Haitians and Hanukkah

When winter comes in the US, we say "Happy Holidays." As far greetings go it's pretty accurate but not very precise; most people aren't celebrating generic "holidays" but something more specific. As far as winter holidays go Ramadan is a moving target and Kwanzaa is an asterisk: the biggies, as we all know,  are Christmas and Hanukkah. So, what do we say to our baristas when we drop our change in the tip jar? Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah? Neither: we equivocate with "Happy Holidays," for fear of causing offense.

It's easy to see how we got here. Really, how can you tell if someone is Jewish or Christian by appearances alone? You can't!

Sure, sometimes we can hazard a guess and not strikeout. And there are signs we might look for: someone wearing a cross or a particularly ugly sweater is probably into Christmas. A bearded gentleman with prominent forelocks' and a kippe probably will not object to Happy Hanukkah.  We might listen for a name or accent to clue us in. If we are really comfortable (and most likely Jewish ourselves) we might judge by physiognomy.

Of course this is profiling in itself. And it doesn't always work.  Even Jews get it wrong sometimes. Hence, Happy Holidays.

It's July and I'm wondering, how can we tell Dominicans from Haitians? I ask because I am currently enrolled in a Kreyol class. My wife Cat and I stationed near the Haitian border and Kreyol, being tte language of Haiti, might come in handy. The chance to learn another language (Spanish) was one of the reasons we chose Peace Corps, so we're really excited to learn another and are to determined to use it.

Since there is no equivalent of "Happy Holidays" that covers both Spanish and Kreyol, I have to guess. Even though I know I'm going to get it wrong.

So I present here, more for my own mortification as for your edification, a shortlist of the "signs" I've discovered.

Color
Both Dominicans and Haitians have a lot of Africa in their history, but Dominicans are more intermixed with other groups than Haitians. If someone looks "black" in the American sense of the word, they are likely Dominican. If they look "African" they are likely Haitian.

But of course there are "African" looking Dominicans. And there is the fact that nationality is not a genetic trait. A person of 100% African Ancestry, born in Haiti, can magically transform with the right documentation. One of the most celebrated of all Dominican politicians, José Francisco Peña Gomez, a man many consider the first true leader to emerge after three decades of dictatorship was born to Haitian parents, orphaned by a massacre, adopted by Dominican parents and *poof* was magically transformed.

And there is the fact that there are light - even "white" - Haitians. So let's forget about color.

Class
Haitians are, unfortunately, almost universally impoverished. In my town of 2000, which is about half-Haitian, only 2 or 3 Haitian families own their home. The rest rent or squat. They often lack shoes and their clothes are little more than rags.

But national privilege does not guarantee subsistence and I have met Dominicans whose extremely humble house was indistinguishable for their Haitian neighbors and whose clothes were likely picked from the same paca.

So let's scratch class as well.

Occupation
Haitians, like Latin American immigrants in the US, bear the brunt of the agricultural grunt work. They often work longs hours in fincas owned by Dominicans where they are paid by the day.

But Dominicans, too, toil in fields not their own. And Haitians can do as well for themselves as any other group and I've heard a few own land, so maybe occupation isn't that helpful after all.

Language
Haitians speak Kreyol and Dominicans speak Spanish, right? But if *anything* is mutable it's language, right? So many I shouldn't get started with this one . . .

Accent
Kreyol is, well, a creole of many languages but the largely constituent in the stew is French, somany Haitians speak with a nasal acc--- You know what? Nevermind.

Happy Christmas in July!