In glistening Miami, the city where the skin is touched by the sun and where the beat of salsa fills the atmosphere, the Latino community weaves a beautiful cloth of culture together with their variety of customs. The city is a location where these Latin American cultures come together, mixing and mingling to form a tapestry of several identities such as Cuban, Colombian, Venezuelan, Puerto Rican among many, each of them adding to the vibrant image of the city.
Miami is solid proof of Latino dominance as based on statistics alone, over 70% of people here identify as Hispanic or Latino. One prime example is the different neighborhoods. The area of Doral, for instance, is known to be heavily populated with Venezuelans, hence the nickname, Doralzuela, while just slightly north, Hialeah as being predominantly Cuban.
“I live in Doral and when I go outside of Doral I can automatically tell what area I’m in like when I go to Kendall I automatically know there’s a bunch of Cubans and Puerto Ricans.”
— Senior Camilla Souza
“I’m Venezuelan and I live in Doral, but when someone asks me where I live and I say Doral they automatically say, ‘Oh, so you’re Venezuelan’,” said senior Estefania BouAssaf.
Along with neighborhoods, food is a big thing here in Miami. Most restaurants have become Latino-based which Miami is known for and loved. Peruvian, Argentinian, Nicaraguan, and El Salvadoran restaurants round out the largely popular selection of Cuban eateries.
“I’m from Michigan, meaning I am very gringo and when moving down to Miami, I had to get used to trying all these new foods, especially Hispanic food because it is so different based on the country,” said Social Studies teacher, Mr. Cotter Lamb.
