Seminoles. Research Proposal 2.

     No wonder why I choose this topic. Seminoles are one of the greatest and proudest tribes in the whole America. They have a rich history that lasts for centuries and centuries. But unfortunately most of it is full of sadness and unfairness towards them. They play a huge role in Florida and Miami history, as one of the first inhabitants and locals. Therefore, in my research paper I would like to discuss this unique tribe. Though, my goal is not just to retell my audience the whole Seminole history, but to concentrate on a specific time period. That is the beginning of the 20^th century. This was one of the crucial years in the Seminoles life as they were between two controversial time periods. They had past full of wars and quarrels with the American’s. And the future, that included total control and care from the Government. So what will work best for them, for their traditions and for their morality? What “road” should they choose that will help them survive and at the same time represent their rare culture? These are the questions that I want to answer through my essay, and bring up the best answer through my personal view.

     There have been done similar works on this topic, but slightly different to what I’m actually looking for. My voice is the voice of the future, so I have this opportunity to look at this problem from different angles and to use various researches. Plus, the Native American culture always grabbed my interest so I have this inner wish to discover them. Therefore, this research gives me the opportunity to delve into Seminole Indian history. And will share my own thoughts on this topic. My audience is someone who is very understanding and sensitive as well as people who look for historical evidence. My goal is to bring empathy towards the Seminoles, and the best way to do it is through my personal voice. Also, I aim to smoothly mix up my position with different types of sources. I feel that the best way to unite all my material is through the writer Minnie Moore Wilson. She was one of the biggest figures at that time and one of the first ones who actually looked at the Seminoles dramatic situation. Eventually, her writings will not fully cover my question. Therefore, I will use other authors and materials to make my essay more global. My historical research will mostly include information from the books and Special Collection archives.

     All in all, I want to show how this red race is and was important. They are the main locals and the main representatives of Florida and Miami. They are what the history of Florida stands upon. Hence, the way they been treated was so disrespected and wrong, that it shows the cruelty of the American Government. Lastly, the way Seminoles were dealing with so much pressure, really intrigued me and made me search for the answer.

Research Proposal 2

Rebecca Singer

Research Proposal

The question of my research is: How does the future World Resorts Miami represent coming social changes in the city? World Resorts Miami is a casino and resort complex that is in the process of being approved and built along Biscayne bay and the causeway to Miami Beach. The site will affect the economy and the social structure already in place in the area. The topic of World Resorts Miami is relatively new as the land was just purchased a few months ago however, many studies have been done about the economic and social effects that it will have on the city. In the research paper, I would like to explore how it will influence lower class communities that surround and the mobile culture that it will inevitably attract.

The intended audience of this project could be politicians and activists who either support or condemn the project. I will try to intertwine the four elements needed for the literary non-fiction essay. I will use a personal experience from when I visited Atlantic City, NJ, a town by the Atlantic Ocean that is casino friendly.   I will need to have both qualitative and quantitative material to answer my question. Currently, I plan to use the demographic map of the city that we used in class as a source. I will need information about a past occurrence like this, mobile culture and the current situation of lower income people in Miami. I have also found polls taken on the subject in which the answers are separated by gender, geographic region and race. 

The Invisibles

Nicole Pierson Proposal for Essay #3 My topic will be the understanding of life in Miami from the Haitian perspective. I think that this project is really important because Haitians are misrepresented in Miami and to the outside world unknown of even inhabiting Miami. Other Studies have been done for this topic I’m sure. A brief description was shown in Locals, Mobiles, and Exiles when they talked about Haitian areas. I think I want to dive into the younger Haitians perspective. Very similar to Cubans they came to Miami to seek refuge and their elders still wish of going home, even if having to live in ruins after the earthquake. They are underrepresented because they encompass one the Spanish Caribbean cultures that came to Miami but have been in the Cuban immigrants shadow ever since. Another underrepresented part of being Haitian is that their complexion is darker than Cubans and other Caribbean countries that they are assumed either African American or African. Segregated and populated areas have shown that a lot of Miami Haitians live near Black neighborhoods. Many Haitians have found connections with Blacks in Miami but have been turned down by lack of respect or consideration of Haitians being similar to black in any way. This has created a big tension between black and Haitians and has created separations from all others for Haitians. I think that This project will add Knowledge to this area because Haitians more than anything are upset with Blacks but if they could understand the source of all the local and exiles problems (mobiles) then they could join together to create the majority. My main question is “what is life like for Haitians in Miami compared to others in Miami” I will question the relationships they have to all other cultural groups and look at the problems they face in their everyday lives. I might choose little Haiti as a place to look at but there are other places. I’m going to need to do some ethnographic research for this topic. Annotated Sources Locals, Exiles and Mobiles Jan Nijman Even though this has a brief explanation of life in Little Haiti and other Haitian sections of Miami, I think that they are important parts that contain underlying information about the social systems for Haitians in Miami. It shows the spaces that Haitians occupy and the distance to the other occupied spaces that are occupied by Blacks, other Exiles, and Mobiles. I consider this a good mapping device for understanding the tensions that Haitians have with blacks and how their close proximity in neighborhood has also created problem for them. Also it helps to understand why there are less tensions between Haitians and other exiles and mobiles because they are further away from them and it kind of creates this habitus of keeping your distance and staying on your own side and there will be peace. I just think that this article answers a lot of questions that relate to the racial problems in Miami. Fit to Miss, but Matched to Hatch: Success Factors among the Second Generation's Disadvantaged in South Florida Lisa Konczal and William Haller Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science , Vol. 620, Exceptional Outcomes: Achievement in Education and Employment among Children of Immigrants (Nov., 2008), pp. 161-176 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. in association with the American Academy of Political and Social Science Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40375815 This is a really good source for my research. This article examines the elements of successful outcomes among underprivileged people of the South Florida immigrant communities and measures the usefulness of rational choice theory and the Wisconsin model (which I think is completely irrelevant but whatever I guess). The findings are derived from ethnographic interviews and analysis of two of the most underprivileged South Florida districts, Little Haiti and Hialeah. The article builds upon the elements of success as identified in the lead article of this capacity, which include items relevant to the family, the individual, and the broader community context. The authors add the following to those success factors: (1) ignorance (or disregard) of the barriers to success and the odds against overcoming them; (2) emotionally motivated responses to the surrounding social conditions or to specific (cathartic) events; and (3) exiting underprivileged neighborhoods of origin to facilitate access to resources, mainly educational. ZipUSA: LITTLE HAITI, FLORIDA -- Visions of Little Haiti Shea, Neil.National Geographic 209. 2 (Feb 2006): 116-118,120-122. http://search.proquest.com/docview/200960250/abstract?accountid=14585 This is another fabulous example of the tensions between Blacks and Hispanics and how they are constantly competing to get ahead of the poverty line. It is also crucial to see how Haitian children co-exist with their African American counterparts. From the information that my interviews have given me Edison and Horaceman are the two rival high schools but they aren’t even like in the same conference so it’s completely based on race. I want to understand the life of young Haitian children, but I think that this leads me to have to understand the blacks perspective on Haitians because there is always two sides to the story and although I believe what my interviewee’s have claimed. I must know both sides before I make any claims of my own. But this article is good because it gives younger Haitians an understanding and appreciation for their elders.

Miami: A city where dreams survive

Miami: A city where dreams survive

Miami is more than beaches and tropical weather. At the start of it all, there was a man who had a dream. The research question I seek to answer is : Why is Miami a city where dreams survive? George E. Merrick was the founder of Coral Gables and the University of Miami. He had a dream that seemed impossible to accomplish at the time. He made it happen with hard work and perseverance. A few months after the cornerstone laying of UM, The Great Miami Hurricane in 1926 hit the city of Miami on September 17.  It killed over 300 people in the city and caused damage. The university still opened on schedule and the city managed to recover. Today, Coral Gables and the University of Miami are successful. The intended audience for this project is people who are mobiles in Miami. This research question is important because it allows the audience to see all the conflict the city has gone through and how the history of Miami represent dreams that have survived in people back then and still today. 

Some specific topics I would like to include are how the founding and growth of the University of Miami are symbolic to what the city is. The University has endured much hardship over the years and still stands today as a strong institution. Also, the city of Coral Gables and the city of Miami have flourished to what they are today because of visions that people believed in. Why do I describe Miami as a city of dreamers? I hope to answer this question by attempting to make a connection between the founders of Coral Gables and the university to the exiles that have come to the city. The exiles that come to Miami come with a dream of freedom and a better life. Miami is made up of exiles and exiles are the ones who have transformed Miami to a diverse place. This is something that sparks a passion in me because I am a big dreamer. I have dreams that through the University of Miami will be accomplished. George E. Merrick decided to take a chance and dream. If he wouldn’t have, I wouldn’t even be writing this paper. Miami was founded on dreams and continues to be a place where others can have dreams that survive.

Exit 3A: Did One Mile of Interstate 95 Destroy Overtown? by Seth Furman

Exit 3A: Did One Mile of Interstate 95 Destroy Overtown?

In 1956, the community of Overtown in downtown Miami was changed forever. The racial war between Caucasians and African-Americans reached its climax when the decision was approved to construct Interstate 95 right through the prominent Black neighborhood. Now, over 56 years later, the effect of that decision is still evident today.

The controversial construction of I-95 has been researched before by other people, however, they never looked into the impact that it had all the way up to the present day. In this project, resources will be gathered from the 1950s with the construction of the highway all the way up until the 2000s to see if the impact of the highway was the main reason behind Overtown’s fall. If other reasons behind Overtown’s fall is discovered, that will be argued against I-95 to see which one was more detrimental. This essay will be directed toward novices of the history of the city of Miami. Thus, background information regarding Overtown and the development of I-95 through the town will be discussed.

Throughout the course of this class, we have discussed how racial barriers divided the city of Miami to this very day. The construction of I-95 is one of the prime examples of how a city was divided between races and how the dominance of the Caucasians led to the eventual collapse of historic Overtown. Not only that, but the I-95/I-395 interchange represents how four divisions exist in the city physically. I-95 is only one example of many that split up the city. Research papers, books, and other materials gathered from the Richter Library on the University of Miami’s campus will help supply answers to these questions as I seek to see whether or not Interstate 95’s construction was the reason for Overtown’s fall.

Works Cited

Dunn, Marvin. Black Miami in the Twentieth Century. Gainesville: University of Florida, 1997. Print.

This book provides ample information into Black Miami in the 20^th century. Not only does it provide information regarding the construction of I-95, it also goes into depth about Black Miami following the 1950s. Written at the University of Florida by Marvin Dunn, this book is native to Florida. The intended audience is toward students researching the African-American community in Miami. This book will be a great source for information following the 1950s as I seek to answer whether or not I-95 was the catalyst for the destruction of Overtown.

Posner, Gerald L. Miami Babylon: Crime, Wealth, and Power--a Dispatch from the Beach. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009. Print.

This book provides a modern day view of Miami in the perspective of how James Kelly would have viewed Miami into the 21^st century. Posner has written other books involving the history of other corrupt city, for instance Detroit. He will give a different view on how the Black community became destructive. This book will also help with the post-1950s outlook on the city as I gather more information to see whether or not I-95 was the main reason behind Overtown’s destruction. On top of this, Posner’s book goes hand in hand with Dunn’s book by discussing the crime problems of Miami and how the perception versus reality was an issue in the city.

Dluhy, Milan, Keith Revell, and Sidney Wong. "Creating A Positive Future For A Minority Community: Transportation and Urban Renewal Politics in Miami." Journal of Urban Affairs 24.1 (2002): 75-95. Print.

This journal provides the research aspect into the paper that is much needed. All three authors are professors at University of North Carolina, Florida International University, and University of Pennsylvania, respectively. While the first two books provide an opinion into my sources, this journal provides research into my essay. On top of that, it only discusses how transportation and urban renewal was a direct cause for problems in the minority community in Miami. I can use other examples of how construction of thoroughfares and other transporatation projects had an impact on other neighborhoods to solidify that the building of I-95 helped destroy Overtown to this very day.

I ride my bicycle to UM everyday. On the way I can see many fancy houses and because those houses lack a fence, I can see their frontyard. The greenest grass lies on the ground like a huge homogen carpet. Over it, huge palm trees seem to have been recently transplantated and now they provide shade to nothing but two empty and static rocking chair. At the beginning I enjoyed the landscape, however after months going to UM trhough that same way I realized there is something weird on those gardens. How can the grass be so green and clean? Why there is not anybody sitting on those chairs whenever I pass by? How can this landscape be so lifeless?
The answer for that is the intense care wealthy people have over their private property. They hire some hispanic leaf blower operator to keep the place free of any undesired decomposed substance. I had never heard a sound of a leaf blower before coming to Miami. The first time I heard it I did not know what it was and it made me so irritated. When I realized it was a machine to blow leaves I could finally understand why those gardens are so clean. I also noticed that the same people were doing this job. And they were not the owners of the houses, but hispanic men from lower classes that come everyday to coral gables to spend a few hours of their days handling that noisy and unhealthy machine.  
On my last essay I want to use the image of the gardens in Coral Gables and the Leaf Blower to make a representation of social interactions between locals, exiles and mobiles in the city of Miami. My audience would be the wealthy class. Metaphorically saying, I want to make them keep the leaves fallen on their property by the trees - that were not theirs before - instead of blowing them somewhere else.

Every person who lives or comes to the Sunshine State drives through the Florida Turnpike, one of busiest highways in the country. The FL turnpike is also one of the most discussed of all the toll roads, due to the frequent construction projects, immense revenue, and sadly, the deadly accidents.

My paper will focus on the architecture of the FL turnpike and see how it parallels the social and economic aspects of South Florida. This comparison has not been written before, but it will provide a greater understanding of Miami, from a formal and personal perspective.

The Florida Turnpike has been heavily criticized for its cost, expenditures, accidents, and deaths. I want to prove that the turnpike is [[not completely apportioned to specific people] not sure what to write here] --I want to say that the car culture is bolstered by the good roads that we have --That the sound barriers in the FLT are nicer than anywhere else --

The audience I am not too sure about, bc people who are from here could learn the properties that connect/affect their society, but also people who are newcomers could understand the miami culture better, yet also, enterprises who see impersonally see miami as capital gains could perhaps get a more personal understanding of the city through my paper, hopefully.

-I think that the sound barriers could ironically bridge the unrelated subjects in my essay.
-I do not know yet what form.
-?