African American, African and Haitian Heritage Culture

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 Heritages 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Haitians, (2007). Web.

Unaeze, F., & Perrin, R. (2014). Haitian Americans. Web.