Restavec: From Haitian Slave Child to Middle-Class American

by Jean-Robert Cadet, Cynthia Nassano Cadet (Introduction)

African slaves in Haiti emancipated themselves from French rule in 1804 and created the first independent black republic in the Western Hemisphere. But they reinstituted slavery for the most vulnerable members of Haitian society—the children of the poor—by using them as unpaid servants to the wealthy. These children were—and still are— restavecs , a French term whose literal meaning of "staying with" disguises the unremitting labor, abuse, and denial of education that characterizes the children's lives. In this memoir, Jean-Robert Cadet recounts the harrowing story of his youth as a restavec, as well as his inspiring climb to middle-class American life. He vividly describes what it was like to be an unwanted illegitimate child "staying with" a well-to-do family whose physical and emotional abuse was sanctioned by Haitian society. He also details his subsequent life in the United States, where, despite American racism, he put himself through college and found success in the Army, in business, and finally in teaching.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Autobiography, Read For School, Social Justice, Biography

182 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[KamRun]

بدتر از مرگ جسمی یک کودک، مرگ کودکی‌ها و معنویت کودکی است؛ و بدتر از مردن معنویت، آن است که این یک رویه شود و استمرار داشته باشد و در این استمرار، عده‌ای بی‌تفاوت زندگی کنند. انسان در چنین جامعه‌ای که "کودک مُردگی" رسمش شده باشد، رستگاری نخواهد داشت - شارمین میمندی‌نژاد، موسس جمعیت مستقل امداد دانشجویی مردمی امام علی

زمینه‌ی تاریخی داستان

کشور هائیتی از دیرباز یکی از شاهراه‌های تجارت برده‌ی اسپانیایی‌ها و فرانسوی‌ها بوده تا اینکه در سال 1804 شورش بردگان در مقابل استعمار فرانسویان به ثمر می‌نشیند و اولین جمهوری سیاه‌پوستان در جهان پایه‌ریزی می‌شود. برده‌داری اما با تغییر حکومت، تنها تغییر شکل داده و ماهیت خود را به‌مانند قبل حفظ می‌کند. طبقه‌ی زیرین اجتماع - غرق در فقر مطلق - در قبال دریافت جیره‌ی ناچیز روزانه در خدمت اقلیت مرفه سیاه‌پوست جامعه درمی‌آیند. زنان برده اغلب مورد سوءاستفاده قرار می‌گیرند و فرزندانی را بدنیا می‌آورند که توانایی نگهداری‌شان را ندارد. در نتیجه کودکان به عنوان برده‌ - همیشه‌بردگان - برای تمام طول زندگی به خدمت برده‌داران درمی‌آیند. این کتاب، روایت زندگی یکی از همیشه‌بردگان است

درباره‌ی کتاب : یک داستان حقیقی

یک خود‌زندگی‌نامه با زاویه‌ی دید اول شخص. بابیِ سیاه‌پوستِ همیشه‌برده، داستان زندگی سراسر رنج خود را از آغاز کودکی - از زمانی که حافظه‌اش یاری می‌کند - تا مهاجرت به آمریکا و تشکیل خانوده، با جزئیاتِ تمام نقل می‌کند. روایت بابی، ساده و داستانش بی‌آلایش است، اما این تنها یک روی سکه است، روی دیگر آن صداقت و شجاعتی مثال زدنی در نگارش این رنج‌نامه‌ست. برای انسانی که کودکی‌ای چنین سخت - پر از محرومیت، تحقیر، بی‌کسی - را پشت سرگذاشته آسان نیست از سوء استفاده‌های جنسی آشنا و غریبه بگوید، از مبارزه برای بقا به قیمت جان دیگران. با تمام این آسیب‌ها، بابی تلاش می‌کند نور انسانیت را در درون خود زنده نگه دارد و این کتاب شهادتی بر این تلاش و نتیجه‌ی موفقیت‌آمیز آن است

کتاب‌خوانی در مسیر: یک تلنگر

کتاب را در مسیر رفت و برگشت به پادگان، برای تسکین آلام خودم خواندم، اما کمی که با داستان جلو رفتم، خجالت‌زده شدم که دست به چنین ترفند غیراخلاقی‌ای زدم. گرفتاری‌های من کجا و رنج‌های این کودکان کجا. به قول شارمین:"او تجربه خدا را دارد تو تجربه خود، او رنج کشیده، تو در بی‌رنجی زندگی کردی، تو فکر می‌کنی پایان رنج هستی اما به او که نگاه می‌کنی حل همه رنج‌هاست" . در ادامه حین خواندن کتاب، یاد کودکان کار و بدسرپرستی افتادم که در ایران خودمان کم نیستند. تنها تفاوت این کودکان با بابی در این است که داستان زندگی‌شان نه خواننده‌ای دارد، نه قهرمانی و نه سرانجام خوشی. صداها، چهره‌ها و نام‌های زیادی را در ذهن دارم. حسین، کودکی که تا ابد 8 ساله خواهد ماند یک نمونه‌اش است، داستانش را اینجا بخوانید

[Ryan Koshover]

I had the pleasure of being one of Mr. Cadet's students when he taught French during college. He was a true inspiration on what you can achieve and overcome if you have the determination to do it. Reading this book was very insightful and eye opening especially since I know the author personally. I've read it multiple times and it touches my heart and soul each time I read it. It will really give you pause & offer reflection on the blessings and opportunities of our own lives here in America.

[Ensiform]

The author is the bastard child of a white businessman in Haiti, and left to be raised by Florence, a friend of his father’s. It’s unclear whether his father was aware of the details of his childhood, but Cadet was treated as a slave rather than a foster child (a common practice for orphans in Haiti), forced to work degrading jobs, segregated from the family and guests, and beaten with regularity for the slightest of offenses. When Florence and her son’s family moved to New York, Cadet was left behind, but he managed to seek out his father, who sent him to America as well. There, of course, his situation slowly changed; as someone points out, “it’s illegal not to send a minor to school in America.” He joins the army, becomes a citizen, and works toward his college degree; but he finds that his affection-starved childhood has left him literally unable to enjoy friendly company and other people’s family bonds.

As to the writing itself, Cadet’s not a bad memoirist, though he tends to meander and tell his life story in choppy starts and stops that go nowhere; some editing would have helped focus the stronger scenes, such as when he finally confronts an old, lonely, miserable Florence. As to the content, this is a bleak auto-biography indeed. From the casual racism of even the educated Haitians (who blandly assume light-skinned students are smarter than the darker-skinned ones, and praise right answers by “you think like a blanc”) to the physical abuse tolerated by most Haitians, Cadet paints Haiti as a twisted nightmare land for the bulk of the population (and frankly, the southern US isn’t a great deal better some of the time). Worse, Cadet’s resourcefulness and courage ought to make this tale an encouraging story of survival, but he is all too aware of the deep, lasting damage his childhood status as an unwanted slave has done to his psyche. There’s no reason to believe that Cadet is exaggerating any of his story, but even if half of what he says is true, he’s done well to rise up out of a severely wounded civilization.

[Tavara]

Deep

This was a great read. Simple yet Powerful writing that connects the reader to the writer’s raw emotions. Insightful and thought provoking.

[Sylvia]

Remarkable story; riveting. Having grown up as a white, middle-class American it's so difficult to imagine even the beginnings of what Cadet experienced, not only in his childhood, but in his adaption to American culture & struggles with racism.

I know that many Americans fall into the idea that slavery ended with our Civil War. We tend to put it out of our minds and forget that the world still needs abolitionists. This book certainly brings to light the injustice that still exists for millions of slaves. To hear these types of stories would do us good.

Also, he mentions throughout the book many spiritual experiences, both of Voodooism and Catholicism. When I see him speak in a few months, I hope to better understand what kind of significance he attaches to those experiences.

[Jocardo]

I had the honor of reading this book in 2000 when I was taking an honor's class on Afro-Caribbean lit and the author came and spoke to our class. Later, as a book buyer for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, I had the honor of working with Mr. Cadet on getting his book into our Center and also having him sign books for us. This is a true slave narrative that everyone should read and is proof-positive that the world still harbors and benefits from slavery.

[Barbara Nutting]

Excellent. This is almost two stories - a child slave in Haiti and a haunted black man in America.

It was first published in 1998, but reads like it was just written this morning. Why can’t Black Lives Matter to everyone? Things haven’t improved in the last 20 years at all. Will there ever be a world free from prejudice and hatred?

[Dawn]

This book can be summed up in one word: powerful.

[Alexis Noel]

Alexis Noel December 10,2009
Mr. Nourok Writing Arts
Final Draft

There are some novels out there that have such a liberating summary that connects to human life but the story turns out to be a huge disappointment. This book is as real as life will ever be. The wake up call to all the modest people out there who keep wanting everything that they see and not giving it a second thought to consider anyone else out there who would grieve for what you have.. Restavec is such a well written and captivating novel, the way the author expresses his feelings through his life story, the way he describes the protagonist and how he lives his life, the way he launches a whole new world into your eyes.

There are some kids out there who never appreciate their parents and show them no respect. Meanwhile Bobby, the protagonist, lives the life of a slave child or Restavec in Haiti. Where family and love never come through to him . He has been tossed around, beaten and scarred mentally and physically; something kids these days never experience. Bobby never felt loved or cared about. He felt alone and worthless just waiting for a miracle to happen only to find out its only in his dreams. This is only the beginning, where his life starts at the age of 7.

Bobby was raised in such a loveless and bitterness home that he is forced to do things that no other man would want to do. Wash cars; clean the house, and cleaning women’s clothes especially. He was beaten numerous times just for not responding in a proper manner to his elders. All the time he spent there has left him with scars that would live on forever as a memory of his childhood. He was a foster child living in someone else’s home. Doing and seeing things that occurred in that one house alone will scar a 7-year-old boy for life.

Bobby seems to throw a whole new meaning of life into your eyes. He makes you look through his eyes, just so you can appreciate yours. The theme of family seems to repeatedly come up and show how families in America are better and how kids should appreciate their parents and be thankful they have someone to watch over them. This book changed me in so many ways. I thank my parents and show them respect, I tell them that I love them and I buy them things. And most of all I tell them how much I appreciate them and how I would never trade them in for anything.

The story of a life of a young boy to a man is fascinating. The author portrays a dish of difficulties a man wouldn’t normally go through. The author keeps you hooked through each page, always wanting more, shifting you to the end of your seat. This book changed my life and I hope it changes yours too.

[Jennifer Stuttler]

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Cadet while working at a school in the Cincinnati area. What a kind and gentle man. I read the book in just two days. I have recommended it to many people. It is a must read.

[K]

Absolutely horrifying. I had the chance to read both books before I met him, Jean-Robert Cadet. He is truly amazing, and this book remains the most horrifying I own, definitely a favorite. Beautifully written.

[Sarah]

Powerful

Mr. Cadet has written a powerful memoir. His is a story of great strength and resilience. Thank you, Mr. Cadet for the courage to tell your story.

[Gerald]

I personally would give the book a 3 star review this is because it is an easy read but this type of book is the type of book where you are just baffled at humanity for being so cruel and dismissive of others within our society. I read this book as a part of a class where we got to read books from different Haitian authors and this was the book that I chose. Jean Robert Cadet does a good job at captivating the authors through the use of emotional story telling such as the short story within the novel about his restavec friend who was a girl that basically was sent back to her home village to die. However with this being stated Reading this book was like eating a whole chocolate cake because it was a really solid book however after reading it you feel like crap knowing that every human atrocity ever thought of happened to this one person.

From the beginning to the end of the book there is abuse and the book is about a person overcoming ones odds to become the best that they possibly can be. A moment from the book that really set the tone for the entirety of the book is the line "A blanc is coming to visit today. He’s your papa, but when you see him don’t call him papa. Say ‘Bonjour, monsieur’ and disappear. If the neighbors ask you who he was, you tell them that you don’t know. He is such a good man, we have to protect his reputation. That’s what happens when men of good character have children with dogs,”. The crazy thing about this statement is that it is the first line of the book and it's one of the most verbally abusive statements that I've ever heard and it's still not the most traumatic thing to have happened to him. Imagine for a second that you are getting told this every day for the rest of your life.

[Paris Lawson]

Restevac dives into the reality and circumstances of child slavery in Haiti and Bobby's harsh conditions. From the beginning to the end, the story grasps readers and provides a real perspective of Bobby's life and Haiti's culture and society. The quote, “I rose slowly to my feet, for the muscles behind my legs had tightened. Florence was impatient, moving back and forth in her rocking chair. I walked slowly toward her, anticipating being held by the skin of my stomach and slapped several times across the face. I stood helplessly in front of her with quivering lips and watery eyes'' captures Bobby's fear of his owner, Florence. Bobby feels powerless and is terrified of making mistakes.

As Bobby grows up in the hands of Florence, he builds a connection to her despite the abuse. He wants her approval and attention. Furthermore, this book truly leaves a lasting impact and celebrates adversity and resilience. It was an inspiring and heart-wrenching read.

[Mia]

Wow amazing.

I read this for Children LatinX Literature, and wow just incredible. Jean Robert Cadet directly testifies his experience as a child slave in Haiti, and his emotions moving to New York, joining the army, finding love, and recovering from the chains of mistreatment from his "parents/guardians" in Haiti.

That two sentence summary up there hardly gives details into the horrors Jean - Robert Cadet experienced. His words help guide new readers into not only the pressing issues surrounding child slavery and race in Haiti, but also a powerful show of what its takes to have heart, courage, and resistance, when the whole world is seemingly against you.

Must read for all those who have yet to bear witness.

For more research surrounding this topic, please look into the following cite: https://restavekfreedom.org

[W.S. Luk]

"I knew three groups of children in Port-au-Prince: the elite, the very poor, and the restavecs, or slave children."

Jean-Robert Cadet recounts his childhood as a restavec performing slave labour and enduring constant abuse, journey to America, and experience gradually overcoming his past trauma and finding professional success. Narrated in a plainspoken style, Cadet's account combines unflinching descriptions of the abuse he suffered and discussions of the cultural and psychological experiences he had to adjust to in America, from the distinctions between American and Haitian forms of racism to his experience coping with intense distress during holidays. RESTAVEC is a difficult read, but shines startling light on a lesser-known crisis.

[Alix Anne-Dauphine]

The most incredible story you will ever read! Slave from the age of 4, trafficked in USA when he was 11 or 12, homeless child in New York few months after his arrival, Jean Robert Cadet graduated 3 years later, joined the army and ended teaching French and history. This story is terrible and unique as no slave can ever describe his condition : they die very early and if they don't they don't read or write. This is the very first time an ex slave can testimony and give a word to all those still in slavery. Don't miss the sequel "My Stone of Hope".

[Kcolvin]

I highly recommend this important book to anyone who cares about Haiti. I was aware of the plight of restavec children there, but this book educated me more about the terrible conditions of their lives and how widespread the practice is. I am in awe of the strength of Mr Cadet’s will and how hard he worked to get to the United States legally and build a good live for himself. I am also impressed that he has dedicated himself to ending the practice of the restavec system!

[Gwendolyn Coleman]

Life altering account

Do not read unless you want to be changed by this man’s courage and immense suffering.

By Gods grace I plan to be involved in helping the restavics of Haiti.

This absolutely should not be happening & to think how close this island is to our own borders.

God help us, help me not to forget.

[Jennifer Becker]

Excellent book... I read it on one snow day from cover to cover. My husband works with Jean Cadet's wife so I have sort of a personal connection. The problem of child slavery exists today about 200 miles from our shores (and in America too when people emmigrate and bring that tradition with them). This book is an eye opener.

[Jeanne Fortune]

This is a heartbreaking story that brought me back to my childhood in Haiti. As someone who witnessed the evil Haitians had done to other people's children, this book make me wonder what happened to the girls whose abuse I witnessed as a child. I am glad to see the author doing well and making a difference. The ending blew my mind.

[Paul Whelan]

Heart wrenching telling of modern day slavery in Haiti which continued when the author was brought to the US. People think slavery is something of the past but it exists in all its horror in many parts of the world today.

[Ash]

Genuinely, everyone should read this book. It’s heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, hopeful, and honest. For anyone volunteering in Haiti, I recommend this as a read before your trip.

[Dawn]

I first heard about restavecs on AC360, and then one of the ladies in book club picked this book to read. The abuse the narrator recounts as a restavec in Haiti is horrifying. His mother died when he was a baby, and his white father will not treat him as a real son, because he is biracial. He is sent to a black friend of the father to be raised, but she relegates him to restavec status, and he is essentially her slave. He gets bounced around to a couple of homes, where he is treated better, but still not great. He is desperate for the approval of his father, and is eventually sent to the US to live with his restavec mom. Thankfully they cannot treat him as a slave any longer, since it isn't tolerated in the US. However, he has to balance school and work (he is told to get a job to contribute), and when he finally goes graduate high school, no one is there to see him get his diploma. He eventually joins the military, gets his BA and MA (he's a smart guy!), and gets married, but he has so much past to deal with that he never really conquers his demons. Obviously the reader would prefer a tale with 100% triumph, but that is not reality oftentimes. Overall it is really depressing. He is depressed and suicidal, with haunting nightmares. It's painful to read about his inability to fit in, both in general social situations and in society at large. I would definitely recommend it, but it is a downer, so be prepared.

[Kim]

I found this book to be sad in the way Jean's life began and even how he views the world now. I empathize with him, as I've been to Haiti and have seen and witnessed the hunger and destruction this country has had and continues to struggle with. Jean's childhood in Haiti took place even before the earthquake and hurricanes that ravaged Haiti had hit the country.
My only criticism with this story is the attitude and 'run away ' mentality he seems to have. I understand that he had an awful childhood( if you can even call it that) but I feel he also made some poor choices and turned to the wrong people many times in his life. If this is because of his inability to have successful or meaningful relationships with people I get it but I don't understand how he can make those wrong choices so often but yet be able to change his career or go to school and make smart choices in that regard.
I feel like some of His story perhaps was left out. People that were good to him, helped him with his education but then he did something that resulted in the removal from their lives? Sorry- can't wrap my head around it.
I hope he has come to some peace with himself and continues to get counseling to overcome his demons.

[Robert]

I just finished Jean-Robert Cadet’s autobiography, Restavec. I knew the restavec system was horrible but reading Cadet’s account of his experience brought the evil practice to a whole new level of consciousness for me. It was my understanding that most children wound up in the restavec system because their biological families were too poor to care for them and were under the (false) impression that sending their children off to a wealthy family was a benevolent act. In Cadet’s case, perhaps not the norm, his biological father just seemed indifferent to Bobby, treating him almost as a bastard child while showing preference to Bobby’s lighter-skin siblings. I guess the disparity between Phillipe Sebastian’s children made Cadet’s account all the more horrifying. The pervasiveness of voodoo practice was also quiet scary.

Anyway I was up a few nights way too late reading the book but it was worth it. I hope to one day, in conjunction with my work for EAPE, to visit Haiti and see the land and people that I’ve only learned about from a distance.

[Lizzie]

I couldn't put this book down. I finished reading it in three days, and I am compelled to do something about the words that I have just read. The first part of the book details Jean-Robert Cadet's horrific childhood as a slave in Haiti. The book then goes on to describe the complexities of becoming a "black American." Though less explicitly terrible, this part of Cadet's life is equally disturbing. It is truly inspiring and miraculous to see how much Cadet has since accomplished in the name of fighting slavery. I am very happy that I read this book.

[Ana Maria]

This book was so depressing. I just couldn't believe how hard this child's life was. How can a government allow this to happen? It was an emotional roller-coaster and just made me so angry and horrified. To experience the terrible prejudices that Jean went through in his college and after-college just got me so frustrated. It made me so angry with society and so sick with people's narrow-minded views. To read towards the end how Jean still struggles every day with his nightmares and memories of his life in Haiti left me with such a loss of hope, it made me so immensely sad....

[Michaela]

A must read. This book exposed me to the harsh realities of modern day child slavery, an issue that is rarely taught about but that is overwhelmingly prevalent in our world today. Something must be done - the first step towards change is education, because once people hear these stories, they won't forget them. What is so inspiring to me is Jean-Robert's current work and how, after such a horrific journey of his own, he has such passion to give hope to as many of the 300,000 restaveks in Haiti today as he possibly can.

[Ashley]

This was an easy 4-star read for me. I don't normally pick up biographies-type books, so this was one of my first non-fiction reads. I think that this book is one very educational way to learn about Haiti from a unique perspective. It highlights the dark sides of a beautiful country through narrative storytelling that is simple but poetic, artistic but personally factual. Jean-Robert Cadet does an excellent job at pulling at readers' heartstrings while saying as little as possible, or while using as little descriptive words as possible