In
the short time we have been in Miami we have visited Vizcaya , Wynwood Walls,
Little Havana, the Holocaust Memorial, and South Beach to name a few sites. All
of these locations showcased the character of this enchanting city and its
layered history. Miami’s nickname ‘Magic City’ is well
deserved because regardless of all the different cultures represented there is
city pride felt from those we have met who call Miami home. By cultures I not
only mean nationalities/ethnicities[1]
of which there are many – Cubans, Haitians, Russians, Dominicans, and the list
goes on -, but of also cultural markers that compose a person’s identity –
there is space in Miami for practitioners of Santeria, Judaism, Catholicism, as
well as room for artists and their patrons, the very wealthy (e.g. on a bus
tour we saw the island that houses the island of Oprah’s former home) and the
poor [Miami’s poverty rate is 26.9% (“the percentage of people (or
families) who are below poverty[2]”whereas its county’s rate is 16.4% and
the state of Florida’s is 13.3%[3]
]. The illusion of Miami being a “land of plenty” in popular culture, despite
poverty and homelessness rate, is another way the city is magical (not in the
fantastical sense, but in the concealing sense).
In
the coming weeks I await to explore how the identity of Miami squares with the
identity of Florida and of the United States. I am also excited to begin work
with Unidad Miami Beach. The other day
we had the opportunity to sit in on an after-care program and the children were
energizing. Tomorrow, we start working with Unidad’s leadership academy for
older youth. From tutoring experience in Duke’s service learning courses (and
from my own younger brother and sisters – hey guys!), I know high school aged
students and elementary aged students have different types of energy, but
nonetheless, I am excited for the first day!
In
order to get to the work site (the Miami Beach Convention Center) we are taking
the bus, which is one of the many ways Miamians move around in another city
that never sleeps. This is another layer of meaning of the word “movement”,
which was the first word I chose in our DukeEngage reflection session when we
were asked to describe Miami. When I chose “movement” I considered the movement
of different people in and out of Miami that have made Miami what it is today –
a spellbound, mercurial city.
Enchantedly,
Brenda
[1] I do
not wish to conflate the two. Further reading
http://www.pbs.org/race/000_About/002_04-experts-03-02.htm http://www.dauntlessjaunter.com/2012/03/26/ethnicity-nationality-race-heritage-culture/
[2]
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/methods/definitions.html
[3]
http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070830/story7.shtml
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