Smooth Petit, 25
Designer, North Miami Beach
“I do believe so. From the time I was able to get a job, I would go to an interview and they’ll say you must be bilingual. It’s as if Spanish is the first language.”
Isiah Miller, 19
Student, Liberty City
“Yeah, I think so. Honestly all I hear is that Blacks are moving to Atlanta and Latinos are getting all the jobs.”
Ms. Geneva 71
Retired cosmetologist, Miami
“No. Everyone wants to go up north because they think the neighborhoods are better. It’s the same everywhere. I will be remaining; I’ve lived here for 71 years.”
Elijah Washington, 49
Volunteer, Liberty City
“No. I feel that everyone’s nationality is recognized in Miami.”
Donald Green 49
Non-profit Coordinator, Liberty City
“Yes, it’s like someone coming into your home as a guest and them telling you to abide by their rules. Talk how they talk and such.”
Lutze Segu, 24
Student, Miami
“The landscape of Miami-Dade County is changing. As a young educated bilingual American I feel that I can’t meet my full potential in South Florida. Although I am fully bilingual my second language is Haitian-Kreyol not Spanish and Spanish is king here.”
Linda Simmons
September 19, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Everyone needs to speak English . Many spanish people are not bilingual and still get the bilingual jobs. Many only speak spanish. This is due to Jimmy Carter bringing them here too fast by boatloads and not requiring them to learn english. Someone needs to file a lawsuit and if English is not the official language language the USA needs to announce this. It should not be one part of American must speak english and the other parts do something else. If this is not America, then who are we. File a lawsuit that Americans should not be discriminated against. Do you think you could go to CUBA OR OTHER SPANISH COUNTRIES AND DECLARE THEY MUST SPEAK ENGLISH.THEY WOULD RUN YOU OUT OF TOWN.
Linda Simmons
September 19, 2012 at 10:17 pm
Unless you are applying as an interpreter or dealing with refugees(new arrivals) there should be no bilingual requirement. A lawsuit needs to be filed or a bill needs to introduced with Congress. But they wont touch it because of the Hispanic vote. So unless a regular person get sick and tired of it and DO SOMETHING you better start habla espanol.
Linda Simmons
September 19, 2012 at 10:19 pm
IF WE ARE NOT ENGLISH SPEAKING AMERICANS WHAT ARE WE?
Linda Simmons
September 19, 2012 at 10:22 pm
DR, KING WOULD SAY WHY ARE YOU BLACKS SITTING DOWN ON YOUR SORRY BACKSIDES DOING NOTHING. KING NEVER TAUGHT US THAT.
Erick jones
September 22, 2012 at 6:06 am
I agree with Mrs. Simmons we need to lobby for a law to make english the official language. Why should we catter to these people? most immigrants past and present assimilated with no problem by learning english. I lived in miami all my exoerienced how these hispanics came over took over most of the H.R. departments and hire only hispanics. This is why it is difficult for african american to find a job because discrimination, yet our black local congressional leaders refuse to lobby or speak out against the negative affects of the cuban adjustment act or the wet foot dry foot policy. It is they refuse to adress the nagative impact. I guarantee if the situation was otherwise affecting cubans they would have ending such a policy in a minute. I guess we elect incompetent representativeso who are concerned about self interest.
robert
September 22, 2012 at 12:44 pm
L/A.is next.UNTIL we blacks learn to play the game we will be constantly losing.