{"id":542,"date":"2024-11-13T16:58:52","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T21:58:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/jrn449-f24\/?p=542"},"modified":"2024-11-13T17:03:04","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T22:03:04","slug":"god-willing-how-billy-brought-haitian-flag-day-to-trenton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/jrn449-f24\/2024\/11\/13\/god-willing-how-billy-brought-haitian-flag-day-to-trenton\/","title":{"rendered":"By God’s grace: how Billy brought Haitian Flag Day to Trenton"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

A factory in the middle of New Jersey was one of the last places Billy would have expected to hear his country\u2019s national anthem. Yet there he was, standing proudly as the rhythms of La Dessalini\u00e8ne<\/em> blared over the speakers. He looked around at the room filled with some of his colleagues\u2014a fine subset of Trane Technologies\u2019 multinational workforce in Trenton. There were about a hundred of them, standing solemnly and waving their miniature Haitian flags as the night drew to a close. Billy had a smile on his face!

\u201cIt was really nice to see people from different backgrounds come together to celebrate Haitian Flag Day with us,\u201d Billy said with a look of satisfaction. It was the first celebration of its kind at the company, and it all happened because of him\u2014Bill Lorcy, nicknamed Billy.

Billy, 46, has been working at Trane Technologies since 2016. It was the first company to hire him after his Temporary Protected Status (TPS) application was approved. Billy moved permanently to Philadelphia in December 2015 after four years of traveling back and forth between the United States and Haiti on a tourist visa. In 2012, young Billy, an eloquent communications major at the State University of Haiti, the country\u2019s most prestigious institution of higher learning, was selected to join a delegation that represented the university at a conference in Queens, New York. He returned every summer after that. As his five-year visa neared its expiration date, Billy faced a difficult decision. Although he personally wanted to complete his studies before considering leaving Haiti, those around him increasingly insisted that he stay in the United States. For good.

\u201cEveryone told me the same thing: \u2018With the direction Haiti is going, there is no reason for you to come back. Stay.\u2019 I decided not to be stubborn, and I stayed,\u201d Billy said.

Like many immigrants, Billy had to move past the painful realization that the United States was nothing like what had been portrayed to him in the media or even what he had experienced as a tourist.

\u201cWe are presented with an image of life in the United States as luxurious. However, there is nothing luxurious about daily life. You have to work, take care of your family, and pay the bills,\u201d Billy said. Despite the challenges, he is proud of what he has accomplished since moving to Philadelphia. He has been able to take care of himself, of his family, and support those he left behind in Haiti. \u201cI can\u2019t complain, as they say here,\u201d he concluded, after briefly reflecting on his overall experience in the United States.

He still misses his country dearly. He often evokes memories of his youth\u2014the laughter and friendship associated with the first four decades of his life in Haiti.<\/p>\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\n

(Bottom left, Billy during his time in Queens, NY, 2012)<\/em><\/p>\r\n



Billy was born in Carrefour, a commune south of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area with a population of about half a million. However, he spent much of his time in the city center, where most of the educational and service opportunities he sought were located. He was very involved in the Scout Movement and his church, two institutions that played a vital role in his formation.

\u201cI like to make myself available to help others. As a Christian, you should always be there to help others because God says to love your neighbor as yourself,\u201d Billy said, noting how his religious beliefs shaped his personality and continue to inform his life decisions.

Billy speaks with conviction about his faith; it is a core part of who he is. His religious faith led him to the Haitian Red Cross in 1998, where he served as a volunteer for over a decade before joining Oxfam Quebec in 2010. Through his volunteer work, Billy visited all 10 departments of Haiti, which remains his favorite icebreaker fun fact to this day.

It was also through his faith that Billy met his wife, Rebecca, who is perhaps the real reason he stayed in the United States. They connected on Facebook around 2014 at the recommendation of a mutual friend from church. At that time, Rebecca was already living in the United States.

Although they didn\u2019t realize it until much later, Billy and Rebecca had already crossed paths several times at Christian youth activities and summer camps in Port-au-Prince. Billy was even Rebecca\u2019s camp instructor at some point. They stayed in touch throughout Billy\u2019s travels. He tried to meet up with her every time he came to the United States. When he was in Haiti, they spoke via WhatsApp and Facebook, although network issues often made communication difficult.

\u201cCourting her was no easy task, but by God\u2019s grace, we did it,\u201d Billy said with a smile on the corner of his mouth. Rebecca confirmed his side of the story. \u201cI always told Billy that I didn\u2019t believe he was the one God had planned for me, but Billy always promised he would wait for me. And he did.\u201d Rebecca speaks about Billy with passion, her voice radiating confidence as she shares the things she appreciates about their relationship. It\u2019s hard to imagine a time when she did not believe she had a future with him.

\u201cWe\u2019re imperfect,\u201d Rebecca says, \u201cbut we understand each other in our imperfections. We\u2019re both playful people who never get tired of each other. Some people find it strange, but we never run out of things to say to each other!\u201d Rebecca and Billy have two children together\u2014two boys\u2014one is 8 and the other, 3. Billy also has a 16-year-old child in Haiti from a previous relationship.

When Billy is not at home or church, he is at work. Earlier this year, he hosted a Haitian Flag Day celebration at his company, which was met with praise from everyone, from coworkers to executives. The food, music, and ambiance brought him home for a brief but special moment. The countless logistical challenges he had to overcome were suddenly all worth it.

\u201cIt was a beautiful celebration of Haitian heritage,\u201d Billy said.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A factory in the middle of New Jersey was one of the last places Billy would have expected to hear his country\u2019s national anthem. Yet there he was, standing proudly as the rhythms of La Dessalini\u00e8ne blared over the speakers. He looked around at the room filled with some of his colleagues\u2014a fine subset of<\/p>\n

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