What will happen to Miami's economy when Cuba becomes an exotic cruise ship mecca? Will Miami be 'more on the map' ? (Hialeah: house, to buy)

[EnjoyTheSilence]

Originally Posted by ray1945

I guess it depends on when you grew up in Miami.

I've lived here since 1951 and I can tell you that there is a huge difference between the Miami in which I grew up and the Miami that exists today.

The Anglo vs Cuban thing is a non-issue because there are not enough Anglos left in Miami for even a small competition. The Cubans won - they own Miami now. The few Anglos who are left are artifacts of a time that is no more and, as such, are tolerated as curiosities.

I don't want to be tolerated at a curiosity. I want to live in a city where I'm accepted, not just tolerated.

I'll tell you one thing -- as much as I hate living in Miami, it has at least provided me with a learning experience, because now I truly know how it feels to be a "minority"....but now I just want this particular class to end so that I can move on with my life and live somewhere that I can at least tolerate.

[ray1945]

Originally Posted by BCreass

I don't want to be tolerated at a curiosity. I want to live in a city where I'm accepted, not just tolerated.

I'll tell you one thing -- as much as I hate living in Miami, it has at least provided me with a learning experience, because now I truly know how it feels to be a "minority"....but now I just want this particular class to end so that I can move on with my life and live somewhere that I can at least tolerate.

You get used to it after a while. I do get tired of hearing Spanish most of the time when I go to Publix, Costco, doctor's office, dentist's office, just about any place in Miami-Dade. I do as much business as possible in Broward, where English is still the predominant language.

Fortunately, I have a second home that allows me to return to America for 6 months of the year. Believe it or not, when November rolls around, I'm actually happy to return to S. Florida.

[Huckleberry3911948]

the old man is fighting it but its guna be good for business. florida will benefit.

[EnjoyTheSilence]

Originally Posted by ray1945

You get used to it after a while. I do get tired of hearing Spanish most of the time when I go to Publix, Costco, doctor's office, dentist's office, just about any place in Miami-Dade. I do as much business as possible in Broward, where English is still the predominant language.

Fortunately, I have a second home that allows me to return to America for 6 months of the year. Believe it or not, when November rolls around, I'm actually happy to return to S. Florida.

Kudos to you for having that luxury...I guess you get the best of both worlds! It's not really the Spanish that irritates me per se....it's living in a place where I am simply unable to fit in, despite the fact that I've tried. Most urban areas this size have a number of "scenes" and true diversity, but most Miamians seem like clones / drones.

I'm leaving in a year's time though

[The Floridian]

How many u monkeys living in Miami-Dade b*tching and moaning are poor? Seems to me the whites in Miami who are well off enjoy life here.... and the poor whites are living in hell.......................

Waz wrong with this picture people?

Waz difference in a white dude in Miami-Dade and Los Angeles county?

Life is how u see it from inside out.

What if you lived in the Oregon backwoods or Nothern Idaho?

South Florida: Hobe Sound to Key West is a paradise period, and 85% of all Latins speak decent english.

The only places I'd ever live outside South Florida would be Rio de Janeiro or maybe Southern California.

Worldwide; South Florida and Southern California are without question the best, safest areas to live and work.

My 0.02

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by The Floridian

How many u monkeys living in Miami-Dade b*tching and moaning are poor? Seems to me the whites in Miami who are well off enjoy life here.... and the poor whites are living in hell.......................

Waz wrong with this picture people?

Waz difference in a white dude in Miami-Dade and Los Angeles county?

Life is how u see it from inside out.

What if you lived in the Oregon backwoods or Nothern Idaho?

South Florida: Hobe Sound to Key West is a paradise period, and 85% of all Latins speak decent english.

The only places I'd ever live outside South Florida would be Rio de Janeiro or maybe Southern California.

Worldwide; South Florida and Southern California are without question the best, safest areas to live and work.

My 0.02

This was difficult to read given the grammar/spelling. With that said, interesting conclusion (I think)

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by ray1945

I guess it depends on when you grew up in Miami.

I've lived here since 1951 and I can tell you that there is a huge difference between the Miami in which I grew up and the Miami that exists today.

The Anglo vs Cuban thing is a non-issue because there are not enough Anglos left in Miami for even a small competition. The Cubans won - they own Miami now. The few Anglos who are left are artifacts of a time that is no more and, as such, are tolerated as curiosities.

I am a lot younger than you. My parents came to South Florida in 1977 and I was born in 1985. You are absolutely right that Miami it has changed a lot. I have heard the stories! One family friend was born in Miami in the 1920's and another moved his family from Havana to Coral Gables in 1961. The mother of one of my good friends arrived as a Peter Pan kid in the early 1960's as well. She lived in Coral Terrace when it was 98% "Anglo" and 2% Cuban.

I do not think it is fair to juxtapose Cubans with "Anglos" as if there ever were a real battle between the two groups. Maybe there was tension between newly-arrived Marielitos and "Anglos," but to be fair, many of the pre-1980 Cubans were livid that their stellar reputation was being tarnished by many Marielitos who were lower-class, committed crimes, and did drugs. Though many Marielitos were good, hard-working people, the fact that many were not really hurt the reputation of the "old-school" Cubans and people were not happy about that.

I attended public school and lived in middle class neighborhoods all of my pre-college/law school life and witnesses near perfect integration between Cuban-Americans and Anglo-Americans. The two groups - and I honestly, with a straight face hesitate to even call them "groups" - dated, married, played together, socialized together... probably 1/5 of the white kids I knew were half Cuban and half "Anglo." This is rather common in East/Central Kendall, Coral Gables, South Miami, Miami Beach, Key West, parts of the Upper Keys, and Miami Lakes. To say that "Anglos" in Miami-Dade are merely "tolerated as curiosities" implies that Cubans/Cuban-Americans and others are somehow hostile to "Anglos," which in my experience is quite far from the truth.

[ray1945]

Originally Posted by crisp444

I am a lot younger than you. My parents came to South Florida in 1977 and I was born in 1985. You are absolutely right that Miami it has changed a lot. I have heard the stories! One family friend was born in Miami in the 1920's and another moved his family from Havana to Coral Gables in 1961. The mother of one of my good friends arrived as a Peter Pan kid in the early 1960's as well. She lived in Coral Terrace when it was 98% "Anglo" and 2% Cuban.

I do not think it is fair to juxtapose Cubans with "Anglos" as if there ever were a real battle between the two groups. Maybe there was tension between newly-arrived Marielitos and "Anglos," but to be fair, many of the pre-1980 Cubans were livid that their stellar reputation was being tarnished by many Marielitos who were lower-class, committed crimes, and did drugs. Though many Marielitos were good, hard-working people, the fact that many were not really hurt the reputation of the "old-school" Cubans and people were not happy about that.

I attended public school and lived in middle class neighborhoods all of my pre-college/law school life and witnesses near perfect integration between Cuban-Americans and Anglo-Americans. The two groups - and I honestly, with a straight face hesitate to even call them "groups" - dated, married, played together, socialized together... probably 1/5 of the white kids I knew were half Cuban and half "Anglo." This is rather common in East/Central Kendall, Coral Gables, South Miami, Miami Beach, Key West, parts of the Upper Keys, and Miami Lakes. To say that "Anglos" in Miami-Dade are merely "tolerated as curiosities" implies that Cubans/Cuban-Americans and others are somehow hostile to "Anglos," which in my experience is quite far from the truth.

Didn't mean to imply that "Anglos" are treated with hostility. Quite the opposite most of the time. I find that as the only English speaker my hair salon, for example, I am treated with beyond the normal courtesy. Kind of like a frivolous Pomeranian - a cute little lapdog that in real life has no practical value.

You are young - younger than my children who were born in the 70s. They share your outlook on Miami and have no problem with its diverse culture.

[Leovigildo]

Crisp

My family has been visiting Miami since the 40's. Way before this person writing here. Part of my family owns property at Byscaine and Coral Gables since 1950.

My gradfather was Dupont's representative in Spain before the Spanish Civil War, and he went to Cuba following Dupont's orders. He owned a house in Miami back in the 40's. My grandfather was Irene Dupont "liaison".

Miami was by all means a primitive place compared to Cuba, nothing was comparable to Cuba. Miami was Miami Beach, the Downtown, Flagler and the Hialeah Tracks and the higher authority was the sheriff (a fat and stupid character in a Mercury that prosecuted Cubans overstaying their visas by watching the people that put "salt" in their coffe) and a few crooked politicians that made a living out of ilegal gambling, whores and drugs. Blacks were not considered humans, they were barred from everyplace and there was a colored town in Overtown and in the Grove (they settled there to avoid being used as target practice).

For Cubans, Miami was only interesting for their shopping sprees. They used to buy everything since it was cheaper than Cuba.

For example, in the entire Southern Florida there was nothing comparable to the community in which Irene Dupont, Alcapone, etc, lived in Varadero, Cuba. There was nothing comparable to Havana Hotels, or as luxurious Havana neighboirhoods such as Biltmore, Country Club, Miramar, Vedado, etc.

Cubans were very well received when the refugees were "priistas", escaping from Batista. They had money. But of course, when hundreds of thousand of Cubans began arriving in 1959, everything changed since there were many that were pennyless.

As to Cubans, I mean early Cubans, treating Americans as a Pomeranian, I don't think so. Cubans that arrived in those times had very solid American relations (not southeners from Miami) and extremely solid American friends dating back generations.

Of course, Havana was a city and at that time Miami was a nice town, the conflict was served.

As to Cuba removing Florida and Bahamas from the tourist market, it could take a while, but I guess that young people will be a witness to it.

Let's put it this way, Cuba is a large island with mountains, history and things, once they get rid the Castros and their surplus population (I'd say 7 million they could send to Davie, Broward), the country will be magnificent.

[Leovigildo]

Cuba Libre

You are totally right.