Wyclef Jean's path from Haiti to America makes him sensitive to current immigration policy

WASHINGTON - "I was born it Haiti in a hut. I used to eat dirt on the floor," Grammy Award winning artist Wyclef Jean told us during a visit to FOX 5. "I took a donkey to school," he said - a story his daughter hates to hear.

And the dream of America as a land of opportunity is something he wants kids like his own to know could be a reality.

"I'm very sensitive to immigration policies because I was in Haiti," he said "My parents came here, and they got the chance to bring me over to America."

"I'm real sensitive when it comes to refugees because I understand the idea of being in a place where you're being oppressed by dictators and basically you're just trying to find better life for yourself."

His new album celebrates his Caribbean roots. He is in the D.C. area for a show tonight at the Fillmore in Silver Spring.