Rocks in the water, rocks in the sun

In an emotional post on TikTok, ___ballerstein says “I couldn’t stop crying for my mom, who came here without her family. She came to American to raise her daughter, to give her daughter opportunity.”

In the video notes, ___ballerstein writes, “There is a Haitian proverb that says ‘Rocks in the water don’t know the struggle of the rocks in the sun.’ In Creole, ‘Wòch nan dlo pa konnen doulè wòch nan solèy.’ This Haitian proverb speaks volumes. It reminds me how easily people judge Haitian immigrants without ever grasping the weight of our journey, the pain of what we’ve left behind, or the sacrifices we’ve made. We’re often cast aside, labeled with false narratives … without anyone acknowledging the resilience and pride we carry in our blood.”