--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The whole military structure in Haiti…" description: "\"The whole military structure in Haiti that existed until the early 1990s was put in place by the American occupation. At the top there were Southern wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63f/edwidge-danticat-2559_army_the-whole-military-structure-in-haiti-th_2171104.png" --- # The whole military structure in Haiti that existed until… ![“The whole military structure in Haiti that existed until the early 1990s was put in place by the American occupation. At the top there were Southern white officers, who led an army that crushed the indigenous resistance - the cacos. A high-ranking U.S. officer said when he arrived, "To think these…” quote by Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63f/edwidge-danticat-2559_army_the-whole-military-structure-in-haiti-th_2171104.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63f/edwidge-danticat-2559_army_the-whole-military-structure-in-haiti-th_2171104.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63f/edwidge-danticat-2559_army_the-whole-military-structure-in-haiti-th_2171104.png) > “The whole military structure in Haiti that existed until the early 1990s was put in place by the American occupation. At the top there were Southern white officers, who led an army that crushed the indigenous resistance - the cacos. A high-ranking U.S. officer said when he arrived, "To think these niggers speak French!" Later, Haitian officers attended the notorious School of the Americas at Fort Benning. The threat from the U.S. is something that is always hanging over people's heads: If we don't behave, we'll have occupation again.” [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage describes how U.S. military influence shaped Haiti's armed forces, embedding racial hierarchies and a lingering threat of re‑occupation. **In simple terms:** U.S. control left lasting racial and political scars in Haiti. Key Takeaway Recognize and address foreign‑imposed power dynamics. Themes colonialism military racial oppression Mood critical historical Type analytical educational When to use this quote - policy analysis - human rights advocacy - education - community organizing Key Concepts post‑colonial studies history political science Questions to Reflect On - How does foreign military legacy affect Haitian sovereignty today? - What steps can dismantle lingering occupation mindsets? A Different Perspective It may simplify complex Haitian agency and resistance narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Behave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave/) [Crushed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crushed/) [Forts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forts/) [Haiti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/haiti/) [Haiti Existed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/haiti-existed-4649549/) [Haitian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/haitian/) [Haitian Officers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/haitian-officers-4649548/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Indigenous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indigenous/) [Later Haitian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/later-haitian-4649551/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Notorious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notorious/) [Occupation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occupation/) [Officers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Ranking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ranking/) [Resistance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resistance/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Southern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/southern/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speaks french](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speaks-french/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Structure Haiti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure-haiti-4649550/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [I would hate for people to generalize about every Haitian from something that one Haitian did, or a group of Haitians did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-would-hate-for-people-to-generalize-about-every-haitian-from/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [We still have our people working in the cane fields in the Dominican Republic. People are still repatriated all the time from the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/we-still-have-our-people-working-in-the-cane-fields-in-the-dominican/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I see the sharp inequality between how Haitian and Cuban refugees are treated in Florida. Both groups come here because their lives are equally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-see-the-sharp-inequality-between-how-haitian-and-cuban-refugees-are/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [To start with, for example this year, 2004, is the bicentennial of Haitian independence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/to-start-with-for-example-this-year-2004-is-the-bicentennial-of/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [We all have a tendency to over generalize our individual experiences. After I've published something, I'll meet someone who says, "I'm Haitian, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/we-all-have-a-tendency-to-over-generalize-our-individual-experiences/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I think it's hard for an outsider to capture the flavor of a community and all its nuances, so ultimately Haitian-Americans need to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-think-it-s-hard-for-an-outsider-to-capture-the-flavor-of-a/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [Sometimes we mask ourselves to further reveal ourselves, and it's always been connected to me with being a writer: We tell lies to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/sometimes-we-mask-ourselves-to-further-reveal-ourselves-and-it-s/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [In the province of Quebec where I come from, we speak French and the only cosmopolitan city is Montreal. Every time we tackle the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-falardeau/in-the-province-of-quebec-where-i-come-from-we-speak-french-and-the/) [Philippe Falardeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-falardeau/) > [People say that I can't speak French. C'est pas vraiment placé. I'm getting better every day. I just have to keep practising. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/people-say-that-i-can-t-speak-french-c-est-pas-vraiment-plac-i-m/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [all the French speak French - even the children. Many Americans and Britishers who visit the country never quite adjust to this, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-de-havilland/all-the-french-speak-french-even-the-children-many-americans-and/) [Olivia de Havilland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-de-havilland/) > [I speak French with timidity, and not flowingly--except when excited. When using that language I have often noticed that I have hardly ever been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-speak-french-with-timidity-and-not-flowingly-except-when-excited/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Many Europeans think that all Moroccans speak French, but no. I had to make an effort to learn it when I studied French literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdellah-taia/many-europeans-think-that-all-moroccans-speak-french-but-no-i-had-to/) [Abdellah Taia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdellah-taia/) > [Now I’m really glad that I speak French, because, let’s face it, girls dig it when a guy speaks French. They call it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bieber/now-i-m-really-glad-that-i-speak-french-because-let-s-face-it-girls/) [Justin Bieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bieber/) > ['The Lair of the White Worm' is quite a strange film. It's difficult to be good when you're saying lines that have been translated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/the-lair-of-the-white-worm-is-quite-a-strange-film-it-s-difficult-to/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [I can speak French but I cannot understand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-can-speak-french-but-i-cannot-understand-it/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## More by Edwidge Danticat > [“Medicare rewards doctors far better for doing procedures than for assessing whether they should be done at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/medicare-rewards-doctors-far-better-for-doing-procedures-than-for/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I love the process of cracking the spine for the first time and slowly sinking into a book. That will soon seem old-fashioned, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-love-the-process-of-cracking-the-spine-for-the-first-time-and/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I remember reading an interview with a writer who said that in nonfiction if you have one lie it sort of messes it up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-remember-reading-an-interview-with-a-writer-who-said-that-in/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“Instead I dreamt of walking out of the world, of spending all my time inside with no one to talk to, and no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/instead-i-dreamt-of-walking-out-of-the-world-of-spending-all-my-time/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“Then what do you want with me?'... 'The pursuit of happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/then-what-do-you-want-with-me-the-pursuit-of-happiness/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I wanted to raise the voice of a lot of the people that I knew growing up, and this was, for the most part,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-wanted-to-raise-the-voice-of-a-lot-of-the-people-that-i-knew/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [Creating these messes that go from administration to administration and then you swoop in and clean them up - with that heroic Delta force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/creating-these-messes-that-go-from-administration-to-administration/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“Nineteen Thirty-Seven”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/nineteen-thirty-seven/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“From her experience working with the weak and the sick, she'd learned that the disease you ignore is the one that kills you, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/from-her-experience-working-with-the-weak-and-the-sick-she-d-learned/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I'm not saying Cubans don't deserve asylum, but if it is a national security issue, there are people who are coming from Cuba on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-m-not-saying-cubans-don-t-deserve-asylum-but-if-it-is-a-national/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“I owe Oprah and that show a tremendous debt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-owe-oprah-and-that-show-a-tremendous-debt/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [The greatest gift anyone can give to a writer is time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/the-greatest-gift-anyone-can-give-to-a-writer-is-time/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I think it is important to reach people through arts and literature, because then you establish a connection that's not an instant crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-think-it-is-important-to-reach-people-through-arts-and-literature/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [All anyone can hope for is just a tiny bit of love, like a drop in a cup if you can get it, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/all-anyone-can-hope-for-is-just-a-tiny-bit-of-love-like-a-drop-in-a/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I very much love a physical book myself. I think people who have had this experience of also seeing a book come together, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-very-much-love-a-physical-book-myself-i-think-people-who-have-had/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) [Explore all 161 Edwidge Danticat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) ## More Army quotes > [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... 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Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) [Browse all 3,919 Army quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The whole military structure in Haiti that existed until the early 1990s was put in place by the American occupation. At the top there were Southern white officers, who led an army that crushed the indigenous resistance - the cacos. A high-ranking U.S. officer said when he arrived, \"To think these niggers speak French!\" Later, Haitian officers attended the notorious School of the Americas at Fort Benning. The threat from the U.S. is something that is always hanging over people's heads: If we don't behave, we'll have occupation again.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edwidge Danticat" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/the-whole-military-structure-in-haiti-that-existed-until-the-early/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Army" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/the-whole-military-structure-in-haiti-that-existed-until-the-early/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63f/edwidge-danticat-2559_army_the-whole-military-structure-in-haiti-th_2171104.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63f/edwidge-danticat-2559_army_the-whole-military-structure-in-haiti-th_2171104.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63f/edwidge-danticat-2559_army_the-whole-military-structure-in-haiti-th_2171104.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The whole military structure in Haiti that existed until the early 1990s was put in place by the American…” — Edwidge Danticat", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edwidge Danticat", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The whole military structure in Haiti...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/the-whole-military-structure-in-haiti-that-existed-until-the-early/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/the-whole-military-structure-in-haiti-that-existed-until-the-early/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```