Jina Etienne: Giving Back to Your Community | The BABG Vlog

In this episode of Badass Black Girl, MJ talks with Jina Etienne, a geriatric social worker by trade and author of two books: The Bougie Social Work Girl and Haitian Girls Brunch: Navigating the Cultural Experiences of The Haitian Girl Through Brunch and Dialogue. They discuss what led Jina into social work, the specific needs of the Haitian population she serves, the challenges of working with an elderly Haitian population, and the struggles of Haitian people. They discuss the importance of sharing language and culture. MJ brings up Jina’s books and this leads to a wide-ranging discussion about what led her to write Haitian Girls Brunch and the pressures and expectations placed on Haitian women and even younger girls. They talk about the adultification of girls in the courtship process, Haitian parents, and the expectations they place on young girls and women. Jina brings up the importance of being exposed to many Haitian women writers. They talk about the internalization of negative feedback that can come from being brought up in a Haitian family, MJ asks Jina what she’s working on next, and Jina shares that she is currently at work on a book called Brunch for Black Girls that is similar to Haitian Girls Brunch, the differences between identifying as Haitian and identifying as Black, and how the two identities intersect. They also discuss the importance of having open conversations on social media.

Jina Etienne is a geriatric social worker by trade, and an author. She founded the Friends of Haiti group to provide an environment of camaraderie for her social work clients, and leads the “in Your Own Words” Workshop. She is the author of two books: The Bougie Social Work Girl and Haitian Girls Brunch: Navigating the Cultural Experiences of The Haitian Girl Through Brunch and Dialogue.

You can follow Jina on Instagram: @haitiangirlsbrunch.