[FloridaKash]

I haven't spent much time in Miami. Only have driven through to the port and to the warehouse district for business. I thought it was funny how people drive there. Lots of horn beeping as if you were in another country. Other than that... seemed American to me.

[AntonioR]

Originally Posted by stpeteguy

Well since nobody here has the courage to answer your question honestly , I will. Yes, I have traveled through those areas and spent time there on vacations.

To me, it does NOT feel American at all. Virtually no one speaks english and there are virtually no white people. And when I say white people, I mean people of European ancestry. The culture those areas exude are overwhelmingly Hispanic. If that's what your aiming for, you'll love it.

I personally did not care for it.

I thought most Hispanics have European ancestry? Most are either mestizos, mulattoes or white, from what I can tell, and all of them have European ancestry. Latin American cultures also have much European cultural influences (mostly Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, but its still European).

Sometimes I wonder if people put attention to what they are saying. lol

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I would say you personally didn't care for it as a racist, which is fine I suppose....but don't exaggerate or overstate to make your point. Virtually no one speaks English and virtually no one of European ancestry was visible??? Amazing!

The racial makeup of population of South Florida [5,334,685] as of 2010:[30]
White: 70.3% [3,914,239]
White Non-Hispanic: 34.8% [1,937,939]

So nearly 2 million non-Hispanic Whites (a third of the population) managed to hide while you were there????

They never reply when you post the statistics, Ironically, Miami/Houston are very similar in their White/White-Non-Latino populations..

[hashbrown]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I would say you personally didn't care for it as a racist, which is fine I suppose....but don't exaggerate or overstate to make your point. Virtually no one speaks English and virtually no one of European ancestry was visible??? Amazing!

The racial makeup of population of South Florida [5,334,685] as of 2010:[30]
White: 70.3% [3,914,239]
White Non-Hispanic: 34.8% [1,937,939]

So nearly 2 million non-Hispanic Whites (a third of the population) managed to hide while you were there????

He probably stayed in some rough neighborhoods.

[Sunnydee]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

Uh, to clarify: I never said it didn't feel "American" to me. So, I dunno why you're even asking me why I don't think it's not American. I simply asked a question, while leaving no personal opinion of my own. Also, in the title of my thread I stated the 3 counties of which I was referring to: Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach)... I dont mean to include SW FL, as no offense, but it is not nearly as populated or econimically important as SE Florida.

Anyway, I often hear that people are like "Oh, Miami is like a 3rd world country" etc etc. I'm trying to figure out why people say that. What about Miami, in particular south florida is not "american" feeling...or why does it feel 3rd world to some? I often hear this.

Is it because of the Spanish? The Caribbean and South American influence? What is it?

Whenever I go to Miami I feel like I'm in another country because I'm surrounded by people speaking Spanish. As an example, I went to the grocery store, a major chain, and there were no carts anywhere. I asked a woman where I could find a cart and was told in Spanish that she didn't speak English. I approached several other people and got the same response. Once in the store I didn't hear one person speaking English until I got to the cashier. I've had similar experiences each time I've been in Miami. Perhaps that's why you've heard it feels like a foreign country.

[1908WAGY]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

In your opinion, does SoFla feel like the US to you?

Or does it seem like another country?

NOPE....especially Hialeah

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by hashbrown

He probably stayed in some rough neighborhoods.

Or more likely drove through once and heard Spanish being spoken while stopped at a red light..

[MAniacTHW]

I realize this thread is old, but I do have to say, the few times I have been through Miami, I also had trouble finding English speaking brethren. That said, I understand that the U.S. has no national language, so I had no problem with it.

[unquiltom]

I often don't feel like I'm in the US any more in a lot of areas of Dade and being a white person of European parents, I definitely feel like a minority in Miami.
I was walking my dog a few days ago and I noticed a large amount of water flowing under the fence from someones backyard. Thinking maybe a sprinkler line had burst, I knocked on the door to inform the homeowners. Well, the person who answered the door spoke no English and had no idea what I was trying to tell them. She seemed to almost be annoyed at me for knocking on her door and not being able to speak her language. Fortunately, her daughter was home and she spoke enough English to be able to understand what I was trying to tell them.

[Shortbus901]

Living in Key West I like the fact that it doesn't feel so "American" as the Mainland. South FL is a large area with many different cultures of it's own. Naples is an entirely different place than Miami which may as well be another planet compared to the Interior.

If it's strip malls, big box stores and chain restaurants you're looking for though then rest assured there are plenty of them everywhere until you get into the Keys.