Both Oars In Miamirica

Apr 2, 2010

 

New York may the world’s Big Apple, but Miami is the Western Hemisphere’s capital city. There is no place that provides a better glimpse of what we will be once we become one America, from Tierra del Fuego to Nunavut. Most importantly, the city’s congenial atmosphere and multicultural, intraregional economic base should reassure us that there is a future for the United States of America in America: provided that we take a break from world leadership and invest a little more time and energy in our own region.  

Spend a day in Miami and you will be convinced that being bilingual is an asset, not a threat. While 75% of the households in Miami report speaking a language other than English at home, everybody who has been here for any amount of time also speaks English. I love overhearing seamless changes from Spanish, Portuguese, and Kreyol into English. It is just a fact that being able to speak more than one language is better than being unilingual. Miami has embraced this in a most charming way.

Miami, although still the second most Cuban place in the world, is not just Cuban anymore. It’s a continually diversifying populace that reflects all of North, Central and South America. Haitian, Brazilian and Central American immigrants, all growing in population, have added communities alongside Little Havana. Casual conversation with Miamians reveals that most of its inhabitants have tales of two cities—the one they now live in and the one they still visit regularly. Miami is our first successful city without borders.

Miami is also no longer a retirement city. In fact, it is a city that never stops working. Airplane engines shake the skies late into the night, train whistles rouse the early hours, semis rumble into town continuously off I-95 and ships steam in and out all day. For a city that is famous for retired people sitting in beach chairs, wearing Bermuda shorts and loafers [black socks optional], nothing in Miami seems to stay at rest for very long. 

Everything is always moving in Miami because it is the transportation center for the hemisphere. Miami International Airport handles more international flights and international cargo than any other US airport. Miami’s seaport is equally busy, being the “Cruise Capital of the World” and the “Cargo Gateway of the Americas”. A drive around the city provides a complete intermodal display of how things move from origin to destination. With arteries connected to everywhere, Miami has become the heart of America. 

While Miami is definitely a working city, there are still plenty of beautiful beaches and venues for relaxation. A person can go from bank lobby to sandy beach in the time it takes to change from a blue suit to a swimsuit. There is enough nostalgic glamour in the Art Deco region of South Beach to make everyone feel like a movie star. And for more serious reflection, there is the gripping Holocaust Memorial just a few blocks inland that both reminds and warns at the same time. Without a doubt, Miami has both sun and depth.     

Unfortunately, Miami’s ever present sun has yet to burn off the economic clouds created by the recent crash. Like many large US cities, Miami’s unemployment is running higher than the national average;  its largest economic sectors, finance and tourism, having been hit hard by the recession. Real estate has also tumbled, especially the high-rise variety which gives the city its spectacular skyline. Yet, a walk around downtown engenders more optimism than the numbers would suggest. The immediate thought: it’s a good time to buy.

It’s a bit odd that I like Miami so much. I am not a sun worshipper or a beach walker, which is one reason I made my family make the trek to see the Holocaust Memorial. I do not like pastels or tropical drinks—the umbrellas are just downright dangerous. I prefer to wear more than 4 ounces of clothing at a time and I do not know any Jimmy Buffet songs. But, I am smitten by the city’s ease with being North, Central and South American all at once.

Miami is my city because it is America’s city.