I should've taken French

[browngirl]

People keep mistaking me for Haitian, which is amusing and mildly flattering, since many of those doing the mistaking ar Haitian themselves. They keep walking up to me speaking French.

I wonder if there's a West Indian look we share, that they're seeing in me?

Anyway. I wanted to write that down before I forgot.

Comments

[sparkymonster.livejournal.com]

I have that happen to me too. When my hair is in braids, peopel suddenly think I'm from one of the islands. I'm OK with that.

[born-to-me.livejournal.com]

There must be some traits that are common that they are picking up on - it doesn't surprise me, because it's happened to me in a somewhat similar but different fashion.

I'm part Spanish and part Native American (no proof that we can find, it was pretty well hushed up by the faction that didn't like that idea, but if you look at pictures of my Dad, his brother and their grandfather particularly it's so obvious). I'm very pale with blue eyes, but I can't tell you how many people have walked up to me to ask me either what part of Spain my family is from, or what tribe I'm from. These are relatively random strangers (shop owners, co-workers) that would have no way of knowing such relatively obscure parts of my heritage. Granted I have very dark hair and a high forehead (which could possibly tip off the Native blood) but I still don't think either heritage is obvious. Must be, though.

[gingicat]

Well, I'm sure the Boston Language Center offers Haitian Creole. (I'm decent at French, and I catch about one word in ten in rapid-fire Haitian. For comparison, I can understand 9/10 in Parisian French, and 3/5 in Marseilles French.)

[ceo]

Actually, you do have a similar facial structure to many Haitians I've met.

[klingonlandlady.livejournal.com]

Yeah, i think your features are reasonably West African, plus most Haitians seem to be dark-skinned.

I sometimes wonder if my high forehead is Ethiopean- my father's family was in Constantinople for a LONG time.

[jim-p.livejournal.com]

Tam's mom comes from Haiti, and some of the stories she tells are interesting. There is, in fact, a whole range of skin tones due to interbreeding between natives and the French settlers. They have what I call a "greyscale" social hierarchy -- the lighter your skin the higher-up you are, and there's a whole game afoot to ensure and promote one's social standing. Tam's mother's family was of medium skin tone (just a tad darker than Tam) and they were adamant that they spoke French, not Creole... that's what the "black" people speak, after all.