Multicultural Miami - Miami and the Keys - page 409

EXPERIENCING MULTICULTURAL MIAMI
The following guide may help you understand some of Miami's most prominent ethnic
groups.
CUBAN MIAMI
Cuban Miami is stereotypically associated with Little Havana, but to be fair, so much of
Miami is Cuban it's more accurate to refer to Cubans as the norm, the default ethnicity.
With that said, the most important cultural symbols of Cuban Miami are concentrated in
Little Havana, particularly near 8th Street/Calle Ocho. Other parts of town where you can
get a strong sense of Cuban identity include Hialeah, where over 90% of the population
speaks Spanish as a first language.
Little Havana The old heart of Cuban Miami.
Viernes Culturales A regular Latin street celebration.
Versailles The most storied standby of culinary Cuban Florida.
Cuba Ocho Permanent art exhibit of Miami's Cuban diaspora.
Máximo Gómez Park Watch old Cuban men trade dominoes and jibes.
HAITIAN MIAMI
Haitian Miamians speak Kreyol (also spelled 'Creole'), which is related to French. If you
speak French, you may be able to converse with local Haitians, but as Kreyol is its own
language, with its own grammar and syntax, French alone may not get you far. Little Haiti
is by far one of the most colorful neighborhoods in the city, but it can be rough after dark,
so try and visit during the day, unless a Big Night in Little Haiti monthly street party is
happening.
Tap Tap Haitian cuisine, South Beach setting.
Libreri Mapou A Haitian-related library.
Botanicas Centers for vodouworship.
Little Haiti Cultural Center Community center for Haitian Miami.
Chef Creole Traditional Haitian food in Little Haiti.
JEWISH MIAMI
Jews were some of the first developers and residents of Miami Beach. They've main-
tained a strong presence here for decades, which helps explain why the Miami metro area
has the nation's second-largest concentration of Jewish people. While many are descen-
ded from Northeast families, some are also the children of Latin American exiles. There is