haitian look like? Did you expect me to have Biscayne Bay's seawater dripping from my clothes? Did you expect me to be barefoot and hungry? Possibly dark like the tents of Kedar? Nappy hair? Accent on my tongue? Working in a factory and carrying a bucket on my head? Did you not recognize me because I was not pushing a cart or planting sugar cane in some fields? Perhaps you did not recognize me because I did not have my voodoo drum with me today? Is that why?
Or is it because you only know me through the eyes and bifocals of CNN and ABC who choose to only film my ghettos and slums, but not my beaches and art galleries, my beautiful houses and rolling hills? Yes, in fact, I am Haitian, PURE HAITIAN. I am of a divine line of people who have braved the metaphorical coldest winters of war for freedom and revolution. I am an amalgamation of Afri...Expand for more
can, Taino/Arawak Indian as well as a mixture of past colonizers and immigrants to my land such as the Polish, The French, The Spanish, and Arabs.
My mother, Haiti, was the original Statue of Liberty, and she held the truest and original beacon light of true hope and freedom. If you see me today, light skin, caramel, dark, straight hair, curly hair, blue or hazel eyes, brown skin, black skin, educated, english-speaking, hardly an accent, french and spanish speaking, multi-lingual, doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher, college student, well-dressed, boating, playing golf or basketball...whatever the case may be, it doesn't change the fact that I am Haitian, not only because I was born in Haiti, but because Haiti was born in me.
Hopefully one day the anesthesia and novocain that has been administered to you by the media and history will wear off and you will come to your senses and realize that America is not the only melting pot. By the way, I only said you don't look American only because the true and real American were/are the indigineous people of this land named "Indians" whom you immigrants killed and ran off their own lands as you scoured their land with manifest destiny. Have a nice day."
Although paraphrased, this is the usual tirade of responses that I give and then, well, basically, I am left alone. Some will want to know more, the ignorant will shy away from me for fear that at any moment I may possibly explode, but I smile and walk away in a stately manner, proud of my skin, my color, my bloodline and most of all, my heritage.
I also agree with Carl, that many Haitians tend to fall into this pit where they cannot believe that a person is Haitian. I have heard Haitian men say "Ti dam sa bèl epi se Ayisienne li ye" or "fanm sa si tèlman bèl li pa ka Ayisienne". I have traveled many ccorners of Haiti and seen many colors, shapes and sizes, an".
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