The SEC’s annual Caribbean American Heritage Month event featured a visit from Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) official Karen Andre, who shared her experiences as a first-generation Haitian American whose ancestry shaped her professional aspirations.

 The SEC’s Caribbean American Heritage Committee (CAHC) and Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) organized the event to honor the cultural contributions and accomplishments of Caribbean Americans. Andre is the CFPB’s Associate Director for Consumer Education and External Affairs and a former White House liaison to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She has served as a social justice activist for Haitian and African American communities.

SEC's Cicely LaMothe talks with CFPB's Karen Andre during the 2023 Caribbean American Heritage Month event.

SEC's Cicely LaMothe presents CFPB's Karen Andre with a certificate of appreciation.

SEC staff attended the 2023 Caribbean American Heritage Month event in person and virtually.

Andre discussed the history and resilience of enslaved Haitians, stating they would “leave nothing undone to secure their liberty.”  Andre lived in Haiti from ages two to five before arriving in the U.S. to notice a stark difference between the countries’ racial and cultural environments. Most significantly, she noted how the U.S. encompassed more diversity than Haiti.

  Andre said that her grandmother served as her guide and role model in the United States, and learning to help others became a theme of her youth and beyond. Andre noted that being an activist does not always mean standing on the front line, but rather showing the ability to “lead from behind."

Andre explained, “All of us can do something within our sphere of influence.” For example, when she experienced discrimination firsthand as a Haitian American, instead of hiding she became “an agent and catalyst for social change … being the voice of the voices.” Andre credits her professional resilience and success to allyship, appreciation of diverse cultures, and overcoming personal challenges while growing up as a Haitian American. Her early experiences in school ultimately influenced her goal of serving and protecting American consumers who face “an imbalance of power.”

During a question-and-comment session, one attendee asked how Haiti has contributed to the U.S. and other nations. Andre responded by pointing out the overlap between Caribbean and United States history, including Haiti’s role in the Louisiana Purchase for example. Afterwards, attendees sampled Caribbean cuisine such as sautéed okra, curried chickpeas, and guava juice.

View a video recording of this event.