Latest estimates suggest the county is now 56 percent Hispanic. It is unlikely that either Broward or Palm Beach will ever have the high numbers of Cuban migrants. Even in Miami-Dade, the Cuban share of the Hispanic population has peaked as more and more migrants, from every nation from Columbia to Venezuela to Nicaraugua, pour in. That means abandoning fear or distrust of neighbors beyond the gate or across the tracks. And increasing understanding that appreciation of each other cultures is critical to bridging social chasms.
Divergent people forge a common destiny, a viable region in the new world economy, by talking.
By rubbing shoulders. By getting to know each other. Below the radar line of popular media coverage, a lot of that shoulder rubbing is occurring in South Florida today. The community foundations, many nonprofits and faith communities have pushed hard to encourage tolerance and respect. But too few government leaders have risked their political capital, or business leaders their prestige, either to decry ethnic divisions or to champion a region-wide vision that would highlight South Floridians' deep common interests.