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Reflections on Relocation, from a Jersey Girl
By Annie Fernandez
In August 2007, I moved to Miami in pursuit of a graduate education. I wanted to obtain a doctoral degree in psychology, and the program at Carlos Albizu University was uniquely suited to my interests. I was born and raised in Hudson County, New Jersey, attended Immaculate Heart Academy in Bergen County, and am a proud graduate of Douglass College at Rutgers University. I taught K-12 for six years, in Essex and Monmouth Counties, and enjoyed my little cottage near the beach in Asbury Park for several years. When people say to me, "What exit?," I remember every toll booth on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, with ambiguous nostalgia.
Miami is a different place altogether. The weather is different, so is the population. Here there are many immigrants from Latin America, so it's not so Eurocentric. In New Jersey there are large populations from Ireland, Italy, Poland and much of Asia, which makes for a different world view.
In New Jersey I was one of the few Latinas among my friends, co-workers, and classmates. Here, Spanish is the main language and everyone is Latina. I'm viewed as more of a gringa (the slang term for people born in the USA) than as Latina. Also, in Miami people are very careful with how they define themselves. In New Jersey, for example, I can get by with saying that I'm Cuban or Cuban-American. If I say that in Miami, they ask if I was born there (how dare I say I'm Cuban if I wasn't born there!).
With regard to being Latina specifically, I feel like I'm "in with the mix." I appreciate the variety of cultures that exist here and am proud that they are all from Spanish-speaking countries. I also feel that I have to always distinguish myself from Cubans living or raised here. I don't identify with the Cubans here. The culture is stronger, probably because of the proximity to the island. People come and go from here to Cuba all the time.
In New Jersey there's more assimilation into the greater population, whereas here, people often stay in their circles: the Cubans, the Colombians, the Venezuelans, and so on. Most people here speak Spanish and expect you to also, unless you "look like a gringa." "American" takes on a new meaning as well because Central and South America are also America, and here there is more awareness of that.
There are some similarities, in fact, some things that feel familiar. I'm most reminded of New Jersey when driving. Miami-Dade and Broward counties have mini-malls or plazas everywhere (a.k.a. shopping centers, or "choppins" in Spanglish), much like Route 46 or Route 35 or Route 18 in New Jersey. There are also many huge sprawling malls, like the ones I used to crawl as a teenager. There's the same old US Route 1 and I-95, and the Florida Turnpike, much like our own central arteries. The look and feel of suburban life is inescapably American, even if the weather and palm trees are different.
My two semesters in Miami have been an exciting learning experience. At times, I really miss my family and long-time friends, and of course, NYC, which was a large part of my social and cultural life. I miss the familiarity of places, knowing where to go and how to get there and how long it takes. Even though I did not use public transportation every day in New Jersey, I miss the availability of it. It was great not to have to drive into "The City," and to have the option of taking a bus or train from one town to another without waiting a lifetime. I miss the quick getaways to mountains as well as "the shore," or to nearby Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, for concerts, museums and other events. I miss sleigh riding, going caroling, ice skating and playing in the snow with my dog.
I also miss the Americanness. I always say that Miami feels like another country, more like an extension of Latin America. Not like the United States. Since I've been here, I've been on the hunt for good pizza, a mom & pop's ice cream place, and an Irish bar. I also miss the global population that is present in New Jersey. Here there is an international population, but mostly from the western hemisphere.
I'm always asked if I would consider staying in Miami. Although I'm always open to what life offers me, I think that would be unlikely. I don't agree with the politics of a red state, nor do I like the quality of life I would have here. I want to live in a place where there's more diversity, more public transportation, and less gated communities. Cars don't get inspected down here, and gas prices are higher. Also, Florida is known to have one of the worst educational systems in the US and I am very much against that. I can't foresee the future, but Florida is not in my long term plans.
I have a special place in my heart for New Jersey because I was born and raised there, but right now I feel I am a citizen of the world, so who knows where I'll be in five years.
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