Last quarter, all students enrolled in KREY 12200 had the opportunity to go on a cultural exploration trip by visiting a Haitian restaurant, Kizin Creole Restaurant, which is located at 2311 W Howard St, Chicago, IL 60645.
This trip was very much cherished. It provided more experiences with Haitian foods as students practiced different vocabularies and expressions related to ordering foods and drinks in Haitian Kreyòl. It was an absolute pleasure for me to be part of a pedagogical and cultural activity that brought so much joy to our students. Please see below two students’ testimonials about their visit to Kizin Creole.
Gerdine Ulysse
Kenley
Being able to go to a Haitian restaurant with my Creole classmates was such an enjoyable experience. The food was absolutely delicious and transported me back to my roots. And the tight-knit friendship that our class has created remains something that I can lean on for anything I need. We learn together, we grow together, and yes, we eat together! I cherish the moments where I can enjoy my family’s culture, which is a considerable part of my identity, with my peers and friends. Pou m aprann kreyòl avèk zanmi ki apresye kilti mwen oswa ki gen menm kilti avèk mwen, se yon kado pi espesyal pou mwen!
Our Haitian Kreyol class’ trip to Kizin Kreyol will forever remain in my top ten moments in Chicago
The voyage itself was extremely scenic, featuring Lake Michigan in the background of the entire commute. We landed in Evanston, a quaint neighborhood known for its large Caribbean population. From the moment we walked into the doors of the restaurant, Kizin Kreyol embodied much of the island culture brimming in Evanston. We were met with minimalistic decor touched with wooden sculptures and colorful fabrics. While we waited for our waiter, we snacked on pistache and took pictures in front of a grass wall decked out with the restaurant’s logo. There was plenty of time to chat while we waited, so we switched comfortably between Kreyol and English on a range of topics such as the importance of dining together, and how grateful we were for our class. After some time, platters of red snapper, fried pork, fried goat, rice and beans, plantains, and pikliz consumed our space. We ate in total silence. The food spoke for itself. I’m sure our thoughts were similar, but I personally felt utter nostalgia for my childhood home and my mother. I also grieved the accessibility I used to have of being able to indulge in our culture freely through food. However, I was incredibly comforted, both by the homeliness of the restaurant and by the community forming right before my eyes. We bid farewell to the staff and chatted quietly but animatedly on our ride home. In that, I realized that food politics was so much more than a conversation, but something we should deeply engage in to better understand our identity. In this case, I walked away feeling closer to what it meant to be Haitian than ever before.
Signed,
Ruth Beaubrun.
BA Global Studies, French.
C/O 2023
