Haiti to New York City (“New York Day Women”)

Allison S Curseen59 Comments

In the short story “New York Day Women,” the narrator follows her mother throughout the streets of Manhattan. The narrator tells us that her family is Haitain and reveals that her mother has many objections to American culture. The woman rarely leaves Brooklyn, so her daughter is shocked to see her staring into the windows of designer stores. The woman seems out of touch with the way of the world. We learn a lot about the mother through flashbacks and quotes provided by the narrator. The narrator’s mother was frugal. She was not obsessed with her looks or material possessions. Danticat states, “‘You can take them out when they bother you. I’ll like them.’” The narrator reminisces on her mother talking about her dentures. She was 59 and missing three teeth, but she could not care any less. She was not focused on her appearance– something that many New Yorker’s focus too heavily on. 

The narrator continues naming things her mother does not like. She is shocked when the woman stops at a hot dog cart. Her mother would never eat food from a cart. Not only did it have too much sodium, but she believed food should be made at home anyway. Danticat states, “‘If they want to eat with me, let them come to my house, even if I boil water and give it to them.” All of these flashbacks help us explore the idea of immigrants in America. The things the narrator found “quirky” about her mother were transitional issues. Immigrants coming to the United States struggle with many things, and most experience culture shock. The narrator’s mother was not against American culture. She was unfamiliar with it. The back and forth from past to present helps the reader understand how challenging it must have been for the woman to move from Haiti to the most overwhelming city in the country. Life in New York is fast, but many other countries have a connected, slow-moving community. 

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