Houston, the next Miami for non-Mexican Hispanics & West Indians? (school district, Vietnamese)
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Houston already has sizeable numbers of Hondurans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Cubans, Venezuelans, Puerto Ricans, Haitians etc. But no where near to the effect of Miami, the rest of Florida and the Northeast region. Will Houston ever come close to the level that Miami is on as far as being an all-around Latin American/Caribbean powerhouse and hub, with these ethnic groups having populations of hundreds of thousands each and rivaling the local predominant Mexican community. Is it likely to happen within the next couple decades?
No I don’t think so. Houston is a melting pot but it doesn’t have the vibe of a Latin American city like Miami does. I don’t ever see that happening.
Somehow the Cubans gained control of the power structure in Miami. In Houston the political influence of Mexicans and other Hispanic groups is weak. The former Houston police chief was Cuban (current is Black) and the current County Commissioner is Colombian (predecessor was White Republican). The mayor of Houston is Black and the HISD Superintendent is Black even though the school district is predominantly Hispanic. On the business side, like most of Corporate America, the predominant influence is White (e.g., Greater Houston Partnership).
Houston embraces ethnic diversity, and there is by and large harmonization throughout the community. I don’t see Houston becoming a Latin American powerhouse though.
The Jamaican population of Houston is increasing but it will absolutely not be a Caribbean hotspot. Houston is also extremely diverse with large African and Asian populations so I highly doubt any one or two groups will dominate HOuston the way Cubans and Latin Americans dominate Miami.
Miami feels like it dips into the Caribbean and Latin America.
Houston just feels like an American City with strong Latin influences. The Caribbean population is growing but its nothing to shout about. It's nothing to begin to proclaim it as the next Miami.
Although Houston has the largest population west of the Mississippi, the population isn't major enough to prevent another metro like DFW from easily catching up.
Yes I see it becoming a hub, for Caribbean people, but not that major of a hub.
I think Houston has a good chance to be a huge Latin hub. While the Mexican population is still large, it is fast becoming a Central American hub lately. I don't think you ever see it become a hub for West Indians. Again, West Indians do not settle West of the Mississippi like that.
The first is that it already is a Central American hub. It gained more Central American residents than any other metro area in the US between 2010-2020. If Houston isnt a Central American hub, then one doesnt exist in the US.
As far as immigrants from the islands, Houston is already the closest thing to that for every place not in the Eastern time zone. But people from the islands overwhelmingly prefer the East Coast. Its really hard for any place west of Florida, Atlanta, and the Bos-Wash corridor to get even a fraction of that. Houston comes closest but the gap is still massive.
As to the comparisons to Miami, I dont think so. Miami is completely Latin/Caribbean dominated. Spanish is the language of business and Hispanics have almost all the power in the area. Houston is honestly too diverse to really be the end all be all of one region the way Miami is for Latin America.
The first is that it already is a Central American hub. It gained more Central American residents than any other metro area in the US between 2010-2020. If Houston isnt a Central American hub, then one doesnt exist in the US.
As far as immigrants from the islands, Houston is already the closest thing to that for every place not in the Eastern time zone. But people from the islands overwhelmingly prefer the East Coast. Its really hard for any place west of Florida, Atlanta, and the Bos-Wash corridor to get even a fraction of that. Houston comes closest but the gap is still massive.
As to the comparisons to Miami, I dont think so. Miami is completely Latin/Caribbean dominated. Spanish is the language of business and Hispanics have almost all the power in the area. Houston is honestly too diverse to really be the end all be all of one region the way Miami is for Latin America.
True but so is NYC and NYC is seen as a hub for the West Indies despite also being a hub for all. And likewise, Houston is seen as a Vietnamese, Nigerian, and some others powerhouse despite the diversity in Houston.
Houston is the closest thing West of the Mississippi, but before Houston could become Miami, it would need to surpass NY. Before it could surpass NY, it would need to surpass Philly and Boston. etc
I will say this though. Non Mexican hispanics in Houston when I was a child in the 2000s felt like we were lost in a world of Mexicans. Today, you feel the difference as opposed to before.
I know West Indians very well and the answer is no.
Florida, Atlanta, Maryland, and even North Carolina are bigger draws for them than Houston outside of the Northeast.
Some of course will flock to Houston because of the lure of jobs and COL but I don't see Houston becoming a West Indian hub anytime soon.
Houston is already a Central/South American hub with many Salvadorans, Venezuelans, Honduras, Guatemalans, Colombians, etc. but the South American/Caribbean Hispanic population is not on the same level as Miami at all.
But if Miami gets too expensive, I can see more South Americans bypassing Miami as a gateway area and going straight to Houston in the future. I don't see the same trend happening with Caribbean Hispanics though.
Houston's Hispanic demographics look way more like that of LA than it does Miami. By this I mean it has and will continue to have a predominate Mexican population with smaller groups of growing Central American populations and some growing Caribbean/South American populations whose numbers won't ever be enough to influence Houston the way they do Miami. Caribbean/South American populations will continue to opt to settle in S. Fla, Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte or in the Northeast where they have close ties and more flights may be available to their homelands even though Houston offers a number a flights to these areas.
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