Clash of Cultures

Clash of Cultures retraces the United States intervention and occupation of Haiti for two decades, 1915-1934. Though the treaty of 1916, which legalized the occupation, did not place educational matters under American control, the Marines used their unlimited authority to interfere with the operation of Haitian schools. Their interference led to a clash between Haitian and American cultures over educational policy for Haiti. American officials proceeded to develop a scheme aiming at a complete take-over of the Haitian school system, which was sternly opposed by the Haitians. As the obstacles in the way of a take-over proved to be insurmountable, the Americans moved to bypass the Haitian school system by creating a system of their own through the Service Technique de l'Agriculture et de l'Enseignement Professionnel, an American controlled agency. Clash of Cultures highlights the patterns of racism which permeated educational aims and objectives pursued by American bureaucrats. It demonstrates that in the background of the cultural conflicts between Haiti and the United States lies a wider collision of cultural imperialism, between the Breton clergy who safeguarded the French culture in Haiti and the Anglo-Saxon Americans.