Colin Fell on Miami Cultural Differences

With fifty states, one federal district, five territories, and many islands, the United States is about as versatile in its offering as it gets. People who relocate will often find themselves in places that do not even resemble their previous address, like moving from Michigan to Texas or Utah to Nevada. An interesting jewel within the American roster of beautiful places, which tends to be overshadowed by the so-called "melting pot" capital New York, is the Magic City of Miami.

Residing in Miami means getting accustomed to the cultural differences. Currently, the breakdown of the 450,000 people who live there includes a mountainous 70 percent of Hispanic or Latino individuals of any race. This means that the culture will be heavily influenced by the norms and traditions of Latin America. So, what is there to expect and how to adjust to these changes?

Those living in the United States are not the only group of people who will experience cultural shocks. Take Colin Fell, for example. Born in Lancashire, Mr. Fell's work facilitated his relocation to Dubai where he flies to surrounding countries almost daily. During his two years of experience, he set up a simple guide on how to best approach unknown cultures, which could be a useful tool for those looking to go to Miami soon.

First, one must know their audience. Just like Mr. Fell learned about Indonesia's famous war reenactment festival "Pasola" per se, those going to Miami should know that Puerto Rican and Cuban population will celebrate some of their holidays that other states have probably not seen. Thus, getting on board with things like the Cigar Festival, Anniversary of Che Guevara's death, and Emancipation Day would make it easy to get the most out of the Miami experience.

Next comes the assimilation stage. Although it is unnecessary and impossible to leave all the upbringing behind, one should do their best to fit in. Take Mr. Colin Fell, for example. Living in Dubai unquestionably required a lot of effort to forget some of his English ways. Nevertheless, he learned that his business success depends on being able to work with the locals who interact better with a person they can relate to, and therefore set about taking lessons in Arabic which believe me, is not the easiest language for a European to become proficient in. So, how does one blend into the Miami culture? Well, a simple way would be picking up the Spanish language. Sixty percent of the population speaks Spanish that is slowly becoming the primary language in the Magic City. Thus, regardless if one is going to Miami for business or leisure, the odds of meeting someone who prefers to chat in Spanish are noticeably high.

Not to forget the climate adaptation. Florida is known as the outlier of the United States due to its excessively warm conditions that enable people to enjoy ocean swimming almost all year round. When Mr. Fell went from England to Dubai, he was used to temperatures that average around 66 degrees Fahrenheit where it seems to rain more days than it doesn’t. Well, living in Dubai means seeing days when the temperature goes to 110 degrees and rain 6 or 8 times a year, while the sea can also get warmed up to 100 degrees as well. Such a change can cause issues for someone who is not mentally prepared for days of heat and humidity. Thus, clothing should be properly adjusted to reflect the warmest state in the nation (Florida) and one should start getting ready to get attacked by heat blasts on a daily basis.

Lastly, the influx of tourists must be mentioned. Whether they are domestically bound or international visitors, Miami is one of the most visited places in the United States. This parallels Mr. Fell's location, Dubai, rather well. His advice on this matter is to simply prepare to meet a variety of people that might be from countries one has not heard of before. Nevertheless, it helps to become more varied in social skills which is something necessary for everyday life in Miami.