A former child slave, Jean- Robert Cadet, shared his personal account of being a child slave in Haiti while speaking about his book, Restavec: From Haitian Child Slave to a Middle-Class American, Thursday night.
This speech was the true story of his life as a child slave in Haiti and the United States, his escape and his success of becoming a college professor. The book began as a letter to his young son, when Cadet realized his son didn’t know his father’s origin.
Restavecs are child slaves in Haiti due to the impoverished society, whose average income is a mere $250. The term is a French term that means “one who stays with.” According to Cadet, the children stay with the rich and middle-class families, but not by choice. This practice has been apart of the Haitian society for nearly 300 years.
“Restavecs are treated worse than slaves because they don’t cost anything and their supply seems endless,” Cadet said.
Cadet was a restavec because his mother died when he was four and his father was too ashamed of his dark skin, so he gave him to a former mistress who Cadet refers to as “Florence.”
All the children lived in horrifying conditions and never experienced a childhood. Cadet’s day began at 5:30 a.m. with emptying and cleaning the chamber pots, then he had to wash the car, only to wash the same car six hours later. These are only a few harsh chores that young Cadet had to experience.
Not only were the everyday chores harsh for the children, but the punishment they received was harsher if their work was not done to the satisfaction of their keeper. The children were beaten with a cowhide whip like those used in the 17th century.
Cadet recalls a friend who was beaten to death with a whip while kneeling on hot rocks because he was accused of stealing $2 from his keeper, who owned a taxi business. The child was taken to the police and returned in a lifeless, swollen state.
Cadet also describes the living situations that the children had to endure from day to day. He said that his bed consisted of piles of rags underneath the table, which he wet each night. Bed-wetting, he said, is common among restavec children because their lives are filled with so much trauma. The children mostly received beatings due to wetting their beds. The children also were not allowed to eat dinner with the family at the table or watch TV in the house.
Cadet’s keeper, Florence, left Haiti and came to America. They resided in New York. Living in the United States was not compatible with the restavec way of life, so the family turned the then 15-year-old Cadet to the streets of New York without money to fend for himself. To add to the matter, Cadet could not speak any English.
At his high school, Spring Valley High, Cadet was mentored by a teacher named Max Rabinowitz. This teacher taught Cadet to speak English and excel in his studies, inspiring Cadet to eventually become a teacher. Rabinowitz also helped Cadet to receive welfare benefits, so he would not have to work and could attend school.
“He saw in my eyes a desire to learn and took it upon himself to give me what he thought I needed,” Cadet said. “My attitude mattered more to him than the color of my skin.”
After high school, Cadet joined the Army which provided him with much-needed aid. In the military, he earned the rank of corporal in the Rangers.
“When I joined the Army it was the first time I received any dental care or doctor assistance,” Cadet said.
Two years after joining the reserves, Cadet was honorably discharged and he headed to Tampa, Fla., to college. Cadet also ran into controversy when trying to find a place to stay. He could not be accepted to a community college without having a mailing address.
Finally, he met with a woman while helping her change a tire, and she agreed to rent him a room $20 a week.
A professor at the university suggested to Cadet to start attending University of Southern Florida.
At USF, a professor once again came to the aid of Cadet. During Christmas break one of Cadet’s professors asked him to come home with him. He went home with his professor for Christmas dinner. Having never been in a similar social situation was uncomfortable for him, so he left without saying good-bye.
This action led to the professor to seek psychological help for Cadet, which helped him to cope with the family atmosphere in the future and to later confront his keeper, Florence, in New York.
After college, Cadet became a teacher and met his wife, Cindy, during an internship in Tampa. Later, Cadet went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and married Cindy. He became an adjunct faculty member at the University of Cincinnati.
About two years ago, Cadet’s book was published. He hopes it will spread the news about child slavery.
By raising awareness for this cause, Cadet hopes to make a difference in the lives of many of the restavec children.
According to Cadet, restavecs eventually run away and become street children. The ones who normally run away are adolescent boys.
The girls normally stay. That is why 80 percent of the restavec population are girls. These children become beggars and are robbed of their entire life.
The Restavec Foundation was started by Cadet to accomplish three goals.
First, he hopes to find homes and schools for the freed restavecs and street children. Second, he is going to try to convince the Haitian government to get rid of the practices of the restavec system.
Finally, he intends to assist rural families with food and education for their children, so they will not have to give their children away to the wealthy.

Author