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Colombians in Miami are a group of people living in Miami, who trace their full or partial nationality or heritage to the nation of Colombia. Their presence in the Miami-Dade area has played a fundamental role in the dispersion of the Colombian culture and has also impacted the local economy.

Colombians make up the largest South American group in Miami-Dade. As of 2010, there were 114,701 Colombians in the Miami-Dade County.

HISTORY

Colombians have been migrating to the United States since the 19th century, but migration to Miami is a recent phenomenon with the first group arriving in the second half of the 20th century. Like all migrant groups, the Colombian diaspora can be characterized into waves.

The First Wave

The first wave of migrants arrived in the 1950’s into the late 1970’s, and the reason for this migration was La Violencia. La Violencia was a tumultuous decade in the history of Colombia that divided the country between conservatives and liberals. It claimed the lives of at least 1.9% of the Colombian population at the time, which is around 200,000 people (As many people as, if not more than, the current population of Colombians in Miami). La Violencia ended in 1958 with the creation of the National Front (Frente Nacional), where both the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party came to an agreement that they will alternate power for a time period of 16 years. This agreement also led to the creation of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which only proliferated the violence. Many of the immigrants who came to Miami were lower and lower-middle class, since La Violencia and the rise of the guerrilla predominantly affected the rural population of Colombia. Some middle, upper-middle, and upper class citizens migrated as well, but many of these migrants did not have a lasting impact on Miami since few chose to stay, while most moved north to New York where more better paying jobs were being offered.

The Second Wave

The second wave of migrants from Colombia had more of a lasting impact in Miami’s economy and culture. This wave lasted from late 1970’s to the mid 1990’s and it correlates with the rise and fall of the Medellin Cartel. This wave brought migrants of all economic backgrounds, the only difference being they were mostly from urban regions of Colombia, particularly the Paisa region and the Caribbean city of Barranquilla. This group defined the future dispersal of Colombians throughout the city. For instance, the lower and lower-middle classes lived mainly where there is low-income housing, which include places like Hialeah, Fontainebleau, and homestead; the middle and some upper-middle classes chose to live in Kendall (Southwestern Miami-Dade), but this region gained a reputation as a hub for narco-traffickers, so today most middle class migrants prefer living in communities such as Doral, Pembroke Pines, Broward, Palm Beach, and Boca Raton; and lastly, most upper-middle and upper classes live in Miami-Dade’s Key Biscayne, Brickell and Bayshore, Miami Beach, and Coral Gables community. The reason for separate Colombian communities rather than one huge enclave is twofold; as mentioned above, many of these migrants mistrusted each other, since no one knew who was a narco-trafficker. Another reason is many of these migrants brought with them Colombia’s strata economic system that divided society into six groups.

Some of these migrants included members of the Medellin cartel who were in the illicit drug trade. The documentary Cocaine Cowboys tells the story of the Miami Cocaine Wars and role of Colombian cocaine smugglers in the making of modern Miami. Players such as Griselda Blanco, better known as the “Godmother”, made Miami one of the most dangerous cities in the world. This period of Miami’s history inspired the TV show Miami Vice and film Scarface. The Third Wave

The third and final wave in the Colombian diaspora started in the late 1990’s and continues to the present. Many of these migrants are the middle to the upper class of Colombian society escaping the threats of the paramilitary and guerrilla groups. After the fall of the Medellin Cartel, these two groups gained a lot of power from the drug trade. Many of the third wave migrants had the advantage of having relatives already living in Miami. The number of migrants has decreased in the last decade due to stabilization in the region after president Álvaro Uribe came to power. This third wave of migrants were/are looking to better their economic conditions, especially since many of these migrants feel like they have dropped a social class since they arrived because of their loss of resources during the depression of the late 90’s. This last wave had no need to assimilate to the American culture, since Miami had already gained the reputation of being more of a Latin American than an American city where over 60% of the population spoke and/or understood Spanish.

ECONOMY

The Colombian drug trade transformed Miami into a global city from the drug money entering the local economy. But the drug trade didn’t only affect Miami in a positive way; it also led to huge net loss because of the rise in crime and drug abuse forcing authorities to invest heavy in medical and law enforcement expenses. Remittances from Colombian-Americans to their relatives in Colombia have impacted greatly the Colombian economy; in 2012 alone, Colombia received $1.3 billion in remittances. As for the local economy new restaurants and clubs have opened up that have shaped Miami’s cuisine and nightlife.

The flower business has become a crucial part of the horticulture sector of Colombia’s economy. 75% of flowers imported to the United States come from Colombia, with most if not all arriving through Miami International Airport. In fact, there are around 150 companies in the Miami area that import and distribute Colombian flowers in the US.

POLITICS

Political participation amongst Colombians has been one of the lowest in the Latino community, with some growth after the 1991 constitution that allowed Colombians to hold dual citizenship. Colombians lack of political mobilization may be a result of several factors such as mistrust in government due to their bad experience back home or lack of strong national unity, brought by regionalism. This doesn’t mean there haven’t been some Colombian Americans in Miami that have attempted to pursue political representation in behalf of the Colombian community. For Instance, José Luis Castillo is the founder of the Colombian American Foundation in Miami and is also known for petitioning to president Clinton for the rights of thousands of Colombians to live and work legally for a period of 18 months.

CULTURE

The Colombian culture has influenced Miami’s cuisine, media, and music scene as much as all other Hispanic cultures. Colombian migrants brought with them their love for cumbia, salsa, and vallenato. Musicians and other artists such as Shakira, Jorge Villamizar, and Sofia Vergara moved to Miami from Colombia in search of international fame. Alberto Pérez brought from Colombia a new dance fitness program he created in the 1990’s to Miami in 2001, where it became popular not just in the local community but worldwide; once it gained recognition it adopted a new brand name: Zumba.

Colombian food has become quite popular among the population; even seven-eleven sells some Colombian snacks like empanada and pandebono. Colombian restaurants like La Estacion, Narcobollo, La Moon, and Mondongos have offered representative dishes from all regions of the country.

Miami’s Colombian community has also influenced the media with the Colombian radio stations leading in the language market. Colombian telenovelas such as Betty la Fea, Café Con Aroma de Mujer, and the recent narconovelas have gained high ratings.