Between Worlds

My memoir paper reflected the ambiguities of speaking Creole in Haiti. I would like to take it a step further and research the current status of creole today in Haiti.

The most interesting fact today is that unlike the situation of the common languages in the Central African Republic and in Bangui who are near extinction, the demotic of Haiti, Creole, is widely used and spoken by everyone. What you might be curious about is why am I concerned with this language if it is widely spoken. In fact, although it is widely spoken, Creole remains at  an undeveloped phase because no efforts have been made to enrich the language and make it a modern vehicle of communication and education. Maybe people did not deem this important, since any “broken or odd” pronunciation of French becomes Creole; some people even call it “French Patois”, which would not be exactly correct. In my research paper, one of the first thing I will aim at is try to define the language and its origin.

At some point in Haiti’s history, Creole went from “common language” status to “official language” status, just like French. What drove this change of status. But as of today, I can reassure you that the two languages are perceived entirely differently although they have the same status. How many official speeches are given in Creole?  Do we use creole in Haiti’s education system? I will try to provide a rough amount of how many books are published in Creole today. I will interview news publishers here in New York to talk about the current status of creole and on which occasion it is used or on which occasion it is not used. Are people concerned with the revival of  this language, which, even if spoken by the majority, is still placed in margins?

Stephanie Joseph