to English-speaking whites who have moved TO Miami (Homestead: restaurant, moving)

[CiXeL]

"everyone is in the same boat & it's part of the Miami experience."


was that a joke? =P

[Tjam]

when you are not fluent in a language and use that language you risk sounding dumb to others. the impression to others is clear: you are less than competent; you sound simple, and get responded to in that way; you are not educated. even if you have a phd it makes no difference, you sound like you don't know what you are talking about because you are speaking broken english. that's the reality.
if you are english speaking and from another country, and feel your accent is drawing unwanted attention, you simply learn to pronounce your words the american way. it makes life much easier, people will not need to ask you 'say that again'. spanish speaking persons who know only broken english do not have that option. i know all about it having moved here from the english speaking caribbean. i am in philadelphia but i loved new york when i went to school there in the early '70s. never been to miami but everyone i ask up here have only positive things to say about miami. could be moving there soon and i will not be taking the time or effort to learn spanish. i will not need a job so that's half the language problem licked.

[TriMT7]

I think people will get a much ruder reception demanding they be addressed in Spanish than getting laughed at for their Spanish accent. I mean, honestly, that excuse just doesn't hold a lot of water.

[smo123]

Wow, I never imagined that I would start such a discussion with the title of my thread! My intention was actually to draw the attention of those people (either white English-speaking Americans from outside Miami or English-speaking foreigners - i.e. people with backgrounds similar to my own) who don't know Spanish but have moved to Miami.

Regarding the whole racial/cultural identification thing on census forms and the like, it's a complete joke and should be done away with. I once had a professor of East Asian history. White as can be, native English speaker, European ancestors. He decided to mark Asian-American on the census form because of his marriage to an Asian in a Buddhist temple (forget the country), his fluent knowledge of about 4 Asian languages, his kid's Asian names, the Asian food they eat at home (in America) and the fact that he probably knows a lot more about Asia and acts more Asian than 95% of people who are supposed to mark themselves as Asian-American! But in the end, he didn't really like having to make that choice at all!

[AJ67]

Let me set the record straight, imnot talking about someone with a Deffinet Spanish accent, Im talking about a New Yorker who has been raised in New York ALL their Lifes, and maybe even their parents where raised here , but are able to speak spanish, so they prefere spanish, and when they ask "hablo" and someone says No they sound just like and American NO DESERNASBLE ACCENT ,its justnot right.( and it could be any State i just used New York) But I applaud all the People that come here and WANT to learn English, And i understand , that when a spanish speaking ( which is their main language)person has to speak spanish because they don't want to say the wrong thing, believe it or not AMericans are very hard on people of different Cultures

[CiXeL]

"But cixel - where in the world in Miami do YOU live???!!! You don't hear creole? And what the hell do you mean haitian french???!!! LMAO!!!!
WHAT DO YOU THINK CREOLE IS?????????!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry - that's just funny!
But if you're in the keys, yeah, all spanish.
Try coming north some time! "


im in homestead and work as far north as MIA or hialeah. - its nearly all spanish. even haitians are rare down here, we just have the poor southern black folks in some areas. haitians and jamaicans are much farther north - more like broward.

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by AJ67

Let me set the record straight, imnot talking about someone with a Deffinet Spanish accent, Im talking about a New Yorker who has been raised in New York ALL their Lifes, and maybe even their parents where raised here , but are able to speak spanish, so they prefere spanish, and when they ask "hablo" and someone says No they sound just like and American NO DESERNASBLE ACCENT ,its justnot right.( and it could be any State i just used New York) But I applaud all the People that come here and WANT to learn English, And i understand , that when a spanish speaking ( which is their main language)person has to speak spanish because they don't want to say the wrong thing, believe it or not AMericans are very hard on people of different Cultures

Funny thing. My first language is Spanish (was born in Cuba). I started school in Cuba and my mother put me in a private "american" school so I used to get some English. Came to NY as a kid. Learned perfect ( ) English within two months. I was skipped a grade. I lost a lot of my Spanish thinking and it was reverse for me, I had to think in English and translate.

When I moved to Peru for about 4 years....the first year was awful. Even though I "knew" Spanish, I didn't know their idioms, but that is where I became fluent again.

Then.....many years in between now.. In Florida, they ask me where am I from (because of my NY accent) and when I speak Spanish, I still have some of the Peruvian lingo and intonation.. so Cubans ask where am I from.

I know I've had a very difficult time in England trying to understand the British accent, until you ears get trained. Then it all falls into place.

Does anybody really care? As long as you can communicate, you may have to repeat some things here and there but so what?

Hey you should hear my son trying to speak Spanish. but he does if he has to although if he can't think of the exact word he needs, he gives up on the subject.

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by smo123

Wow, I never imagined that I would start such a discussion with the title of my thread! My intention was actually to draw the attention of those people (either white English-speaking Americans from outside Miami or English-speaking foreigners - i.e. people with backgrounds similar to my own) who don't know Spanish but have moved to Miami.

Regarding the whole racial/cultural identification thing on census forms and the like, it's a complete joke and should be done away with. I once had a professor of East Asian history. White as can be, native English speaker, European ancestors. He decided to mark Asian-American on the census form because of his marriage to an Asian in a Buddhist temple (forget the country), his fluent knowledge of about 4 Asian languages, his kid's Asian names, the Asian food they eat at home (in America) and the fact that he probably knows a lot more about Asia and acts more Asian than 95% of people who are supposed to mark themselves as Asian-American! But in the end, he didn't really like having to make that choice at all!

Smo...this is like when you're a little kid and want to know about the birds and the bees and "someone" gives you the whole scientific explanation plus the lecture. You never wanted to know so much at that point. Nor did you digest the information. It was a simple question at the beginning, but anything simple always tends to become complicated, and branches into a lot more than we bargained for. But have faith!!!! I tried to help a few pages ago but noboby ever listens to me, including myself!

[elfyum]

Originally Posted by CiXeL

im in homestead and work as far north as MIA or hialeah. - its nearly all spanish. even haitians are rare down here, we just have the poor southern black folks in some areas. haitians and jamaicans are much farther north - more like broward.

NORTH DADE! NORTH DADE!!! Hey, even farther south - ever hear of LITTLE HAITI?????!!!!
Isn't it weird how we live & work in the same city but it's like different worlds? (Like far out man...)

[lionking]

I work with a couple guys from Haiti and Jamaica,and everyone who I have ever met specially Haiti has been super polite,and all speak english.And on a note about black people(original American),here at work those I know are friendly while when I visited Wash DC as soon as I rolled in there at gas stations and general I was looked at,teased at and generally treated rude.Go in ghetto Miami it might be different but overall people in Miami except in traffic are overall not too bad.

Again alot of the guys I work with are various spanish,all I get along with,most speak english also but various job positions you must speak it fluent because 80% of our customers are spanish and alot of them do not speak english.I work at a car dealership btw.

When you are in a city that is 80 to 85% spanish speaking a person that just immigrated does not need to speak english.I speak a little and in person I can communicate along with body language but on the phone if you cant speak it well its almost impossible to communicate effectively.

Still,a english only can survive here,personally my preferences in culture such as music is one reason Im leaving.Will miss seeing all those yummy latin ladies though,rice and beans does wonders oh yeah.