"Are you an American?" (Miami, Hialeah: neighborhood, to live in, shop)

[sopralto]

Hello all...I recently moved to Miami from Pennsylvania. I work as a nurse at a local hospital and had an interesting question asked of me the other day.

Most of the staff in this hospital are Cuban natives with English as a second language. Unfortunately, for me, I do not speak Spanish, and I guess it's obvious that I am not of hispanic descent (pale-skinned, blonde). 99% of the staff...doctors, nurses, techs, support staff...are primarily Spanish-speaking but do also speak English. There are some staff members like me who do not speak any Spanish at all, and yet the primary language spoken at the nurses station is Spanish (which brings up patient safety questions for another thread). The primary lanuage spoken in the break room is Spanish. Keep in mind, everyone knows that not everyone speaks Spanish..everyone on staff CAN speak English...and still this goes on.

My first week of work, after not being able to participate in the conversations going on around me for most of the day, someone on the staff came up to me and asked:

"Are you an American?"

That question blew me away. In my mind, my initial reaction was thinking, "I have never been asked that in my own country before." I smiled and simply replied "Yes," while also thinking "aren't you?"

I was made aware of a term that I think means something along the lines of "someone who was born in the US (not Cuba) who does not speak Spanish, only English" that is apprently well know term in the Cuban community. I think the word begins with an 'n'. Does anyone know the term?

I would enjoy to hear any thoughts on this subject...

[observer]

It is unfortunate that the type of behavior you described is a regular occurence at many job sites in Miami. You will find some work sites where there may be many hispanics that also speak english be conscientious about fellow co-workers who do not speak spanish and will conduct a conversation or conversations in english as to not offend or alienate the non spanish speaking co-worker.

If you recently moved here from PA and new to this type of environment/norm, you will get somewhat used to it after a while. I do have to admit, it may be annoying to those that move here in a professional position or capacity to have these type of experience occur in the work place and in public whether going to a gas station or store. I for one speak spanish and my parents and most of my family are hispanic, and even I find it wrong. It is definitely different here compared to anywhere in PA.

Good luck.

[Marlin331]

Since there are so many whites of Hispanic descent in Miami, it is not always obvious who is Latin and who is not. People speak of "nationality" (even if it means where your parents or grandparents are from) for white/Latin people but usually not for blacks or Asians. I have many times heard "American" used to describe white people whose families have been in the United States for several generations. On the other hand, I have heard an American with French-born parents called "French" instead of "American." The term isn't supposed to be insulting and just is asking if you have no ethnic/family ties to a Latin or European nation. Your average Iowan whose family immigration to the US in 1870 would be called "American" by many in Miami while a person raised in New Jersey with Italian parents would likely be called "Italian" and a person raised in Miami by Cuban parents would be called "Cuban." Get it?

[intelfan11315]

In my opinion its what culture you are closest to.

[portorro]

I still remember some cuban friends saying one day that they were going to the "United States" which in their case was Georgia. I could not believe they did not think they were in the United States.

BTW, I think they did not mean any harm. "American" for them is someone who does not have latin heritage. You guys refer to us as latin, hispanics, latinos, etc etc. We need to have a term to identify you guys. Maybe its just not the correct term. Do you have any suggestions? I dont even like to use the term anglos, because some "americans" may not have English heritage. I'd be curiuos to know, what term you would suggest for us to use to refer to non latin heritage people in the US. It cant be anglos or anything related to race.

I lived in Hialeah for a while and it surprised me how many people did speak English at stores. Especially the younger generation. This used to happen at other times in US History and we still speak English to this day.

[planetsurf]

Welcome to Miami! Hope you take advantage of everything there is to do here.

Originally Posted by sopralto

My first week of work, after not being able to participate in the conversations going on around me for most of the day, someone on the staff came up to me and asked:

"Are you an American?"

That question blew me away. In my mind, my initial reaction was thinking, "I have never been asked that in my own country before." I smiled and simply replied "Yes," while also thinking "aren't you?"

I'd also suggest that blame for this sort of thinking also partially rests with the old My-am-a anglos.
You'll learn the history over time, but in a nutshell, Miami was pretty much a Southern city until maybe the 60s. By the 70s, hispanics started "taking over" as their percentage of the population increased.
You can STILL find bumper stickers that say "Will the last American in Miami please bring the flag" although I believe the heyday for that specifically was in the late 80s.

In many instances, including this board, you'll see (mostly) non-hispanics refer to the Miami as "third world" and not part of America too.
So it goes both ways, each "side" reinforcing the other.

ALSO, there was (less so now) an attitude in the Cuban community especially that they were here temporarily. They were refugees and not immigrants and planned on going back to Cuba as soon as Castro kicked the bucket. So that probably has something to do with it too.

Miami is an interesting place indeed, huh?

[nicsma2002]

I can't think of what that "n" word could be... the only word that comes to mind is "gringa" (not necessarily pejorative), but that's obviously not what you're looking for.

Anyway, being considered "La Americana" by the population you are working with is to be expected, typical in Miami. By "American" they mean anglo. They speak Spanish because they're more comfortable speaking that language than English. Technically, yes, you're still in you're own country, the USA, but culturally in many respects, you're in Latin America, depending on what neighborhood you're in. Not necessarily a bad thing, but just so you know.

I used to live in Westchester and this is all too familiar to me!

Welcome/Bienvenido/Bienvenue/Bem vindo/Wilkommen to Miami!

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by sopralto

Hello all...I recently moved to Miami from Pennsylvania. I work as a nurse at a local hospital and had an interesting question asked of me the other day.

Most of the staff in this hospital are Cuban natives with English as a second language. Unfortunately, for me, I do not speak Spanish, and I guess it's obvious that I am not of hispanic descent (pale-skinned, blonde). 99% of the staff...doctors, nurses, techs, support staff...are primarily Spanish-speaking but do also speak English. There are some staff members like me who do not speak any Spanish at all, and yet the primary language spoken at the nurses station is Spanish (which brings up patient safety questions for another thread). The primary lanuage spoken in the break room is Spanish. Keep in mind, everyone knows that not everyone speaks Spanish..everyone on staff CAN speak English...and still this goes on.

My first week of work, after not being able to participate in the conversations going on around me for most of the day, someone on the staff came up to me and asked:

"Are you an American?"

That question blew me away. In my mind, my initial reaction was thinking, "I have never been asked that in my own country before." I smiled and simply replied "Yes," while also thinking "aren't you?"

I was made aware of a term that I think means something along the lines of "someone who was born in the US (not Cuba) who does not speak Spanish, only English" that is apprently well know term in the Cuban community. I think the word begins with an 'n'. Does anyone know the term?

I would enjoy to hear any thoughts on this subject ...

learn Spanish? I am sure many people get annoyed at the whole "they need to learn English or speak English" in America thing. Besides, learning Spanish would be really cool I think. Makes you more marketable too, right?

[diddiyo]

hehe, people ask me all the time "are you american?" and are totally surprised when they find out I'm not (no I'm not hispanic either).

Scored me a free coffee at Starbucks last weekend because the girl at the counter wouldn't believe me

[big mean bear]

French Canadians wear Canadian pride just as much as the English speaking three quarters of Canada. Why can't Spanish speaking hispanics in Miami do the same? Why aren't they proud to be here just like French speaking Canadians are proud to be in Canada? This aspect of Miami makes me sick.

RELATED STORY
I went to Maroone Chevrolet off of 42nd Ave/ 8th st. the other day to car shop with my girlfriend and the salesman with the most English proficiency could barely be understood. And he was the one who the manager made deal with us non Spanish speakers. Not only that, this guy's manager couldn't speak any English. We left that ghetto to car shop in Broward.