E29: Smithe Sodine on the beauty of her Haitian heritage

Hello, I'd really like to grow this email list. If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world to Jola and I if you encouraged one friend/fellow immigrant/colleague to subscribe…Very likely, the the only thing you will get in return is warm fuzzy feelings, and if I can attribute it to you, I’d personally send you a thank you email.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Smithe Sodine, former elementary ESL teacher, college instructor, mother, and founder of the handcrafted decorative pillow company Smithy Home Couture.

Smithe is an Amazon. She reminds me so much of my Mom, who passed away five years ago.

Smithe moved to Florida from Haiti as a 16 year old and couldn’t really speak English at the time. She remembers sleeping off in class because there’s only so much stress the teenage brain can take when trying to learn Math or any other subject in a new language.

So it was heartwarming to see that she went on to become an elementary English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher.

In this conversation, Smithe and I chat about:

* The danger of ignoring acculturation

* Dealing with the negative perception of Haiti

* Her Haitian heritage

* Her approach to dealing with cultural differences

* Moving as a teenager, and more

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Smithe on LinkedIn

🛏️ Check out Smithy Home Couture

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