Re: the relatively modest numbers of illegal aliens in Florida.
Miami does have a terrible problem with massive numbers of unassimilated immigrants. Comparing the STATE of Colorado with the STATE of Florida obscures this problem by mingling immigrant-dominated Miami with the rest of the state, which is very traditional Dixie.
Even so, the problem of unassimilated immigrants in Florida is far, far worse than the deceptive numbers suggest. Legal immigrants are typically required to hold jobs, know English, learn civics, etc. Tancredo was holding up Miami as an example of the effects of unassmiliating immigration. In this regard, Miami's immigrants are very exceptional, in that most were given normalized status through prior amnesties or special refugee status. Legal or not, they do not meet normal immigration standards.
"Unassimilated immigrants" is an oxymoron, and for the record "unassimilated" is not a word in the English language.
By definition, assimilation is a process that takes several generations, and there are NO second or third descendants of immigrants in Miami-Dade that have not assimilated; retention of their forebears language does not amount to non-assimilation, specially when it in fact becomes one of the two languages they speak fluently.
If Tancredo defines assimilation as the original wave of immigrants shedding their culture, language, and customs in order to fully embrace the host country's, then his own Italian forebears did not assimilate.
Miami-Dade Unemployment Reaches Record Low
MIAMI -- The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County's official economic development partnership, is pleased with the announcement that Miami-Dade County's unemployment rate was 3.7 percent for December 2005, the lowest unemployment rate in the county since 1983.
"The fact that the unemployment rate has reached a historic low is a tribute to both the public and private sectors of our community for providing employment opportunities for all of our residents," said Frank R. Nero, President & CEO, The Beacon Council. "The low unemployment rate is also evidence of the continued diversification of Miami-Dade's economy."
The comparison between December 2004 and December 2005 rates show a drop of 1.8 percent, with the unemployment rate for December 2004 at 5.5 percent. The labor force is more than 1.1 million and grew by 1.6 percent between December 2004 and December 2005. With the growth, enough new jobs were created to achieve an all-time low rate of 3.7 percent.
The unemployment rate in Florida for December 2005 was 3.0 percent, with a 4.6 percent unemployment rate for the entire United States in December 2005. South Florida continues to lead the State of Florida in job creation in December 2005, as it has for most of 2005.
More than 11,300 new jobs were created in Miami-Dade County between December 2004 and December 2005, an overall increase of 1.1 percent. Sectors with the largest increases include: wholesale trade (1.1 percent), financial services (1.6 percent), professional services (2.0 percent), education & health services (2.1 percent), and the leisure & hospitality sector (3.9 percent).
Do You Speak English?
With so many foreign speaking communities in Miami-Dade County, some government officials worried that immigrants were not learning to speak English very well. In order to properly evaluate the English proficiency of immigrants in that area, researchers polled a large number of foreign-born to determine proficiency levels. Once tallied, the data reflected that of those polled 66 percent considered their ability to speak English was either "well" or "very well."
In a similar survey conducted in Miami-Dade County in 1992, 2,843 school-age children of immigrants were surveyed and approximately 80 percent of those students preferred to speak English with their friends rather than their native tongue.
Ironically, many parents are concerned that their children are not learning to speak good Spanish. Because English has become the primary language for many second-generation children, parents fear that their kids may lose the ability to conduct business in Spanish, or worse yet, speak with relatives. Researchers were startled by how quickly immigrants seem to be learning English, while neglecting their native language. -- Source
Conclusion
A recent study by the University of Florida suggests that immigrants residing in Miami-Dade County are assimilating into American mainstream very well. Scholars credit an increase in naturalization rates, English language proficiency and wages as solid indicators that Miami immigrants are successfully integrating. Substantial declines in poverty rates and community segregation can be attributed to generational perseverance.
The culture of Cuban-Americans varies from community, and from person to person. However, there are distinct features that characterize most Cuban-Americans.
Cuban Americans represent a total of only 4% of the Hispanic population in the United States. Compared with the rest of the Hispanic population in the United States, Cubans are older, have a higher level of education, higher median household income and higher rate of home ownership.
There are approximately 1.5 million Cuban Americans, both native and foreign born. About 86% of Cuban Americans identify themselves as being Caucasian.
The median household income for Cubans is $36,671 , a figure higher than other Hispanic groups, but lower than for non-Hispanic whites.
In contrast, native-born Cuban Americans have a higher median income than even non-Hispanic Whites, $50,000 as compared to $48,000 for non-Hispanic Whites.
25% of Cubans have a college education, about twice the average of all other Hispanic Groups, and lower than that of non-Hispanic whites, of which 30% are college graduates.
However, 39% of native-born Cuban Americans have a college degree or higher, as compared to only 30% of non-Hispanic Whites, and 12% for all other Hispanic groups.
Due to Spanish influence, most Cubans belong to the Roman Catholic church. However, there are many Protestant (primarily Pentecostal), spiritualist (involved in Santeria), nonreligious, and Jewish Cubans.
Cuban food is varied, though rice is a staple and commonly served at lunch and dinner. Other common dishes are arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), pan con bistec (steak sandwich), platanos maduros (sweet plantains), lechon asado (pork), yuca (Cassava root), flan, batido de mamey (mamey milkshake), papayas, and guava paste. A common soft drink is Materva, a Cuban soda made of yerba mate.
Many Cubans have assimilated themselves into the mainstream U.S. culture, but in the city of Miami and its surroundings, there is a uniquely molded Cuban community. Since the 1980s, Cubans have moved out of "Little Havana" to the suburbs of Miami, such as Hialeah and Kendall as well as the more affluent Coral Gables and Miami Lakes. Many new South and Central Americans, along with new Cuban refugees, have replaced the Cuban-Americans who have dispersed throughout the nation.
Cuban Americans have been very successful in establishing businesses and developing political clout by transforming Miami from a beach retirement community into a modern city with a distinct Hispanic flavor.
Cuban-Americans, especially in the Miami area, tend to be more conservative politically than other Latino groups in the United States. There are several reasons for this. One is that many of the Cubans who left after Castro took over power were among the most traditional, in terms of culture and religion, of those on the island. On many issues such as abortion, taxation, and the military, Cubans find themselves on common ground with the Republicans. The perceived botching of the Bay of Pigs incident among Cubans by John F. Kennedy, the popularity of Ronald Reagan, and the return of Elian Gonzalez by the Clinton administration has reinforced the belief of many Cuban Americans that they belong in the Republican party.
There are now four Cuban American members of the United States House of Representatives and two Senators (Mel Martinez of Florida, and Robert Menendez of New Jersey) in the United States Senate, as well as the Cuban-American Secretary of Commerce, Carlos M. Gutierrez.
Cubans are overrepresented in Congress, as they account for 2% of the Senate, and 0.92% of the members of the House of Representatives. Cuban Americans consist of only 0.5% of the general population of the United States.
We got the jobs thing down, we got the education thing down, we go the civics thing down.
My city rocks...tell Tom that I'll be happy to debate with him anytime, anyplace.