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I think both cities' identities are more or less equally built on their geographic locations and tourist appeal. Demographics go to Miami due to heavy immigration which gives it a higher international profile. However, New Orleans has the advantage when it comes to history, architecture, culture, and physical landmarks.
New Orleans for the win, but it's arguably the most unique city in the country. Miami is in the next class of cities though.
I think both cities' identities are more or less equally built on their geographic locations and tourist appeal. Demographics go to Miami due to heavy immigration which gives it a higher international profile. However, New Orleans has the advantage when it comes to history, architecture, culture, and physical landmarks.
New Orleans for the win, but it's arguably the most unique city in the country. Miami is in the next class of cities though.
You cannot be a cosmopolitan, international city with a strong unique cultural identity to the city itself. In fact the US doesn’t appreciate or work to preserve places with cultural identities, instead calling those cities insular and cliquish, close-minded maybe. Backwater and not with the times. Part of being a melting pot means losing cities like this. Part of having an assimilated “American” culture means losing places like this.
Miami is the opposite of this. It stands as an icon of Latin immigration into the United States for the most part. It is a hub of a good portion of modern day American mainstream media (influencers and new social media, modeling, etc.) and pop culture. Miami is an icon of assimilation of multiple cultures into general American culture. NYC falls into this category also. Now compare that to New Orleans, a city well defined by a couple cultures and then building the entire metro’s identity around those couple cultures and not general “American” culture with an influx of immigration. New Orleans is not known as a place for people to adopt general American culture, a fact proved by New Orleans unique accent, entirely independent languages, and many other behaviors.
What this thread is asking for is a comparison to two cities: one that is a big icon FOR assimilation into general US culture, and one that has been an icon AGAINST assimilation into general US culture. And as a result of that, which has more of an identity?
The answer is New Orleans because it is choosing to be less like everyone other city in the US. Not Miami, a place known for first wave immigrants to get their flavor of American culture and an easy place to assimilate while still being around a couple things here and there that remind them of home.
I don’t think Miami lacks an identity so much as New Orleans has an incredibly strong one.
Louisiana is a highly unique state in general. Among other things, it’s the only state whose legal system descends from French civil law (as opposed to English common law).
This is a Final Four matchup right here - I'll give it to New Orleans but Miami is way, way up there too. I agree with MHays - globally, Miami wins.
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