Summary Of Dyaspora By Donne Hyppolite

In Dyaspora by Joanne Hyppolite, she discusses what it is like to be a young haitian woman and growing up with the struggles of being both Haitian and American. One thing that stood out to me in this reading is what she could and couldn’t do in her culture. There was a strong comparison between leaving her household and going out into this world that was black and white. It appeared that being Haitian was just as difficult as being an American because you had to know when to exactly switch from one to another. Towards the end of the reading Hyppolite said, “You claim your dyaspora status hoping it will force them to expand their image of what Haiti is but it doesn’t. Your sister who is younger and very sensitive begins to deny that she is Haitian.
She is American, she says. American.” In many different aspects, not just being a Haitian, but all other ethnicity it becomes harder for those to truly accept and be proud of where they’ve come from when they are placed with the burden of having to conform to the idea of being an american and that only. Fitting into the American society has lead minorities to change their views on their culture and is corrupting the minds of the future generations yet to come. Hyppolite has expressed that while you’re studying the stories of people from different places that you need to write your own story, expressing where you're from and to let other view the worlds that have made you who you are today.