Speaker 1: How do we build stronger community?
Speaker 2: Because I will raise my hand and now will My
Speaker 2: name is Bertie, and what I'm about to say is
Speaker 2: the truth. Nothing but the truth will help me God.
Speaker 2: When I come home, I want to for nobody after
Speaker 2: thinking my low community. After you do all of that
Speaker 2: throughout the day.
Speaker 3: Oh saka fed Welcome to Unfiltered Lining Podcasts. Join us
Speaker 3: as we reflect on our personal journeys and share our insights, experiences,
Speaker 3: and stories. From food to music, language to customs. We
Speaker 3: explore what it means to straddle to cultures and find
Speaker 3: a sense of belonging in both. Whether you're a first
Speaker 3: time generation Caribbean American, a seasoned veteran, or simply curious
Speaker 3: about the rich tapestries of cultures that make up the
Speaker 3: Caribbean diaspora, this podcast is for you. We are your host, Lisa,
Speaker 3: the Dominica Diva, Furtied, the Hastien Sensation. No one's talking,
Speaker 3: so let's get unfiltered.
Speaker 1: Today's another wonderful day.
Speaker 2: We are here with you all because we just appreciate
Speaker 2: good conversation. We appreciate our Caribbean culture. We appreciate having
Speaker 2: conversation about what makes us who we are. Stronger together
Speaker 2: as a community. As we're building everything that we are
Speaker 2: going through in the world, we just feel.
Speaker 1: Like community is stronger together.
Speaker 3: Let's discuss that we need I think also too, I
Speaker 3: think we need community more than ever, yes, much more than.
Speaker 1: How does that look like? Though?
Speaker 2: It's one thing to say that we do need that,
Speaker 2: but how does that look How do we go from
Speaker 2: you know, saying it to putting into action to actually
Speaker 2: applying it where we don't feel so overwhelmed. Let's let's
Speaker 2: start with when you wake up in the morning, right,
Speaker 2: you start your day with.
Speaker 1: The best of intention.
Speaker 2: Right, you start your day with Okay, I'm gonna wake up,
Speaker 2: I'm gonna exercise, I'm gonna eat healthy, I'm gonna be
Speaker 2: nice today. I'm gonna be kind. I'm gonna drink from
Speaker 2: my Haitian people. I'm gonna drink some hot tea. You know,
Speaker 2: say also see whatever you know ginger teas. We're gonna
Speaker 2: maybe you know, go for a walk, exercise.
Speaker 1: Then we're gonna go to work. That's one community.
Speaker 2: We're gonna go to work and make the best out
Speaker 2: of their work on nine to five to make the
Speaker 2: money that we need. Then we're gonna come home. Then
Speaker 2: if you have a family, gotta cook for your family.
Speaker 2: If you got a dog like I do, you gotta
Speaker 2: walk your dog. You gotta take care Susan. And doing
Speaker 2: all of this stuff right day in and day out.
Speaker 2: How do we build stronger community? Because I will raise
Speaker 2: my hand and I will My name is Bertie, and
Speaker 2: what I'm about to say is the truth. Nothing but
Speaker 2: the truth will help me God. When I come home,
Speaker 2: I wanna ask for nobody. I'm not thinking my little community.
Speaker 2: After you do all of that throughout the day when
Speaker 2: you come home or you.
Speaker 1: Thinking about community? Are you thinking about.
Speaker 3: Oh no, you don't.
Speaker 1: So how do.
Speaker 2: We and our every day with everything that we're trying
Speaker 2: our best to live at the community, have ad stronger community,
Speaker 2: have the conversation participate in when we can. So we
Speaker 2: got to be honest with ourselves and ask the questions
Speaker 2: to ourselves about how we do build these stronger communities.
Speaker 2: And we're particularly going to focus on the women part.
Speaker 1: Men.
Speaker 2: We love you, Black men, we love you. Ain't we
Speaker 2: ain't trying to not include you. But you know, these
Speaker 2: conversations because we women, I can't identify as the black men.
Speaker 1: I never had a penis. So I don't know, I've
Speaker 1: never you know, I'm just saying I never have, so
Speaker 1: certain stuff that we talk.
Speaker 2: About if some more women's protective, So I just want
Speaker 2: to be very clear about that.
Speaker 3: That's that's that's correct, the woman's perspective.
Speaker 1: You're a We.
Speaker 2: All are welcoming different ideas, but again we are always
Speaker 2: welcome to have.
Speaker 1: You come on.
Speaker 2: Yn't want one of these community builders want to come
Speaker 2: on and give us a few insights. But how do
Speaker 2: we how do we build those community how we struggle together?
Speaker 2: What do you think it starts with yourselves? What do
Speaker 2: you think that it starts within your family, with your friends?
Speaker 1: Yeah, how do we start?
Speaker 3: Yeah? I think it definitely starts number one with yourself
Speaker 3: and you wanting to see change. We all want to
Speaker 3: see change, right, So it becomes what can I contribute
Speaker 3: to the change. So if I start with my family
Speaker 3: and my friends, and then at that point when you
Speaker 3: start there, it can eventually grow to be like an
Speaker 3: octopus situation, and then the tentacles can reach out and
Speaker 3: that's how we make communities larger. I definitely think, especially
Speaker 3: in the Caribbean culture, we do a very good job
Speaker 3: of I feel like we do a very good job
Speaker 3: of coming together to have a FET. We do an
Speaker 3: excellent job at that. With that being said, if we
Speaker 3: can come together and FET with no problem, we need
Speaker 3: to also in our strength and that community. Start from there.
Speaker 3: What little things that we can do outside of our
Speaker 3: everyday nine to five work, family, kids, whatever that we
Speaker 3: can do to contribute, and it has to start. We
Speaker 3: can start small, right, We just have to start. That's
Speaker 3: the thing. And I think, without getting too heavy, one
Speaker 3: thing with I'm gonna say twenty twenty five is teaching
Speaker 3: us is that we need to do a better job
Speaker 3: at it. As number one, women number two, as Caribbean
Speaker 3: community number three, as Black people as a whole, we
Speaker 3: need to do a better job. So if we can
Speaker 3: start with these little things, and it could be something
Speaker 3: simple as it could start with a conversation at a
Speaker 3: kitchen table with the family, right. You know, when we
Speaker 3: sit at those tables, a lot of times we talk
Speaker 3: about the culture, things going on in the family, the
Speaker 3: elders talking about reminiscing of things back in their time
Speaker 3: and just trying to hold onto the culture. In that conversation,
Speaker 3: with holding onto the culture, we also talk about what
Speaker 3: can we do to pass that culture on, but also
Speaker 3: what can we do differently? Right? But it could start
Speaker 3: at someplace small as a kitchen table, you know, because
Speaker 3: one thing we will do besides having a fet is
Speaker 3: getting together in the kitchen to make some food, some
Speaker 3: pelau and some you know my favorite, Yeah, my favorite.
Speaker 1: That's been going and all that good stuff.
Speaker 3: You just keep going, Yeah, we keep going now, brough, Yeah,
Speaker 3: don't forget the broth. We're gonna talk about that.
Speaker 1: Some people can't make broth, so thirty.
Speaker 3: Bro Wait is it broth a broth? No, some people
Speaker 3: can't make bro broth. Bro yeah, No, getting back to
Speaker 3: the kitchen table.
Speaker 1: I love people though, it's all I want people to know.
Speaker 1: This is a conversation.
Speaker 2: This is all.
Speaker 1: With my heart. I don't know.
Speaker 3: You still ain't safe, You still ain't well, at least
Speaker 3: with me. You ain't safe with me. No one's safe.
Speaker 2: I'm going to try to be not that person because
Speaker 2: for a few seasons, no one will say I'm not
Speaker 2: trying to be the We're switching off this season.
Speaker 1: This is what's good about our community right here.
Speaker 2: So we're gonna use ourselves on an example, the fact
Speaker 2: that the podcast is a perfect example of stronger community
Speaker 2: and building a community together. Right if you have followed
Speaker 2: us and you are new to the main mission of
Speaker 2: the podcast is to show that even though we're from
Speaker 2: different islands and we have different upbringing, we're also the
Speaker 2: same our household. Maybe the food was a little bit different,
Speaker 2: maybe the tongue of what we were speaking was a
Speaker 2: little bit different, but we were the same. We were like, well,
Speaker 2: we want to build stronger relationship. We want to show
Speaker 2: that even though yes, you may speak possible I seek Creole,
Speaker 2: French or whatever, but our parents and their journey, our
Speaker 2: mothers and their journey, our fathers and their journey is
Speaker 2: just a different household, but we have a lot of similarities.
Speaker 2: So I think for like you said, it starts out
Speaker 2: at the kitchen table. But I remember back in I
Speaker 2: don't know, a few years ago, where in me trying
Speaker 2: to build a stronger community for my family. Then you
Speaker 2: take it from the kitchen table right to the conversations
Speaker 2: and all that, and then I was like, I want
Speaker 2: to get to know them more. I want to learn
Speaker 2: more about my culture. Because again, y'all, Haitiana gonna call
Speaker 2: me bluh because I was born I have not been
Speaker 2: to Haiti. I was not born in Haiti, so we
Speaker 2: all called blah mouna did it all y'all know what
Speaker 2: I'm talking about?
Speaker 1: Which start with me?
Speaker 2: Or you could call me, oh I may a kid
Speaker 2: because you know, hey, I just have not been to Haiti.
Speaker 2: So for me, it was important to learn about my
Speaker 2: culture because I love my mother dearly.
Speaker 1: They are very proud. But she didn't sit down and
Speaker 1: teach me the history.
Speaker 2: Did I have like her uncles, great uncles and different
Speaker 2: people in the family talking about that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, But at the point I didn't.
Speaker 2: Know the significance of those stories because it was coming
Speaker 2: from great uncles.
Speaker 1: I was a kid. I was like, I ain't gonna
Speaker 1: try to sit down.
Speaker 2: Now I understand that those stories how important they were.
Speaker 2: So when I got older, I took what the concept
Speaker 2: of Lisa is saying at the kitchen table talking about this,
Speaker 2: and I was like, we should do a thing family reunion.
Speaker 2: So now you have a conversation. You start out with
Speaker 2: the kitchen table. Then you take that concept and then
Speaker 2: you do something if you can. If you cannot, that's fine.
Speaker 2: Then you may partner.
Speaker 1: Up with an organization. You may find different ways financially
Speaker 1: or with.
Speaker 2: Your time to contribute to the communities that you want
Speaker 2: to contribute to. Right, so I took again Lisa's concept
Speaker 2: is you start out the kitchen table because you see
Speaker 2: your family, your friends or whatever, you have the conversation
Speaker 2: you over dinner, and then you take that into something.
Speaker 1: So for me, it was starting out my family reunion
Speaker 1: because then I'm inviting others into that community to build
Speaker 1: a stronger community.
Speaker 2: I'm inviting other perspective, other stories about oh what can
Speaker 2: we do now. I'm sorry to say that I no
Speaker 2: longer participate in my family reunion, but it's because COVID happened.
Speaker 2: COVID happened, and it just put a damsel things change,
Speaker 2: and I'm going to leave it at.
Speaker 1: That for now, because we never know.
Speaker 2: But I knew for me the importance of doing the
Speaker 2: family reunion, and I did it for five years.
Speaker 1: What my main mission was, I wanted children from our
Speaker 1: children to know and to know that one how.
Speaker 2: Large our family was, and then also to know like
Speaker 2: if I were to go somewhere or something happens to me,
Speaker 2: my son could just be like, oh, I got family here,
Speaker 2: I got family there, I got family here. I got
Speaker 2: cousin people that are gonna look out for them, And
Speaker 2: I think is the same way African Americans do sororities
Speaker 2: in fraternity.
Speaker 1: It's the same concept.
Speaker 2: They have the network of people that you it doesn't
Speaker 2: matter if you're a blood or not once you join
Speaker 2: that organization your family, but they have a network of
Speaker 2: people like if you need something, oh, okay, so and
Speaker 2: so can help you in all areas of all types
Speaker 2: of things. So I think as Caribbean, African American colored
Speaker 2: people like however, minorities, I think we do have those
Speaker 2: resources that there's so many organizations in so many ways
Speaker 2: of building stronger community out there. You just gotta choose
Speaker 2: what fits for you and you gotta see how you
Speaker 2: could contribute that makes sense for you. We're not telling
Speaker 2: you that, oh you need to because again, like I
Speaker 2: begin the story, we wake up with a day that
Speaker 2: already is consuming us with so much. Right, so you
Speaker 2: gotta pick and choose and you gotta feel make it like, Okay,
Speaker 2: if I have thirty minutes today to go sit with
Speaker 2: an elder, that's.
Speaker 1: What I'm gonna do.
Speaker 2: And that's building a stronger community because you're gonna get stories,
Speaker 2: you're gonna pass it down right if you're like, you
Speaker 2: know what, that's not for me.
Speaker 1: I don't like the.
Speaker 2: Elders, but you want to play basketball with the kids
Speaker 2: in the community.
Speaker 1: You understood what I'm saying. You're teaching them like earn
Speaker 1: your leisure for example.
Speaker 3: You're gonna have y'all in there.
Speaker 2: You started with financial education, now you're going to Ghana
Speaker 2: to build Like that's building a community and they are
Speaker 2: using the strength of financial education to do so. The
Speaker 2: other example that I could use is Pah yeah us.
Speaker 1: It's another example.
Speaker 2: Because last year we gave out the first Caribbean Excellence
Speaker 2: Scholarship to three individuals with with Caribbean culture and this
Speaker 2: year we're looking to do well. Yes, so we're looking
Speaker 2: to continue that moving forward. But that's one way we
Speaker 2: feel like we're building a stronger community. And then we
Speaker 2: do also reach out to other people, like when there
Speaker 2: was what the hurricane that happened, we partner up with
Speaker 2: I think she was soaka something on Instagram.
Speaker 1: We need to find your once we find her name
Speaker 1: with my Tiger and we donate that.
Speaker 2: And then we donated what we could as a podcast
Speaker 2: to this Realief Fund to be able to provide whatever
Speaker 2: it was for this particular island. So there's ways that
Speaker 2: you could build strong community, find the right people because
Speaker 2: I know it's scary. That's the other thing too. We
Speaker 2: gotta be realistic because I know that it's scary. It's
Speaker 2: scared to trust people. It's scared you know who to
Speaker 2: trust a lot of times because you have so many
Speaker 2: I ain't on front for me in my scort fyol
Speaker 2: list going not trusting anywhere and my stingers already on
Speaker 2: see lisaid, lisays the Libra trying to balance it out.
Speaker 1: I'm not.
Speaker 3: I'm trying with like Yo, what I'd be like, wait, wait,
Speaker 3: let's let's talk about this. Let's let's look at both sides.
Speaker 3: Let's talk about this, like let's get a glass of wine.
Speaker 2: Just now you feel we come be like what the
Speaker 2: fuck do you want? Why you want my money? You
Speaker 2: gotta give me x y Z what I need to
Speaker 2: see everything. I ain't trying to balance with you, because.
Speaker 3: But look at the little puppies and the little babies
Speaker 3: over here.
Speaker 2: See that's why we balance each other out, because I'd
Speaker 2: be like, yo, no, I need I need your rap ship.
Speaker 1: I need to I need to know where my money
Speaker 1: is going.
Speaker 2: Especially, so I do understand also the part about the
Speaker 2: community of having the resources, who to trust and all
Speaker 2: of that can be a little bit daunting at time,
Speaker 2: but you still have If you don't trust anybody, start
Speaker 2: your own. We're a very big advocate of starting your
Speaker 2: own organization. The example I have is a and I
Speaker 2: follow her on Instagram. We follow her on Instagram. Her
Speaker 2: name is Bertrude Albert. She's with p H Global. She's
Speaker 2: an Asian organization.
Speaker 1: And I want to.
Speaker 2: Start out with this young lady has a PhD. Is
Speaker 2: that yeah, Yes, she's about her stuff. So again, PhD
Speaker 2: shows that she has worked, she has dedicated herself to
Speaker 2: get the education that she is.
Speaker 1: So we got to give credit where credit is due.
Speaker 1: Definitely organization. What I like about her is the fact
Speaker 1: that she is.
Speaker 2: A very proud Haitian, but not only that she has
Speaker 2: put her mouth where her money is.
Speaker 1: Her money where her mouth is.
Speaker 3: You put her money where her mouth is.
Speaker 1: Is that what it is? Yo?
Speaker 2: I try to do the the American singers, and YO,
Speaker 2: I'll be wrong all this time. Please every time y'all
Speaker 2: know I'm doing an American singer wrong.
Speaker 1: I have tough skin.
Speaker 2: You could put it and say, yo, be why you
Speaker 2: missing comments because y'all know I'll be put.
Speaker 3: The money where your mouth is. You're like you put
Speaker 3: the money. Put the mouth where the money is.
Speaker 2: What But their organization, she is about education. She actually
Speaker 2: lives in Haiti, she has been for a while now.
Speaker 2: Their organization is one of those organizations she's strongly about education.
Speaker 2: She's strongly about rebuilding the Haitian how people see Haitian people,
Speaker 2: and living in Haiti.
Speaker 1: And providing education.
Speaker 2: So her organization is one that I would say, And
Speaker 2: then she's been involved in a lot of different what
Speaker 2: do they call it, different missions around Haiti where she
Speaker 2: is currently. Their garbage system is working, also the canal,
Speaker 2: she's been a big part of that and helping and
Speaker 2: maybe that you know, there's water coming in, and then
Speaker 2: that the you know, they train teachers to make sure
Speaker 2: that they're providing education. But the other part that I
Speaker 2: like about her and how I discovered on Instagram was
Speaker 2: the fact that again I wanted to learn about the
Speaker 2: true history of Haiti, and she covers that. She covers
Speaker 2: the true history of Haiti, and then I got into oh,
Speaker 2: she has an organization, so sometime you meet people for
Speaker 2: one reason, or you seek out things and then you
Speaker 2: find out, oh it's really cool and Ertrude, I'm gonna tag.
Speaker 1: You on here.
Speaker 2: I would love for you to come on this podcast
Speaker 2: or I would love to partner up with you for
Speaker 2: you to talk to the people on our platform. But yeah,
Speaker 2: so pH four Global is one not if you're looking
Speaker 2: to again build a stronger community and you're looking to
Speaker 2: partner up with something or looking to donate or looking
Speaker 2: for ways to support the Haitian people, that would be
Speaker 2: one that I would.
Speaker 1: Say to do also.
Speaker 2: And then for Dominika, there's also visit with Dominica has
Speaker 2: a Visitors.
Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2: That you could go on there and they do a
Speaker 2: lot of community things in Dominika.
Speaker 3: And you know, teaching a history about Dominico. Two I
Speaker 3: want to add on with community also too, is that
Speaker 3: we want the we call our followers a d Linemen crew.
Speaker 3: We want them to know that this is a safe
Speaker 3: haven also too, and that this is a community if
Speaker 3: you feel like you need to reach out and you
Speaker 3: need to talk to someone as well. Definitely, we're creating
Speaker 3: a community of first generations to just have a place
Speaker 3: to come and chat. So at any point you could
Speaker 3: drop you in a comment, or if you want to
Speaker 3: share something private, you can also DM us to that
Speaker 3: will be private. And then if you want to come
Speaker 3: on and talk about communities that you're sharing or community
Speaker 3: you want to be a part of, or maybe a
Speaker 3: community idea that you want backing. Also to feel free
Speaker 3: to reach out to us to because a lot of
Speaker 3: times people feel like they just want a safe space,
Speaker 3: as you mentioned, and that's one thing that we can
Speaker 3: reassure that we're a safe space. We do crack a
Speaker 3: lot of jokes, yes, but.
Speaker 1: That but that's the Caribbean way.
Speaker 3: Like if yeah, we can help out joking or.
Speaker 2: Cracking joke, you gotta have some and we understand, you know,
Speaker 2: the younger generation, we want everybody to be welcome. And
Speaker 2: like I said, that's when I was younger. You know,
Speaker 2: the great uncles were telling the stories but I didn't know.
Speaker 2: So I want to We want to be able to
Speaker 2: also reach that gap that the next generation doesn't fill
Speaker 2: out of touch.
Speaker 1: With our story and with our culture.
Speaker 2: Because if we are feeling proud, because I would say
Speaker 2: again nothing with my parents, they did a beautiful job,
Speaker 2: but there's a gap that I had to go and
Speaker 2: seek out a lot of my community and identity.
Speaker 1: Even though I was around it.
Speaker 2: Being around something doesn't always mean you understand that thing.
Speaker 3: Yes, talking about it.
Speaker 2: You have to answer question, you have to show me. Okay,
Speaker 2: we're Haitian, we're proud people. Why especially like I understand
Speaker 2: the ones born in Haiti understanding And I think I've
Speaker 2: mentioned that before my cousins were born because they go
Speaker 2: to school and they learn about their true history, like
Speaker 2: m certain places, but they learn about that, so they
Speaker 2: come here with the mindset yo, I'm Haitian, we are
Speaker 2: the firm, don't blah blah blah, and where that they believe?
Speaker 3: Proud, proud, But then yeah, and the same thing in
Speaker 3: Dominica too, they teach about the Dominikan history. But then
Speaker 3: also too, and again this is no fault of their
Speaker 3: own because our parents came to this country. They're trying
Speaker 3: to survive themselves and acclimate themselves to a new culture
Speaker 3: and country. So a lot of times, some of I'm
Speaker 3: gonna say, the bad habits came with them where children
Speaker 3: were seen and not heard, so we didn't have the
Speaker 3: opportunity to sit at the table. They did teach us
Speaker 3: a lot some things. I'm gonna say some a lot
Speaker 3: things about our culture, but we couldn't ask the question
Speaker 3: why that's the thing we could not add. So that's
Speaker 3: another thing I feel like this podcast came out of
Speaker 3: that too, was like our grievances. It started off with
Speaker 3: the things that our parents are not talking about, you
Speaker 3: know what I mean, just like you said, bridging that gap,
Speaker 3: you know. So that's another reason why I emphasize like
Speaker 3: this is a safe space because we have to basically
Speaker 3: learn from each other. You know, our parents now, I
Speaker 3: feel like they are of age and we're grown that
Speaker 3: we can start asking some questions. But also too, with
Speaker 3: the I hate to say, the dying age too of
Speaker 3: our elders, we're losing a lot of things because we
Speaker 3: didn't have the opportunity to talk about it when we
Speaker 3: were younger.
Speaker 2: So, like you said, table, when you're building that community,
Speaker 2: even though the food is important, even though the music
Speaker 2: is important, the history as important. And if you can
Speaker 2: then place them in resources or environment like I say,
Speaker 2: pH Global and so many other resources that are out there,
Speaker 2: that you're providing resources for your children the younger generation
Speaker 2: to feel proud because I know our children they are
Speaker 2: very proud. My son is very very that Yo, he
Speaker 2: found out that he's Haitian one hundred percent. And I
Speaker 2: know you're gonna ask me so if you want to
Speaker 2: know why that, I said what I said common below
Speaker 2: and will tell you the ending of that story. But
Speaker 2: he's found out that he's a hunch. I'm I'm a
Speaker 2: hundred percent of Haitian. He's Dady's one hundred percent. And
Speaker 2: he found out and he was like, oh, yo, he
Speaker 2: has a different step, a different at, a different whatever.
Speaker 2: And he's step because and I know that's way different
Speaker 2: than mine when I grew up feeling like, oh my gosh,
Speaker 2: I'm Haitian. He has a totally But again, it's the
Speaker 2: way that I'm relating the history.
Speaker 1: I'm relating the.
Speaker 2: Information and we're having conversation and it's not like, oh,
Speaker 2: we're Caribbean and we're the back and all this su
Speaker 2: the good and the bad. You got to give all
Speaker 2: of it, but you gotta also stand tan tos.
Speaker 1: Did I used to okay because I thank you see.
Speaker 3: Was about the strong too.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was about to mess that finger up, but
Speaker 1: thank you for the same.
Speaker 2: But yes, he's like, you gotta be able to stand
Speaker 2: tantos and be able to know the history, be able
Speaker 2: to know when people are FFing with you about who
Speaker 2: you are, and be able to be like, oh, so yeah,
Speaker 2: I would.
Speaker 3: Think that, But yeah, I would have to say we
Speaker 3: are proud of our culture because I know plenty of times,
Speaker 3: you know, and I know I've mentioned this story before
Speaker 3: where it's like back in the days, I would never
Speaker 3: miss a mask, I would never miss a carnival, I
Speaker 3: would never miss a jump up. And my dad would
Speaker 3: always say like, but you're American. I don't know who
Speaker 3: are you? And I'm like, just because you guys came
Speaker 3: here and I'm born here, that doesn't mean that my
Speaker 3: culture is just out the window. Or but yet, what
Speaker 3: probably some of the problem is, I think some people,
Speaker 3: and I'm not necessarily saying my parents, I think some
Speaker 3: people come here to this country and they want to
Speaker 3: leave the culture behind and they just want to be like,
Speaker 3: I'm here in America, this is the Promised Land, so
Speaker 3: we're all about this, and they just they throw it out.
Speaker 3: Do I do notice that there are some people that
Speaker 3: come from different countries and they just throw the baby
Speaker 3: out with the bike, with the baby water, you know,
Speaker 3: what I mean. And I don't believe that you should
Speaker 3: do that, you know, because and I guess what also
Speaker 3: helped too is that from the time we were babies,
Speaker 3: we went back like every other summer. Oh that's good,
Speaker 3: you know what I'm saying, and those house parties, so
Speaker 3: all of those things kept you well, this is in
Speaker 3: my mind. I'm like, well, this is who we are, right, this,
Speaker 3: this is who I am. And it's it's you know,
Speaker 3: even though I'm in the United States, this is this
Speaker 3: is who I am.
Speaker 2: And I also feel like for our parents because my parents,
Speaker 2: my parents did that, especially my mom. We were born
Speaker 2: in Guadeloup, so when she would introduce us to people
Speaker 2: or even with some of our cousin, it's like, oh,
Speaker 2: these are the Guadalupians, right. But then at the same time,
Speaker 2: and I don't want to get into nothing, you are
Speaker 2: where your parents are born.
Speaker 1: So I still have a conflict.
Speaker 2: Now, Like and this morning, I'm going for my walk
Speaker 2: and this person's like, oh, hi, good morning. I say
Speaker 2: hi to them, and they noticed the accent and they
Speaker 2: were like, oh, where are you from?
Speaker 1: And I find myself always staying I was born.
Speaker 2: In Guadeloup, but my parents are Haitian instead of saying
Speaker 2: I'm Haitian.
Speaker 3: I I'm Dominagon.
Speaker 2: For me, I think it's also like the mindset not
Speaker 2: something I'm working on, because it's just so grain in
Speaker 2: me that, oh I was going to Guadalupe. And I
Speaker 2: think it's still I don't know if it's just you know,
Speaker 2: still not considering myself or or considering what people feel
Speaker 2: about Haitians and Haiti and things like that. But you
Speaker 2: are where your parents are born, and like you to
Speaker 2: your point, like your parents, you know, I don't think
Speaker 2: that they were ashamed of being Haitian, but like you said,
Speaker 2: they left, you know, that part of their life. So
Speaker 2: for my mom, when she was introduced her, she felt like, oh, well,
Speaker 2: my kids were born outside of Haiti. To her, she
Speaker 2: she did it as a badge, not to be disrespectful,
Speaker 2: I don't think, but it was just like, okay, they
Speaker 2: were born in a French island, you know just what
Speaker 2: I mean. So, like there's a complex within our parents,
Speaker 2: and I don't think that they realize it to tell
Speaker 2: people like, hey, your son, you know, your.
Speaker 3: Child, it's okay to be proud of where you're from.
Speaker 3: It's okay.
Speaker 2: And I tell you he's Haitian yea, even though he
Speaker 2: was being razy, and my son will tell you he Haitian.
Speaker 3: Okay, don't mess And that's the thing I think because
Speaker 3: of me is a melting pot. Everybody's proud of where
Speaker 3: they're from. So it's just kind of like, you know,
Speaker 3: like they say, I'm Black and I'm proud. Yeah, I'm
Speaker 3: Dominiquing and I'm proud. I'm Haitian and I'm proud, Like
Speaker 3: I'm Puerto Rican and I'm proud. Like it's just I'm
Speaker 3: Colombian and I'm proud. It's just it's just what it is.
Speaker 3: And you know who the loudest is, the trainis and
Speaker 3: I'm proud. But yeah, we all talk about that.
Speaker 2: So at the end of the day, we gotta take
Speaker 2: the good with the bad, you know, teach the good
Speaker 2: and the bad, because I feel like that's another thing too.
Speaker 1: With our culture and with Haitian, we are.
Speaker 2: Always and it's it's a double edged sword, is what
Speaker 2: I'm gonna say.
Speaker 1: Because we are proud to talk about the history.
Speaker 2: About the revolution, about the first independent all of these
Speaker 2: things are phenomenal because damn right we should be. But
Speaker 2: at the same time, why I don't like is then
Speaker 2: we brush certain conversation under the rug, and we can't
Speaker 2: do that. And I'm not saying that we should do
Speaker 2: that in all arenas, but I feel like you said
Speaker 2: at the kitchen table with your family, have the conversation
Speaker 2: so that way your children when they go out in
Speaker 2: the world, they are fully equipped, right, Because I think
Speaker 2: that's a struggle that we need to overcome to be
Speaker 2: a better community within just not because our communities are
Speaker 2: built on individuals. Individuals and families, families and community community.
Speaker 1: To the world, right, that's how things work.
Speaker 2: So if you're not equipping the individual to be able
Speaker 2: to be a good family person, to be able to
Speaker 2: go out in the community and be a good citizen,
Speaker 2: then you know you're putting out You're putting out not quality,
Speaker 2: quality assets. Can I say human's assets to go out
Speaker 2: in the world and to build those stronger communities, because
Speaker 2: then a lot of time, I feel like that's where
Speaker 2: we also lack. If we're not building strong children, women
Speaker 2: and girls and boys that they don't know their identity,
Speaker 2: as far as the girls.
Speaker 1: They don't know their identity, they don't have.
Speaker 2: The confidence, then what kind of community are we building?
Speaker 2: What kind of community are living. So everything that we
Speaker 2: like Lisa said, that we put at that kitchen table, what.
Speaker 1: Did we make?
Speaker 2: Okay, my Haitian people, when we're when we're seasoning, when
Speaker 2: we're about to cook, because that's we're all familiar with cooking.
Speaker 2: That Mika, you offer me, right, you buy your meat,
Speaker 2: you clean your meat.
Speaker 1: You see that was your meat. Please wash your meat
Speaker 1: on it, she said, hot.
Speaker 2: Water, Then you put your seasoning and then you cook it.
Speaker 2: How what did I tell you? I gave you four
Speaker 2: five steps? Right yep, So when you are with human beings,
Speaker 2: there are four or five steps to be able to
Speaker 2: So guess what if you don't wash your meat, I'm
Speaker 2: not eating it.
Speaker 3: And listen where gets out in the street. Don't go
Speaker 3: to their house, they don't watch their meat. Trust when
Speaker 3: I tell you so. If you it passes down word
Speaker 3: in the streets.
Speaker 2: So, if you are creative, if we are putting out
Speaker 2: strong community and these individuals are missing three steps or
Speaker 2: three things, you understand what I'm saying. Whatever it could
Speaker 2: be mind, body, spirit, You're not emotionally connecting with them
Speaker 2: on that level or providing them resources for them when
Speaker 2: they go out in the community. To be emotionally intelligent,
Speaker 2: spiritually intelligent, mindfully intelligent. There's all these kind of different
Speaker 2: avenue physically intelligent because we want them to be healthy
Speaker 2: and to be able to live long and all that
Speaker 2: good stuff.
Speaker 1: If you are missing these steps, things gonna happen to
Speaker 1: your food. It's either not gonna be if.
Speaker 2: It's gonna stink because you ain't wash your meat. It's
Speaker 2: not gonna be if you it's not gonna taste right,
Speaker 2: if you don't cook it like it's all part of
Speaker 2: the recipe.
Speaker 3: People, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yep. And then all of these things.
Speaker 3: When you're sitting down and passing this knowledge on, you're
Speaker 3: also creating a bond, right. And then also to getting
Speaker 3: back to sisterhood women, your grandmother, your great grandmother, your
Speaker 3: mommy in the kitchen, everything that's the sisterhood. You're creating
Speaker 3: those bonds. That's what you're passing down to the next generation. Right,
Speaker 3: So when you pass that down to the next generations there,
Speaker 3: thank you, Cina Ellie. Then once once you're passing these
Speaker 3: down to the next generation and creating that bond and
Speaker 3: that sisterhood, you're also providing you're also giving women the
Speaker 3: confidence you're giving them and even your little boys that
Speaker 3: you have in the kitchen and you're passing down these
Speaker 3: recipes because the little boys they need to know these
Speaker 3: recipes too to keep their culture going as too. You're
Speaker 3: creating a sense of confidence too. That's another thing that
Speaker 3: people don't realize that comes with that, right, and with
Speaker 3: that confidence that you can bring to community, and that
Speaker 3: even gives people the confidence to be like, I can
Speaker 3: grow my community because I have the confidence I have
Speaker 3: something to share, I have something to bring to the table, right,
Speaker 3: And that's what it is at the end of the day,
Speaker 3: being able to come to the table with something and
Speaker 3: passing that down for the future to come. Because what
Speaker 3: we don't want is to lose that sense of community
Speaker 3: for the future, and we don't want to lose the
Speaker 3: sense of culture, pride, confidence. We need all of that
Speaker 3: in a bucket moving forward for the future because the future,
Speaker 3: the past is done, right, that's all we have left
Speaker 3: is the future.
Speaker 1: And you need to yeh. And we need to learn.
Speaker 1: We need to learn from all of it, and we.
Speaker 2: Need to, like you said, because we're building communities, whether
Speaker 2: they're strong or not.
Speaker 1: We're building communities regardless.
Speaker 3: Of small or big. Right, Yeah, even if it's they
Speaker 3: start off small and they will grow.
Speaker 1: But not only that, I'm talking about strong communities.
Speaker 2: We're building communities because you could be in a home
Speaker 2: environment and it's miserable. So we could build strong communities.
Speaker 2: Could either be thriving or not thriving. They could be
Speaker 2: successful or not successful. So regardless of how we're talking about,
Speaker 2: strength is the opposite. What's the opposite of being strong?
Speaker 2: So if we don't build strong community, what do you.
Speaker 1: Think we're building.
Speaker 3: Weak lens Ding ding.
Speaker 2: Ding Because we are still part of a community. However,
Speaker 2: we want to look at it for our children, for ourselves.
Speaker 2: If we're not doing something to build stronger communities, again,
Speaker 2: it doesn't matter. We also don't want people to feel
Speaker 2: like they need to do this big, grander thing.
Speaker 3: No, you don't need to be pav you don't need
Speaker 3: to be part your.
Speaker 2: Global You don't need to if that's not for you,
Speaker 2: you do not, Like I said, if it's sitting with
Speaker 2: an elder five minutes, if it's reading to kids, something
Speaker 2: small that you feel like you're even if you are
Speaker 2: a stay at home mom, and the best that you
Speaker 2: could do is to make sure that your children have all.
Speaker 1: The ingredients to be wonderful human beings. That is still larger.
Speaker 1: Building a strong community, your husband.
Speaker 3: Because these communities, these are safe places.
Speaker 1: Your home is taking care of.
Speaker 2: You're taking care of, You're making sure that what you're
Speaker 2: putting out and speaking over your family, over yourself.
Speaker 1: That is strong community.
Speaker 2: If you are strong your community and ever everything you
Speaker 2: come around is also going to be strong. So we
Speaker 2: every every It's like the Bible says it right. We
Speaker 2: are all part of a unit kind of. But the
Speaker 2: right hand and left hand are two separate entities, but
Speaker 2: it all works for one. So if you understand what
Speaker 2: I'm saying, I'm paraphraid and just like my English singer
Speaker 2: my Bibles parables.
Speaker 3: You got it, you know what.
Speaker 1: I just take it for what it is. Y'all know
Speaker 1: what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 3: But yep, you got it.
Speaker 2: For all men, women, especially women, you know, not that
Speaker 2: jealousy and all that. Let let's not do that too,
Speaker 2: because I know sometimes we could be petty, we could
Speaker 2: be jealous, we could be and I.
Speaker 3: Know again we need and listen, we need again. I
Speaker 3: don't need to bring up all I'm gonna say is
Speaker 3: in twenty twenty five. We need each other and we
Speaker 3: need to I don't want to say foster those communities
Speaker 3: that are existing. We need to support the causes in
Speaker 3: those communities. Yeah, we need to. We need to lock
Speaker 3: in I don't know how to lock in people. That's
Speaker 3: what we need to do right now. And with the
Speaker 3: call to action, Yes, and we're having a call to
Speaker 3: action is to build a strength in the bonds in
Speaker 3: the community and in the Caribbean community and also the
Speaker 3: Caribbean American community. Yes, that's what we need to do.
Speaker 3: So b I'm gonna let you talk about the three
Speaker 3: tips this week that our d line and crew can
Speaker 3: help contribute to creating these stronger communities and bonds that
Speaker 3: we need so desperately in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1: Yes, definitely, And you know we want to all sell.
Speaker 2: We want to ask you guys, like how do you
Speaker 2: stay connected with each other, with other Caribbean women to
Speaker 2: support the community. We give you guys a couple of examples,
Speaker 2: so let us know what other example that you guys
Speaker 2: have as well, other organization that you feel like we
Speaker 2: need to partner up with to build strong communities. Again,
Speaker 2: we give out a scholarship every year so we'd love
Speaker 2: to if you have any candidates that you feel qualify.
Speaker 1: There is a qualification process the follow.
Speaker 2: For you know, high school students, yo high school students
Speaker 2: to qualify. So definitely, again we're building communities, We're giving
Speaker 2: the next generation a guide to like something that we
Speaker 2: could to just continue the culture and stuff like that.
Speaker 2: So let us know if you do have a high
Speaker 2: school student or whatever that you think will qualify and
Speaker 2: that should we should consider for our scholarship whatever.
Speaker 1: Let us know.
Speaker 2: So our tip for this at Wonderful Building Strong Community
Speaker 2: episode is seek out Caribbean community organization like pH four Global,
Speaker 2: like the Visit Dominikua Buro of Visitors. You know, you
Speaker 2: could join social groups again, Instagram is a great place.
Speaker 1: Facebook is a great place.
Speaker 2: These organizations have these these pages, so go in there,
Speaker 2: like comments, share support them, share their stuff on filter
Speaker 2: Lining podcasts also.
Speaker 3: Join and we'll also list a few other Caribbean podcasts
Speaker 3: to women podcasts too. We'll share that also to as well.
Speaker 1: Right join social group, attend culture events.
Speaker 2: Like Lisa said, if it's kandaval mass, whatever it is,
Speaker 2: join those things because they do happen in the community.
Speaker 2: So if you feel comfortable going. Definitely go if you
Speaker 2: can support local restaurants, to support local resources where you can.
Speaker 2: I know I support my local businesses, my Haitian restaurants.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much. I love y'all for real.
Speaker 2: Volunteer like I said, your time. The other one is
Speaker 2: connect with other Caribbean women online. You know we've done that.
Speaker 2: Shout out to Rosie. Was it Rosie perspective? I think
Speaker 2: she's you know, yea started out she connected with us.
Speaker 2: I was also thank you to the Patient American Diaries.
Speaker 2: I was on their podcast a couple of seasons ago. Again,
Speaker 2: these are two female podcasts or content creators, so again
Speaker 2: we they're.
Speaker 1: All those concepts.
Speaker 2: So thank you for them for reaching out and we
Speaker 2: follow them and they have great you know, episode and
Speaker 2: stores that they share as well. So definitely that's one
Speaker 2: way for you guys to continue doing that. So online
Speaker 2: is in social media and then be a mentor to
Speaker 2: Caribbean women or in share your experience and offer guidance
Speaker 2: to the next generation, because that's very important. To make
Speaker 2: yourself available and be honest. Because one thing I would
Speaker 2: have to say is I love my mom to death.
Speaker 1: I love the women in my family and no shade
Speaker 1: to them. Nobody's perfect. I'm believe it at that, because
Speaker 1: that's gonna be another story. Continue to follow us for
Speaker 1: this season so you can hear the rest of that.
Speaker 3: Damn, We're just gonna leave them hanging just like that.
Speaker 3: I please thank you for tuning into this week's episode
Speaker 3: of the Unfiltered Linement podcast. We hope you enjoyed the
Speaker 3: conversation and gain some valuable insight. Don't forget to subscribe
Speaker 3: to the show so you can catch every new episode
Speaker 3: and leave us a review so we can continue to
Speaker 3: bring you fresh, exciting content. And if you have a
Speaker 3: topic you'd like us to discuss or story you'd like
Speaker 3: to share, please reach out to us via our website.
Speaker 3: Join us again the next thir for another Unfiltered conversation
Speaker 3: about the rich, diversity and complexity of the Caribbean American experience.
Speaker 3: Until then, keep exploring, keep learning, and keep celebrating the
Speaker 3: unique cultural heritage that makes us who we are. Unfiltered
Speaker 3: Lining is edited and produced by Unfiltered Limons