If you’ve visited a foreign country before, like me, you know that it can be difficult to work around the native language, and finding the bathroom is sometimes impossible. What if you were a tourist in your own country? You may find a problem like this in top Florida architects. In fact it isn’t a problem at all, and shows how diverse our country and the city of Miami is. Miami has the largest Spanish speaking population in the western hemisphere next to of course to South America. Spanish Speakers account for over 65% of Miami residents. For a tourist those are pretty bad odds to find an English speaker.
Most of the people in Miami are bilingual so I joke about not being able to find a bathroom. I lived in LA for 20 years and talked easily with the millions of Mexican Americans I went to school and worked with. But the numbers in Miami are astonishing. 67% of all Miami residents are Spanish speakers as their first language! This may be due to the fact that Miami is closer to Cuba than it is Tallahassee, the states capitol. There have been many stories in the news of Cuban immigrants defecting and transplanting to Miami.
What does this culture do for the city? Some of the best cuisine around is ropa vieja (which is shredded flank steak, tomato sauce), with black beans and yellow rice. If you have not tried it and go to Miami, this should be your dish of choice. Cuban influence has also drastically affected government and politics in the region as well. 3 current city commissioners wear the name Hernandez, Sanchez, and Gonzalez, including the mayor of the city, Manuel Diaz. Hispanic culture has influenced Miami culture in a huge way. In addition the buildings are Spanish style like Havana, and even though there are a lot of Colombians, and Puerto Ricans, Miami is mostly Cuban.
Miami is a beautiful port city with an accelerating economy and growth. The Cuban influence started in the 80’s and 90’s and has now been embraced by Miami residents and forever embedded in the Scar Face minds of the American public. Before we are quick to judge the cultural differences between us, and what we are forced with, let us think about what the people of Cuba have done for our great city and why it is so cool to be an El Norte de Cuban, Spanish or not.
