The Orderliness of Things
February 21st, 2007
Something I’ve noticed about LA — things generally work.
It may be a little slower goings than the East-Coast style I’m used to, but in general, everything happens in an efficient and orderly way.
Take the DMV for instance. Took me less than two hours to get a driver’s license. Even though I forgot to bring some important documents. The very kind DMV lady walked me through the process, helping me as much as she can without so much as a snarl. Or rolling her eyes. Woooowww.
A while back, a U.S. Congressman took a lot of heat for calling Miami a third-world country. Now, having lived in Miami as well as in a so-called third-world country, I feel I have the necessary expertise to yay or nay his comments. And I’d have to say he’s closer to the truth than he isn’t.
But hold on a second. Miami isn’t all bad. And not in spite of its third-worldness but because of it. Because of it, dammit.
Let’s talk a little about what I term, “brown people.” Not white, not black, but not of such a dominant ethnic culture to be singled out as its own. I consider myself one of them. Most of the Caribbean people I know would term themselves likewise. And the thing that makes it interesting is that they come in all different shades.
Fact is, Miami has a lot of these brown people. LA doesn’t. I’d go as far to say most large and small cities in the U.S. don’t.
Homogeneity? Not nearly as interesting.
February 21st, 2007 at 9:38 am
I always thought there’d be alot of Eastern immigrants in L.A. actually. Armenians and otherwise. Then maybe Indians with that whole brain drain of Indians leaving for the U.S.
February 21st, 2007 at 9:49 am
You know, there are a lot of Armenians, but they’re pretty much the same shade as everyone else… A lot of Asians too. But it’s just not the same…
February 21st, 2007 at 10:49 am
The Congressman is damned right. “You would never know you’re in the United States of America. You would certainly say you’re in a Third World country.”
I almost can’t believe what this Ros-Lehtinen crackhead is saying. How would she know what Miami-Dade is like? She wipes her ass with my tax money. If she lives in a 5 star hotel in Miami, and invites him to stay in a 5 star hotel in Miami, then chances are she’s not going to have anything bad happen to her in Miami.
Reminds me of the time when E! Travel or something like that went to Trinidad, and only interviewed the white people in the white neighbourhoods at a decidedly white party. And at some other point some other TV Channel went to Belmont and interviewed one drugged up rasta and called that an news report.
Anyway, last year my friend from Kansas City came down here. We went to a party, and he had the biggest culture shock of his life. Disgustingly embarrassing story aside, here’s the epilogue:
Aaron: “I can’t believe I actually went to war to defend this country, and this is the treatment I get?! I have never been so insulted in my own country by foreigners like this.”
Justin: “Then you’re gravely mistaken. Miami isn’t part of the US, and I don’t know what gave you that idea.”
My point is, if you want to call it assimilation and bring a negative connotation to it, then ok. But it’s out of respect to the country itself that you adopt their culture and FFS respect the people who were actually born there. It’s times like these that I’m humiliated to say I come from the Trinidad, or even the Caribbean at all.
February 26th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Well, I will defend Miami…LA is great, and I dont argue with that…but it is not that Miami is a third-world country, but it is a melting pot…this country was built by immigrants and truly the only true “americans” are maybe the american indians…you could even argue that one, since technically they came over from russia in one past ice age or so they say…back to the point…miami, in my point of view, is the definition of what this country is and was built on…a place where many from many lands congregate for a better life…
so if anyone hates the third-world go live in a clean cut and homogeneous place…as far as miami…i like that it has flavour, color and a personality…at least life isnt boring there!
February 27th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
It’s a two-edged sword, it is. The things I love about Miami are the same things that make me happy to be far far away. I love the whole melting pot of cultures vibes but goddamit, it can take so long to be understood and to get things done at times. It’s a ying yang thing, I guess.
February 28th, 2007 at 7:26 am
“It’s times like these that I’m humiliated to say I come from the Trinidad, or even the Caribbean at all.”
It’s times like that you should BOAST that you’re from the Caribbean and live in Miami… BECAUSE YOU respect the people who are full-fledged citizens there. I can’t say I’d be keen on being bracketed-in with the …. well the other ‘nationalities’ mentioned, either.
Do you really tell people you’re from the Trinidad?
March 27th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
I’d take Miami over a lot of towns — Boston, for instance, where people are just nasty; or Omaha, Neb., because I am not into cattle ranching; all of Texas except Austin; anything in Georgia except maybe Atlanta; or for that matter, almost anything between California and Chicago, because having driven through that stretch of land, it struck me as a long, desultory, depressing abyss. In Wyoming I saw cows eating dirt and a whimpering dog changed to a fence at a fireworks stand. Set it free…
However…I would not take Miami over San Francisco, San Diego, LA or almost anything on the West Coast.
Miami did seem to run like the Third World at times. It took me 4 weeks to get a package from Virginia that takes 4 days to get to San Francisco. I can set an appointment here at the DMV and get out in 20 minutes. Miami is a bit lawless as well…the crime stats there are proof enough.
I fully admit that my experience in Miami may have been partially colored by the fact that my boss at work, where I spent the vast majority of my time, had all the trappings of a plantation owner.
That being said, the South American/Caribbean culture can’t be beat in Miami and is one thing that makes the city great. Without that culture, Miami would just be another Ft. Lauderdale–senior citizenville, MTV spring break–or a nondescript Jacksonville.
I blame the heat in Miami rather than the people for making things move so slowly–New Orleans also moved incredibly slow despite the Cajun/French culture. The humidity and the geographical location of the city, which is a gateway to South America, I think has a big impact on the crime rate. People go crazy in that humidity (again, New Orleans). There’s a reason pirates and bandits found the South Florida area attractive centuries ago and it has nothing to do with modern-day immigration.
I don’t consider Miami more culturally diverse than many parts of Europe, New York, San Francisco or LA. In my time there I did not run into many Europeans, Asians, Arabs, and so on; if they are there, they are overshadowed. Saying Miami is culturally diverse is like saying San Diego is culturally diverse because there are Mexicans, Guatemalans, Nicaraguans and some Brazilians living there.
That being said, I met some great people in Miami and some are here on this blog. Any town which has these people can’t get a bad grade in my book…