Everyone has an identity that represents who they are about their qualities, beliefs, norms,
races, genders, and cultures that they were born with or they may have learned from different
places.
I am Gertrude Alteon I am 54 years old, I was born and raised in Haiti until I was 25 years
old. I considered myself as a west Indian Haitian woman who is a mix of a dominant ethnic
groups in Haiti, Cuba, and France. I Have many aspects of my identity, but the most important
ones that I am going to share in my paper are: race, gender, culture, religion, occupation and
hobbies.
My race is black, I come from Haiti, Cuba and France. My Father is Haitian but my Mother
was cuban; she passed away since I was 12 years old . The way I related to my Cuban culture
was when my grandfather flew to Cuba to work in the sugar industry where she met my
grandmother and later in the late 1940’s he came back with my Mother to live in Haiti before
they closed Cuba Port. The French part was because my country of sunshine, Haiti was
colonized by France, where many black Haitian women made babies with the French including
uncles.
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The foundation of my identity and personality indicate that I was a young black female and
that’s exactly what I choose for my gender. No discrimination but when I was growing up back
home I was taught we don’t choose genders; it was all about the sex if the person is born a
female she is female, a male he is a male. Again I am not discriminating but I consider myself
any other genders than a male especially to my Christianity religion. My Mother used to travel
all over the country to go buy merchandise to resell back home, the last time I remember my
Mother moved to Florida when I was 12 years old she never returned back to Haiti, she left me
my Dad and my brother he was 2 years. After a few months we start leaving with a step mother,
my life was changed completely. Since then I being suffering the way my mother was treated
me and my brother totally differents.When I turned 17 years old I get in love after I married and
I have my first child was a boy name Samuel.
The biggest impact in my life when I turned 21 years old and my brother and my Brother turned
12 years old , we had a big chock on our lives. Our Mother died by a car accident in Florida
1986’s. At the time we can’t traveled because this is the time the President Baby Doc have to
leave the country, they sent a letter to us , to assisted the funeral, but the courier came to the
wrong airplane, that airplane was for the 1st ladies the kidnaped that airplane at Santo Domingo,
so they can’t give us no visa to traveled for the funeral. We received the letter after 15 days of
the funeral, it was to late.
Seven years later I lost my Husband. I taught my life was over, GOD take control over my life.
At twenty four years old i had a visa to travel to United States, I started working very hard as a
single mom, two year later I brought my son to United States and three years after my Brother
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came, my brother and I, put our head together.I went back to school finish my high school I
finish graduated i went to a training for a certificate Nursing Assistant I worked so hard with
love, taking good care of my patient. Eleven years later my Dad came to United States after eight
years He’s became a Citizen right after he apply for all my sibling, two years after everybody
with me in America. That was a big victory i have , all my family here lives with me in
America. I remarried and have two more Daughters in total three children and my family grow
up. I have six Grandchildren. Plus I Adopted three order children and their Mom. two thousand
four i went back to College at massasoit after a year two thousand five I moved to Georgia
Atlanta, I passed four years it’s not good for me I came back to Boston , I returned back to
school at Massasoit CC. two thousand eleven ,I graduated two thousand fifteen for liberal art
transfer science, I started Nursing school at Massasoit later I drop because of my hand surgery i
can’t continue but I want to Quincy College two Thousand sixteen to continue my nursing school
at the end of the third semester the board of nursing closed the nursing school at quincy for their
on affair, that was another big chock for me as a student. Since then i started my anxiety, I
develop pain, knee pain, tendonitis, depression, everything become more serious I become
disable. I don’t give up I still returned at Massasoit for Respiratory I was doing well for theory in
class, because of my physical I can’t perform my clinical I felt twice and I can’t do rapid
response and with that occurrence not to mess with people life and that was the reason i drop
again. After dropping the classes what I found that best works for me, after all my pain in
suffering was to transfer my class in to Counseling major to get my bachelor’s degree in
Counseling therapy.
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I think everyone should be proud of where they come from even though they might not
actually be born in that country. My cultural identity is a mix of African, Taino and Spanish
imperialism and European due to the French colonization of Haiti. Ninety-five percent of the
population was of African descent and the remaining five percent mulattos and whites. Some
wealthy Haitians identify themselves as French, but most residents identify themselves as
Haitians, including myself as Haitian-American since I am a US Citizen. Our official languages
is Haitian creole and French. Some of my Haitian traditions are: “ Independence Day” we
celebrate it every January first by drinking soup, “Carnival” we celebrate it every second weeks
of February (except the Christians) and my most traditional culture is “voodoo” people celebrate
it every November (again except the Christian). All these traditions are a part of my cultural
identity; however, some of them are slightly forgotten since I Immigrated to the United States
and experiencing the American cultures.
Christianity plays a very important part of my identity. I was fortunate enough to be born
and raised in a christian family and to be baptized again at the age of twenty four when I
accepted the Lord as my savior I became a part of a family Seventh day Adventist. I remember
growing up, my parents used to take me to church every Sunday; they taught me how to pray in
the morning and at night and they used to tell me there is no better place to be, then being in
church to hear the great words of God. I was a singer in a choir for a short time in my former
Baptist church in Haiti and I couldn’t forget the day that I left the choir, because the choir
director told me I couldn’t sing well as the others. I felt quite discouraged to not come back to
church, but the spirit of God was always with me to encourage me that it was ok if I couldn’t
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sing but there are plenty other things that I can do for God. As of today I still identity myself as a
christian woman and I am looking forward to be more involved at church in Brockton.
My occupation is also plays a big part of my identity. I have to work so that I can meet my
needs and to provide food on the table or other needs for my family. I am actually helping my
family with individuals with mental disabilities and I am currently in school to have my licence
in mental counselor. I enjoy working with people, I like to helping others, I don’t quit easily and
what I like the most about my occupation is the challenges that i encounter in some daily basis
with my clients. I feel full of pride when I coach my client and then to see them succeed in the
future.
I think everyone has a sort of hobbies they enjoy to do in their spare time. “Spending time
with my family and going to Church” are also representing my identity big time. I hope not to
be exaggerated, but it’s true these two hobbies mean a lot to me. I cannot pass over one week
without going to Church it drives me nuts and it also affects my mood. I find out going to church
and spend time with my family in my spare time keep me out of trouble and it also refrains me
from going out clubbing and acting in some inappropriate behaviors that I used to do in the past.
Overall, all these characteristics represent my entire identity. What really stands out for me while
I am doing this identity paper, it’s truly reminds me from my past, my background, my culture,
my hard work and for who I am today as a simple lady to live the American dreams like
everyone else.
Identify mistakes in the above essay
Sample Solution
