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I used to spend a couple of weeks a month in south Florida for a few years back in 80's & early 90's for work. I guess I didn't hang out in the same places as you. While the latin influence was heavy the use of spanish didn't seem much different than home. Of course I live in San Diego.
And in San Diego most Hispanics are Mexicans or from other Latino countries. As you said, Spanish is spoken widely by them and Cubans. It is their primary language of usage = non-assimilation by both groups.
So, doesn't Romney have Mexican ancestry too.... and would you call him "typical" or "representative"?
The Romney family is not Hispanic culturally nor do they have any Spanish ancestors. Just because his father was born in Mexico does not change that fact. Mitt Romney was born here and raised by his non-hispanic parents. His language is English, not Spanish.
Judging by the Pew data it looks like they have assimilated quite well. To me, home ownership rates and education count for more than what language they choose to speak at home. They are a suprisingly smaller part of the hispanic population than I would have imagined. As a group they must be fairly happy in south Florida as many other immigrant groups seem to spread out quicker. Maybe thats why you see them as having an inordinate amount of local influence. I have also seen that children of 1st wave Cuban immigrants tend to self-identify as white or "American" rather than Hispanic.
Assimilation has nothing to do with what language one chooses to speak at home. It has to do with what language one chooses to speak out in public.
Judging by the Pew data it looks like they have assimilated quite well. To me, home ownership rates and education count for more than what language they choose to speak at home. They are a suprisingly smaller part of the hispanic population than I would have imagined. As a group they must be fairly happy in south Florida as many other immigrant groups seem to spread out quicker. Maybe thats why you see them as having an inordinate amount of local influence. I have also seen that children of 1st wave Cuban immigrants tend to self-identify as white or "American" rather than Hispanic.
They have been very successful, that doesn't mean they have been assimilated into American culture.
My father was born in Italy and came to this country as a baby. In my whole life I never heard him refer to Italy as "my country." However, in S. Florida, there are second generation Cubans who have been raised to refer to Cuba as "my country."
Try going to Calle Ocho and saying positive things about Fidel Castro - see what happens. Or suggesting that the embargo be lifted...
I could go on - but you have to live here to really appreciate that visiting S. Florida is the easiest way to visit a foreign country - no passport required.
Assimilation has nothing to do with what language one chooses to speak at home. It has to do with what language one chooses to speak out in public.
It's certainly a plus to be able to speak more than one language in many parts of the world. Why not here? My uncle-in-law spoke english, spanish and mandarin chinese, he was Cuban and a resident of Arizona but owned a business in Hong Kong. You may have met far more Cubans than I but I have not met one that can't communicate better with me in english than I can in spanish. To my way of thinking assimilating is far more than just speaking the language.
They have been very successful, that doesn't mean they have been assimilated into American culture.
My father was born in Italy and came to this country as a baby. In my whole life I never heard him refer to Italy as "my country." However, in S. Florida, there are second generation Cubans who have been raised to refer to Cuba as "my country."
Try going to Calle Ocho and saying positive things about Fidel Castro - see what happens. Or suggesting that the embargo be lifted...
I could go on - but you have to live here to really appreciate that visiting S. Florida is the easiest way to visit a foreign country - no passport required.
I'm not trying to dismiss your argument..... I completely understand your point. I do think that as a whole most Cubans consider themselves Americans first though. Marrying into a Cuban family has given me some perspectives in re to Cubans. My wife for example has a masters from a highly regarded school in mathematics. Pretty sharp person, logical thinker etc. I've often asked her if she wanted to visit Cuba and her response has always been not no but hell no. She was brought up to be afraid to go back because Castro would throw her in jail and not let her return. Castro was the ultimate boogy man to her generation. Her aunt on the other hand is a right wing to the point of ridiculous screamer. I'm suprised she ever left the rest of the ones in Miami waiting for Castro to fall so they can go back and claim their property. Remember that first wave was made up of people who wanted to leave or had to leave, not always both.
Location: On the "Left Coast", somewhere in "the Land of Fruits & Nuts"
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Originally Posted by jeffrow1
I'm not trying to dismiss your argument..... I completely understand your point. I do think that as a whole most Cubans consider themselves Americans first though. Marrying into a Cuban family has given me some perspectives in re to Cubans. My wife for example has a masters from a highly regarded school in mathematics. Pretty sharp person, logical thinker etc. I've often asked her if she wanted to visit Cuba and her response has always been not no but hell no. She was brought up to be afraid to go back because Castro would throw her in jail and not let her return. Castro was the ultimate boogy man to her generation. Her aunt on the other hand is a right wing to the point of ridiculous screamer. I'm suprised she ever left the rest of the ones in Miami waiting for Castro to fall so they can go back and claim their property. Remember that first wave was made up of people who wanted to leave or had to leave, not always both.
Well, remember that the first waves of Miami Cubans were also the better-educated and more affluent ones, who were usually pretty comfy under the Batista dictatorship (propped up by the CIA, not unlike the Shah of Iran)... while the everyday common man, not so much. And not surprisingly, those first waves have also been the most reactionary and militantly conservative (note my earlier comments re: domestic terrorism). As also noted earlier, the "Marielitos" came over much later, many of them from Castro's prisons, and are very different from their predecessors. So I don't think other hispanic cultures in the US have anything that quite compares with the "Cuban" experience, or their unique level of 'nationalism'. And you can easily see that from the comments of anyone here who's actually lived in S. FL awhile, rather than from some experiences with a couple cuban 'ex-patriots' who relocated to Possum Holler or wherever!
Again, I can only assume that you have never been to Miami.
Now I love latin America, I love playing dominos and I love a cortadito or a Cafe con Leche (Lattes drive me crazy). And while I would rather be in Cuba, Nicaragua, Le Salvador or the Dominican Republic going to Miami was always a less expensive choice. So don't get me wrong, I love Miami with all of its lack of assimilation and maybe because of it. But I can assure you that if you had hung around the old guys some of whom claimed to be veterans of Alpha 66 and even survivors of la invasión de Playa Girón who hung out around the bodegas and street side cafes along Calle Ocho... dude you would be in for a rude awakening.
True story, tried to order a scotch on the rocks at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Miami and couldn't do it until I asked the bartender in spanish.
In Macy's downtown, sales people generally ask first in Spanish if they can help you. I too love Miami probably because of the "lack of assimilation" which makes it so exotic, IMO.
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