La Inundacin

Aya Chouaib
DeNicolo
Honors 1000
October 13, 2016

Dear Diary,

June 6, 1910

It was a humid summer day when papa called me out to the garden. I remember my hair
being frizzier than the roots of the sugar cane that papa was making me chop off. In the
Caribbean, sugar was our specialty. Papa worked really hard to make sure that our sugar would
sell, but every year he would bring back more sugar and less shiny coins. When I finally turned
ten, papa told me that I was ready to start helping him in the fields. This excited me. I couldn't
wait to help papa and hear the stories he told my older siblings while they worked with him.
However, as the days began to drag, it became less and less fun working on the field with papa.
His stories eventually reached their endings, and our sugar became less and less in demand.
During dinner, I vaguely remember papa mumbling something along the lines of those damn
Cubansi and America.
On June 6, after papa called me out to the field, I looked up at the grey sky and saw blue and
purple lines. I wondered if those were the fireworks Damon, my older brother, was always
talking about. Shortly after that, I heard papa begin to shout my name.
AYANNA GET INSIDE! I had a hard time hearing him because he was on the other
side of the field. So I screamed back, WHAT?
Instead of attempting to answer, he began pointing at our home. I got the message and
began running, hoping that he was closely behind me. As we were running, water began to pour
over our heads. It became harder and harder to see and I felt my ankle get caught in something.
I tripped over and was unable to move, I began to pray that papa would see me while running.
He didn't see me. He tripped over me. He was confused for a second but then realized who I was.

He untangled the vine around my ankle and slowly picked me up. As we approached our home,
mama had towels and blankets ready to wrap around us. The last thing I remember from that
night was Papa laying me down in my bed and telling me to hold on tight.
Dear diary,

June 7, 1910

The morning after the storm I woke up to the sound of Mama and Papa packing. I had a
chronic headache and fell while trying to get up. Mama heard the noise I made and came
running to help me. She seemed hesitant at first to tell me the news, but eventually explained that
the hurricane flooded all of our crops. There was nothing left for us here, and that we were
traveling to America.ii I was very confused. I didn't understand what America was and I didn't
want to leave behind my regular life. For the rest of the day my siblings and I packed our clothes
in silence. Mama and Papa tried to cheer us up. They claimed our new life would be better there.
They claimed that Papa would find better work, but their efforts were pointless.
Dear diary,

June 11, 1910

Today was the day. We were finally moving to America. Once we arrived at the boarding
docks, papa went to speak to the captain about allowing us passage. Twenty minutes later he
came back smiling with five tickets in his hand. Once the ship was ready for boarding, mama led
us to the entrance while papa stored our luggage. I had never been on a ship before so I didn't
know what to expect. Immediately after we sailed, I felt dizzy. I already knew this was going to
be an unpleasant journey. Before we got too far, I turned around one last time and bid my
beautiful country farewell.
Dear diary,

July 15, 1911

Everything here is confusing. Papa said that we lived in some kind of state named
Florida.iii I don't really understand what a state is, but I know I don't like Florida. The people

here are very unwelcoming. They look at us differently and call us mean names.iv Once, while I
was walking with mama to the grocery store, an older white lady shouted at us to go back to the
cotton fields.v I didn't understand what she meant. The only field I knew was my papas sugar
field in the Bahamas. Here in the south, papa says that we have to follow some kind of rules
named the Jim Crow laws. He said that these rules are made for special people like my family
and I. He said that if we followed them, we would be safe from the bad people that didnt. He
constantly reminded us to behave and follow these laws.vi One night, I overheard him talking to
mama about a punishment called lynching. He sounded afraid. When I asked him the following
morning what lynching was he told me not to worry about it, that it only happened to those who
did not follow the Jim Crow laws. I wondered why he was so scared.vii As the months passed by,
it became harder and harder for papa to find a job.viii He told me it was because he was different
and people were afraid of that, but I don't get why anyone would be afraid of papa. Hes the
nicest guy I know. He's a whole lot nicer than the neighborhood white kids.
Dear Diary,

July 20, 1911

Today was the homecoming festival thrown by the local churches. Every year during the
festival all my friends that moved to the north would came back and visit me. My papa especially
looked forward to the festival this year. Last night before bed he told me that he couldn't wait to
hear the stories about the north that his friends were going to share with himix. There was so
much hope in his eyes and I began to wonder what was so good about the north. Maybe there
were more jobs there for special people like my father. He had a rough time this year looking for
work. Every week he had a new job, and most of them consisted of hard labor on plantations.x By
the end of most nights, he looked about ready to pass out. One night, papa came home with red

lines slashed along his back and tears in his eyes. I remember mama staying up the whole night
tending to his wounds and whispering to him that it was going to be okay.
During the festival papa took me to meet some of his friends from the north. He carried me on
his shoulders so I wouldn't get lost trying to follow him. Once we arrived, one of his friends
began to talk to my papa about the amazing opportunities the north provided. He mentioned
something called the Ford Manual and my papas eyes lit up. Apparently the ford manual
provided healthy and beneficial living tips for employees working for Ford.xi His friends claimed
that ever since they migrated to the north, their lives had gotten much better. They all lived in a
city named Detroit and worked for Fords global auto industry. By the end of the night, I was sure
papa would try to convince mama to move to the north.
Dear Diary,

December 20, 1911

It has been almost half a year since I have written in you. I guess its because things are
still the same. Papa couldn't convince mama to move to the north in July. She believed that our
lives would get better here. However, recently there has been an increase in violence towards
people of color. Every day we hear stories about families getting lynched for the smallest
mistakes, sometimes, for no reason at all.xii Life hasn't gotten better and mama and papa know
this now. That is why we are moving to the north. Papa read the ford manual. He says there is
promise of work there. He says that we have a chance to go to school there, that we will live
clean and healthy lives. Here we live in a small shed with no windows or restrooms. Our only
play ground is the street. My siblings and I haven't attended school since the Bahamas but papa
says that the ford manual provides solutions to all of our problems.xiii We have packed all our
belongings and we depart tomorrow. Our railroad journey to Detroit awaits.xiv
Dear diary,

April 1, 1912

If I could only show you how beautiful Detroit was, then you would understand what I
mean when I say that this city is filled with hope. When we first arrived here, we lived in a tall
building filled with hundreds of people without a home. Mama called it the shelter of wanderers.
We only lived in the shelter for a while until we moved in with our cousins from the Bahamas.
Papa had a hard time finding uncles home because he never mentioned his address when visiting
us in Florida. After asking a bunch of commoners, we were finally directed to the right place.
Uncles home wasnt much; it contained four rooms and one bathroom. Still, it was better than
our home in Florida and apparently it was considered to be one of the better homes in Detroit.
Uncle said that before we had arrived he was renting out our room to a family who was willing
to pay.xv He said that he had to kick them out in order to make room for us. Feeling guilty, papa
told uncle that our stay wasn't long. He just needed enough time to find a home and a job. When
uncle heard papa was looking for a job, he quickly directed him to Fords assembly line.xvi Papa
told uncle that ever since the first World War began, there has been a decline in English
speaking white men. He said that ford was looking to hire workers of any race as long as they
could speak Englishxvii. Papa was struck by this news. He asked uncle if he could help him get a
job at ford and uncle said that he would be happy too. As for housing, uncle suggested that we
could live with him and his family until we found a place. He told papa to look into some
organization called the National Urban League that supposedly help people like my family find
homes and jobs.xviii
Dear diary,

August 7, 1912

Papa finally found us a home! After working at ford for a while he was able to find us a
place with the help of the National Urban League. They put us at top priority because papa was
working and had something they called a steady income. Steady income or no,t I'm just glad that

we can finally move out of this tiny room. Although I love living with my cousins, they
complained about the city a lot. They see the city as a jungle of lost opportunities. They hate the
tall buildings and the loud noises. They hated when their papa came home late, they hated his
long hours, his working conditions, and they hated their home.xix At one point I was about ready
to run away. They didnt see the city like my family and me. Maybe it is because they lived in
Detroit for so long and forgot the horrors of the south, or maybe it is just because they missed
the sandy beaches of the Bahamas. Either or, they were ungrateful. Our life is so much better
here. My older siblings and I have finally been enrolled in schoolxx, and mama even has a job
now. She took a add job she found in the local newspaper. A cigar factory was looking to hire
black women with time on their hands, and well, mama had a bunch of time on her handsxxi. Sure
our lives arent great, but at least we are living. If it were not for the homecoming festival, papa
would have never had the guts to move to Detroit. We would still be living in that rundown shed,
and papa would still be working like a slave for racist white men. The city gave us purpose. It
gave us a chance at a future. Sure, it is not perfect, but is anything ever perfect?

WorkCited
Assembly Line; Workman; Briggs Body Plant. N.d. Henry Ford Museum, Detroit Mi. In Motion: The
African-American Migration Experience. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
Black, Dan A., Seth G. Sanders, Evan J. Taylor, and Lowell J. Taylor. "The Impact of the Great
Migration on Mortality of African Americans: Evidence from the Deep South." The Impact of
the Great Migration on Mortality of African Americans: Evidence from the Deep South. 105.2
(2015): 477-503. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
"Caribbean Migration." In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience. The New York Public
Library, 2005. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
"Classified Ad 2 -- no Title." Detroit Free Press (1858-1922): 11. Jan 11 1910.ProQuest. Web. 13 Oct.
2016.
Crawford, Anthony. The Reason. 1920. General Research and Reference Division, Schomburg Center
for Research in Black Culture. In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience. Web. 13
Oct. 2016.
Crowd Watching the Lynching of an African American, Possibly, Jesse Washington, in Waco, Texas,
1916. 1916. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. In Motion: The AfricanAmerican Migration Experience. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
"Employment Segregation in the Early Twentieth Century." Cliometric Society. Cliometric Society,
2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
Ford Worker Grinding Rough Spots off Freshly Molded Metal Parts. N.d. Ohio Historical Society, Ford
Motor Company. In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

Ford Motor Company. Helpful Hints and Advice to Employees to Help Them Grasp the Opportunities
Which Are Presented to Them by the Ford Profit-sharing Plan. Detroit, MI: Detroit, Mich, 1915.
Print.
A Hoe-crew of Negro Men and Women in a Young Cotton Field, Aliceville, Alabama. 1929. General
Research and Reference Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. In Motion:
The African-American Migration Experience. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
Martelle, Scott. Detroit: A Biography. 1st ed. N.p.: Chicago Review, 2014. Print.
Peterson, Joyce Shaw. "Black Automobile Workers in Detroit, 1910-1930." The Journal of Negro
History 64.3 (1979): 177-90. JSTOR [JSTOR]. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.
Porter, David D. "The Truth About Central Florida's Racial History." Orlando Sentinel. Orlando
Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2003. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
Reimers, David M. Other Immigrants: The Global Origins of the American People. New York: NYU,
2005. Print.
Stonaker, Brielle, and Arica Shepard. "Segregation." RJH. Greg Marney, 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 13 Oct.
2016.
A Typical Up-country School. 1905. General Research and Reference Division, Schomburg Center for
Research in Black Culture. In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience. Web. 13
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Wolcott, Marion Post. Negro Picnic at Beaufort, South Carolina, July 4th. july 4th. Library of
Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. In Motion: The African-American Migration
Experience. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

End Notes

i The fathers anger toward Cubans is derived from the fact that Cubans were the leading sellers of
sugar in the Caribbeans. Making them a constant competitor to her father.
ii "Caribbean Migration." In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience. The New York
Public Library, 2005. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
iii Reimers, David M. Other Immigrants: The Global Origins of the American People. New York:
NYU, 2005. Print.
iv Porter, David D. "The Truth About Central Florida's Racial History." Orlando Sentinel. Orlando
Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2003. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
v A Hoe-crew of Negro Men and Women in a Young Cotton Field, Aliceville, Alabama. 1929. General
Research and Reference Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. In Motion: The
African-American Migration Experience. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
vi Stonaker, Brielle, and Arica Shepard. "Segregation." RJH. Greg Marney, 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 13 Oct.
2016.
vii Crowd Watching the Lynching of an African American, Possibly, Jesse Washington, in Waco, Texas,
1916. 1916. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. In Motion: The African-American
Migration Experience. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
viii Reimers, David M. Other Immigrants: The Global Origins of the American People. New York:
NYU, 2005. Print.
ix Wolcott, Marion Post. Negro Picnic at Beaufort, South Carolina, July 4th. july 4th. Library of
Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience.
Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
x "Employment Segregation in the Early Twentieth Century." Cliometric Society. Cliometric Society,
2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
xi Ford Motor Company. Helpful Hints and Advice to Employees to Help Them Grasp the
Opportunities Which Are Presented to Them by the Ford Profit-sharing Plan. Detroit, MI: Detroit,
Mich, 1915. Print.
xii Crawford, Anthony. The Reason. 1920. General Research and Reference Division, Schomburg
Center for Research in Black Culture. In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience. Web.
13 Oct. 2016.
xiii Ford Motor Company. Helpful Hints and Advice to Employees to Help Them Grasp the
Opportunities Which Are Presented to Them by the Ford Profit-sharing Plan. Detroit, MI: Detroit,
Mich, 1915. Print.
xiv Black, Dan A., Seth G. Sanders, Evan J. Taylor, and Lowell J. Taylor. "The Impact of the Great
Migration on Mortality of African Americans: Evidence from the Deep South." The Impact of the
Great Migration on Mortality of African Americans: Evidence from the Deep South. 105.2 (2015): 477503. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
xv Martelle, Scott. Detroit: A Biography. 1st ed. N.p.: Chicago Review, 2014. Print.
xvi Assembly Line; Workman; Briggs Body Plant. N.d. Henry Ford Museum, Detroit Mi. In Motion:
The African-American Migration Experience. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.
xvii Peterson, Joyce Shaw. "Black Automobile Workers in Detroit, 1910-1930." The Journal of Negro
History 64.3 (1979): 177-90. JSTOR [JSTOR]. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.
xviii Martelle, Scott. Detroit: A Biography. 1st ed. N.p.: Chicago Review, 2014. Print.
xix Ford Worker Grinding Rough Spots off Freshly Molded Metal Parts. N.d. Ohio Historical Society,
Ford Motor Company. In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

xx A Typical Up-country School. 1905. General Research and Reference Division, Schomburg Center
for Research in Black Culture. In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience. Web. 13 Oct.
2016.
xxi "Classified Ad 2 -- no Title." Detroit Free Press (1858-1922): 11. Jan 11 1910.ProQuest. Web. 13
Oct. 2016.