Spanish in Miami (Hollywood, Miami Beach, Boca Raton: purchasing, schools, income)

[Dro420]

Well, first of all, I'd like to start off by saying that I'm a first-generation American. I was born and raised in Miami-Dade County, Florida. My parents came from Colombia to this country many years ago. I, like many of my fellow Hispanic-Americans, have had no problem assimilating into the American culture. I also get annoyed with the common problems that we, as South Floridians, face, ie: traffic, congestion, langauge barrier. Unlike my family, I don't speak fluent Spanish. I speak it at an intermediate level at best. My kids probably won't speak any Spanish at all. This is a trend that's been happening for the past 40 years, so in retrospect, us Hispanics are assimilating into American culture.

However, I digress. Back to the topic at hand. I don't think that knowing how to speak Spanish is a necessary to survive in Miami; it's helpful, but not necessary. Although I agree that foreigners should make some attempt to learn English, I find it funny how we, as Americans, complain so much about foreign languages when being bilingual is something that we should all want to be. It opens up doors to many economic and social aspects of life. By being bilingual, we can better ourselves as a people and not make ourselves look like ignorant rednecks to the outside world.

In the end, I love my city, my county, my state. We all have qualms with our hometowns, but it just so happens that the city we're living in is one of the biggest melting pots in this country. It's about time some of us embrace this. If not, well, then there's always Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe, & Collier counties.

[INeedAChange]

There are too many Americans want to expropriate resources from the rest of the world when it suits their lifestyle needs but at the same time live in a bubble without learning about other languages and cultures. It's terrifying.

Originally Posted by Dro420

Well, first of all, I'd like to start off by saying that I'm a first-generation American. I was born and raised in Miami-Dade County, Florida. My parents came from Colombia to this country many years ago. I, like many of my fellow Hispanic-Americans, have had no problem assimilating into the American culture. I also get annoyed with the common problems that we, as South Floridians, face, ie: traffic, congestion, langauge barrier. Unlike my family, I don't speak fluent Spanish. I speak it at an intermediate level at best. My kids probably won't speak any Spanish at all. This is a trend that's been happening for the past 40 years, so in retrospect, us Hispanics are assimilating into American culture.

However, I digress. Back to the topic at hand. I don't think that knowing how to speak Spanish is a necessary to survive in Miami; it's helpful, but not necessary. Although I agree that foreigners should make some attempt to learn English, I find it funny how we, as Americans, complain so much about foreign languages when being bilingual is something that we should all want to be. It opens up doors to many economic and social aspects of life. By being bilingual, we can better ourselves as a people and not make ourselves look like ignorant rednecks to the outside world.

In the end, I love my city, my county, my state. We all have qualms with our hometowns, but it just so happens that the city we're living in is one of the biggest melting pots in this country. It's about time some of us embrace this. If not, well, then there's always Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe, & Collier counties.

[jjnnino]

Originally Posted by INeedAChange

There are too many Americans want to expropriate resources from the rest of the world when it suits their lifestyle needs but at the same time live in a bubble without learning about other languages and cultures. It's terrifying.

Wow .. you are so correct ..... provocative and controversial ... yet sooo true !!!

It is like many of our "White American " neighbors here in Weston , they complain all day about Hispanics and are supposedly anti-illegal immigration , yet they all hire illegal Colombian or Dominican housekeepers and domestic help because they are cheap ... go figure ?

Sounds a touch hypocritical to me .... we want to spread globalization and to lower labor costs by manufacturing overseas and the third world to abide by our rules of the game when it comes to free trade .... but we will not even consider learning a foreign language , be it French , Spanish , Chinese , etc , etc because we are too caught up in watching Survivor , Springer , 24 , and "Pimp My Ride " on MTV .

[Cheasare]

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas and currently live in Maryland outside of Washington, D.C. I have a close friend that lives in Miami and I come down regularly to escape the cold winters. Let me just say that the problem with language is not unique to Miami. Houston has several enclaves of largely Mexican/Central Americans that speak Spanish most of the time. In Maryland there is a community called Langley Park that is almost 90% Hispanic with the other 10% being Africans and Black Americans.

I grew up with Mexicans and in fact my bestfriend is Mexican. My close friend in Maryland in Salvadorean. I am a Black American and my husband is West African. I have no problems in Miami even though I'm not fluent in Spanish. There are some jacked up people, but that's the case everywhere. I wouldn't allow the use of Spanish in Miami to deter me from moving there. Like my husband always says who deals with Hispanics all the time and who by the way has a very thick African accent and sometimes has trouble with his English grammar, we are all human beings; we'll figure out a way to understand one another.

The only people who can complain about the country being taken over or foreigners imposing their language are the Native Americans as someone previously pointed out. The Miami Indians originally were located in Illinois and Indiana. They were also known as Maumee because of the area where they numbers grew in Ohio. I think this is quite ironic: a city named after a North American Native tribe who were bullied by whites and now some of the whites in the city named after them are crying foul because of the Latinos doing the same things the whites did to the Natives.

Cheasare

[ufimych]

Originally Posted by anamarieus

Just chiming in that I HATE living here. I feel so alienated everywhere because no one speaks english. I moved here from NC about 4 years ago. It really sucks. I wanna LEAVEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Agree. This is why I do not like to be in Miami even for a few days.

[gabry76]

Originally Posted by Cheasare

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas and currently live in Maryland outside of Washington, D.C. I have a close friend that lives in Miami and I come down regularly to escape the cold winters. Let me just say that the problem with language is not unique to Miami. Houston has several enclaves of largely Mexican/Central Americans that speak Spanish most of the time. In Maryland there is a community called Langley Park that is almost 90% Hispanic with the other 10% being Africans and Black Americans.

I grew up with Mexicans and in fact my bestfriend is Mexican. My close friend in Maryland in Salvadorean. I am a Black American and my husband is West African. I have no problems in Miami even though I'm not fluent in Spanish. There are some jacked up people, but that's the case everywhere. I wouldn't allow the use of Spanish in Miami to deter me from moving there. Like my husband always says who deals with Hispanics all the time and who by the way has a very thick African accent and sometimes has trouble with his English grammar, we are all human beings; we'll figure out a way to understand one another.

The only people who can complain about the country being taken over or foreigners imposing their language are the Native Americans as someone previously pointed out. The Miami Indians originally were located in Illinois and Indiana. They were also known as Maumee because of the area where they numbers grew in Ohio. I think this is quite ironic: a city named after a North American Native tribe who were bullied by whites and now some of the whites in the city named after them are crying foul because of the Latinos doing the same things the whites did to the Natives.

Cheasare

You're wrong. In the cities you mentioned, as you said, that happens in enclaves and specific areas...in Miami it happens all over the places....the enclaves are those where english is spoken!! Get the difference??

[CiXeL]

"the enclaves are those where english is spoken!! Get the difference??"

hahaha. exactly. nailed it!

[paleo99]

The US needs to stop immigration in this country..when Hialeah goes from a nice neighborhood 40 years ago to what it is today, that's enough. Last thing we need is the balkanization of this nation..granted it's already happening. Can't see the whole dam nation putting up with the nonsense like what you see in the southern states.

[Musclehead]

Originally Posted by paleo99

The US needs to stop immigration in this country..when Hialeah goes from a nice neighborhood 40 years ago to what it is today, that's enough. Last thing we need is the balkanization of this nation..granted it's already happening. Can't see the whole dam nation putting up with the nonsense like what you see in the southern states.

I hate to say it but I have to agree , the government should impose a moratorium on immigration for at least ten years and not just from Latin America but from Asia , Africa ,Europe and especially the Middle East .. we need time to get these people to assimilate .

[Delray Patty]

Is Miami in the U.S. silly me, and I thought it was Cuba or South America.
Its' a shame that if you don't speak Spanish you dont' feel welcome in parts
of South Florida. I'll tell you a little story of a group of people taking a bus
trip to the Keys. They had a stopover for one night in Miami. They couldn't
even converse with the girl at the desk in the hotel. No one spoke English?
What a disgrace. Oh, I'm all for keeping a tradition alive and speaking the
language among family members, but in business, sorry, folks, this is still
America......one more thing we are losing.....