‘Kouri, kouri! Bis la ap vini!’: Reflections on the stigma of being Haitian at primary and secondary school in the Bahamas

There is a pervasive stigma attached to being Haitian in the Bahamas. This article examines reflections on the experiences of the stigma of being Haitian at primary and secondary school among second-generation Haitians in the Bahamas. Based on this research, I argue that primary school functions as the first major institution where children of Haitian descent experience stigma as it relates to their ethnic heritage and, in turn, are exposed to the idea of being the ‘other’ in Bahamian society through bullying and anti-Haitian sentiments from students and teachers. Stigma, prejudice, exclusion, and discrimination characterize primary and secondary education for Haitians living in the Bahamas and are manifest in the form of cruel teasing, bullying, and discrimination primarily from students and teachers. The goal is not to argue that children of Haitian descent are completely unaware of anti-Haitian sentiment in the Bahamas until they attend school but, rather, that school functions as one of the first institutions children of Haitian descent learn there is stigma in being Haitian in the Bahamas.