How hard is it to live in Miami only speaking English? (Havana: shop, swimming)

[logybogy]

The answer is it depends. If you don't bring skills and look for jobs in food service, retail where you have to interact with the public, you are at a severe disadvantage because the public is largely bilingual.

If you are a professional like a doctor, lawyer, IT, accountant, it's less important because most of this work is traditionally done in English.

Also, it varies on where you live and work. Miami Beach is a lot different than Hialeah.

[Emil Torres]

Generally, if you work with the public in Miami or anywhere in Miami-Dade county, Spanish is more important than English and anyone hiring you will ensure you are able to converse in Spanish and that you have at least some English skills. If you are a doctor, lawyer, engineer or other professional then Spanish is much less important and you may not need to know it at all. Generally, organizations in Miami-Dade will quickly provide lay-translators from the workforce quickly when necessary to professional employees that cannot communicate in Spanish.

Edit: It's not racist. The population communicates in Spanish, so the businesses are correct in ensuring the customers can be served.

[boxus]

Originally Posted by boxus

It is just fine, I do not speak any Spanish and never had an issue.

It might become an issue as Doggiebus described.

Six years later, lol.

Still here, still do not speak Spanish, i am still just fine and have no issues come from it.

[elchevere]

I have been here 2 years now and have not had an issue...that’s not to say I have not encountered people who did not speak any English (Uber drivers, food servers, maintenance people in my building, people asking me directions). I have probably benefited by working from home and dealing with co workers and customers not based in Miami-Dade and I socialize in a limited bubble that consists of Gables/Grove/Brickell/Design District and Miami Beach which are more affluent areas with more people who speak English as their first language or learned it back home in school.

[Marc Middleton]

Originally Posted by boxus

Six years later, lol.

Still here, still do not speak Spanish, i am still just fine and have no issues come from it.

8 years in Miami, no issues. Wife managed multiple restaurants, I managed for a large hotel chain, then became a trainer for a large real estate company, friend got a job at American Airlines HQ, Neighbor was laid off and got a job with a major insurance company, etc etc etc. None of us knowing Spanish and all of these jobs in the $50k-$100k pay range.

Not to mention my wife & I operating a Real estate brokerage and selling real estate for 6 years while dealing with the public on a daily basis! (Customers, Building Front Desk, Title Companies, Mortgage companies, home inspectors, appraisers, bankers, HOA staff, etc.)

Do you need it for a crappy retail job or low level hospitality job in certain parts of Miami? Sure...A doctors office receptionist perhaps? Most likely...But let's not pretend like we're in a different country that has Americans living in it.

[truthislikepoetry]

I think it is more challenging to live in Miami without knowing English than it is without Spanish. Even though people will tell you the contrary because most folks tend to exaggerate. At the end of the day, Miami is an American city and therefore being able to communicate in English is a tremendous asset.

Conversely, being unable to speak English will likely maintain you in a low-paying job forever.

[Ste68]

I have been several times in Miami and every time I find strange that there are many people who don’t speak English, but then you understand immediately why this happens. Miami is full of Latin-Americans arrived recently or for decades, so the city has become bilingual. This happens everywhere, in Italy you entry in Chinese shop and the worker don’t speak Italian.
Perhaps this is not right but so it is.

[logybogy]

If you are having difficulties finding a job not knowing Spanish, it's nothing a little commute to Broward County can't cure either. Broward is definitely English dominated. So there are many options.

[CHESTER MANIFOLD]

Originally Posted by va_lucky

I used to have problems because I was half hispanic and looked very hispanic (whatever that really means). I got tired of being told I was wrong for not speaking Spanish. I have had quite a few arguments with Spanish speaking folks in Miami over that.

If you "look" hispanic, you may get into obscure ethical arguments as to why you don't speak it.

Not obscure at all. If you look Hispanic and don't speak Spanish they will think you are a brainwashed idiot,

[pslhomie]

The script is flipped in Miami. No one bothers to speak English unless necessary. Pisses me off when I go to Publix or McDonalds and it's assumed that I speak Spanish. I even experienced no one able to speak English at a few places.