Oral history interview with Mr. and Mrs. Bonhomme

Mr. Bonhomme spoke about when and why he migrated to the United States in 1962; attending Rockford College in Illinois; moving to Washington, DC in 1967; how he met his wife organizing a party for the Haitian soccer team; and creating economic studies for Bell Atlantic. He described experiencing segregation for the first time when his plane stopped in Atlanta, and racism in a barbershop in Virginia. Mrs. Bonhomme spoke about leaving Haiti in 1970; living in Panama, Minnesota, and New York before moving to Washington, DC; and her struggle with homesickness, missing the togetherness like in Haiti, and finding her place in the US. She also spoke about the formation and growth of her bilingual daycare and hiring Haitians. Mr. and Mrs. Bonhomme spoke about the existence and formation of the Haitian community in Washington, DC in the 1960s and 1970s; the formation of a soccer team by a group of students; their community work; and their involvement with associations and organizations, including the formation and work of Société pour la Preservation de la Culture Haitienne. They listed the schools that Haitian students attended, Haitian churches, and their family who live in the Washington, DC area. They explained the evolution of the Haitian community in Washington, DC; the influence and impact of the Boat people, the AIDs stigma, and Marjorie Vincent on the Haitian community in Washington, DC; why Haitians want to help Haiti; and their future visions for Haiti and the Haitian community in Washington, DC. Mrs. Bonhomme spoke about her parents and siblings, being raised by her grandmother, and the values she grew up with. Mr. Bonhomme spoke about his father's work as a minister and Haitian ambassador, including his father's exile from Haiti. They spoke about speaking Creole and French with family at home, their religious background, and raising their children. They explain they have never lost touch with Haiti, and why they stayed in the United States. Mr. Bonhomme explained he does want to go back to Haiti when security changes. Interview is in English and minimal French. Digital audio files include loud white noise and static, and lots of background noise. Interviewees' voices are soft and difficult to hear at times.