Sirena

In this episode, we explore the story of 9-year-old Sirena from Montreal, Quebec. She shares her heritage and cultural knowledge from both Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the island of Hispaniola.

Sirena begins by highlighting the similarities in the colors of the Haitian and Dominican flags, as well as the women's traditional outfits, which she wears to show how their stories are linked despite some distinctive differences. She then discusses the vast linguistic difference between Haitian Creole and Spanish, as well as traditional dances such as kompa (Haiti) and bachata (Dominican Republic). Sirena also discusses gastronomic differences, illustrating how Haitians and Dominicans cook their plantains and rice in distinct or similar ways.