Do Haitians tease you for your accent? Something we often hear from Haitian Creole learners and children of Haitian parents is just how much Haitians tease them for their accent or their lack of fluency.
Whether it’s because your accent is heavy like mine lol, or because your family focused more on helping you learn English than Haitian Creole, it doesn’t make it any easier to be made fun of when we’re genuinely trying to reconnect with our roots and improve our Haitian Creole.
What’s interesting is that Haitians love to poke fun at others so much that they don’t just tease learners. They tease each other too.
Sadly, Haitian children are sometimes made fun of at school as well. They get teased for their heritage, their accent, or even because someone says they “smell like food.”
What’s more, many children, regardless of background, are victims of harassment from their peers.
So how can you and I minimize or even stop the teasing?
Would you like more vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, and another video to help you improve your Haitian Creole?
How to Stop Getting Teased for Your Accent
First off, I do believe that Haitians use teasing as a coping mechanism because they constantly go through difficult times—though that’s not an excuse for being hurtful.
One thing to remember is that the person ridiculing you often just wants to revel in your discomfort. Lashing out or bursting into tears might even encourage them to keep going. When I meet a new Haitian, I usually slip in a comment early on like, “M konnen ou gentan wè lang mwen lou!” (“I know you’ve already noticed I have a heavy accent!”). Seriously—it works every time. Haitians usually laugh, and just like that, the moment passes. Crisis averted.
Another—and probably the best—way to fend off insults is to nonchalantly ignore them. There’s a powerful quote that says: “Do not give your heart to all the words that people may speak”—in other words, don’t take everything people say to heart.
Side note: If you’re being bullied and it’s more than you can handle, please seek help. These two articles are great resources:
Now, let’s see how one Haitian man responded when others ridiculed him. Enjoy!
Key Vocabulary
Depuis ma naissance. “Depi nesans mwen” oubyen “depi mwen fèt”
Fawouch. Bay yon moun fawouch. To make fun of someone
Fawouche. To annoy or bother
Ferme la bouche, laisse-moi voir. “Fèmen bouch ou, kite m wè”
Laisse-moi tranquil. “Kite m anrepo”
Lèd. Ugly
L’estime de soi. Konfyans nan tèt ou. Self-esteem
Lise. Similar to high school
On est né comme je suis. May be saying: “Se konsa m te fèt”
