A Brief History of the Cultural/Socio-Cultural Group
- African American & African cultural group is represented by individuals who live in Africa or in the African Diaspora in the USA. Haitian Heritage’s socio-cultural group includes people from Haiti (some are of European descent).
- African Americans initially were Africans who became black slaves brought to the USA by force. Haitian Heritage comes from slaves who won liberty from the power of France.
- The earliest African Americans were poor slaves. The earliest Haitian Americans were from the upper classes (Haitians, 2007).
- Today, both Africans and Haitians leave their native lands searching for a better life.
Values
- Africans and Haitian Heritage values family life and allow adaptable family roles.
- Both groups value education, but Haitian Heritage has worse access to it.
- Haitian Heritage values its customs while African Americans tend to have more American views.
Worldview
- Haitian Heritage pays much attention to hierarchies. The majority of African Americans treat themselves as the representatives of the same class.
- Africans always kept to community solidarity. Haitians are more individualistic.
- African Americans are a separate group that is not yet equally treated. Haitians are often seen as a part of African Americans, and they do not always distinguish themselves.
Language and Communication Patterns
- Many representatives of Haitian Heritage use Creole and French. Africans use Afrikaans and English.
- The French language provides more opportunities to get to the upper class. Knowing English is not treated as a privilege.
- Haitians follow European communication patterns while Africans use American ones.
Art and Other Expressive Forms
- Haitians prefer painting, Africans – woodcarvings.
- Haitian flag-making is a popular, African – sculpture.
- Haitians prefer naïve perspective and humor in pictures, Africans – jazz and blues melodies.
Norms and Rules
- Marriage for Africans is building community, for Haitians – family.
- Women and men can work, but females should take care of children while males for finances.
- African Americans often go from preschool to college; Haitians lack higher education.
Lifestyle Characteristics
- Haitians eat two meals and Africans – three.
- Haitians do not value punctuality, unlike African Americans.
- African Americans have better hygiene than Haitians.
- Haitians believe fat people to be healthy while Africans suffer from obesity.
Relationship Patterns
- Haitian female friends kiss on the lips, African Americans – on the cheeks.
- Men shake hands.
- Haitian males and females kiss on cheeks, American – shake hands.
Common Rituals
- Haitians celebrate Flag and University Day and Discovery of Haiti Day, which means nothing for Africans.
- All Africans have a harvest festival. Haitians who practice voodoo celebrate them.
- During a Haitian wedding, the groom leads the bride but not the father.
Degree of Assimilation or Marginalization from Mainstream Society
- Haitians assimilate slowly, unlike Africans.
- More Africans left their homeland than Haitians.
- African Americans prove their rights actively while Haitians are more yielding.
- Haitians are more foreigners than Africans in the USA.
Health Behaviors and Practices
- African Americans know more about health issues and treatments than Haitians, so they can demand care of better quality (Carteret, 2011).
- African Americans and Haitians have diet problems, so professionals should find out what they lack.
- Haitians often refer to folk healers while African Americans go to hospitals. Thus, Haitians have advanced stages of diseases more often (Unaeze & Perrin, 2014).
- African Americans believe in health organizations more, so professionals need to work harder with Haitians.
- Special drugs for African Americans exist but not for Haitians.
- Mothers and grandmothers make a diagnosis for Haitians.
- Haitians prefer French medications while Africans use American ones.
References
Carteret, M. (2011). Health care for African American patients/families. Web.
Haitians, (2007). Web.
Unaeze, F., & Perrin, R. (2014). Haitian Americans. Web.