As a subtropical city and the southernmost metropolitan area in the
United States, Miami has always lured both visitors and migrants
from throughout the Americas. During its first half-century they
came primarily from the American North, then from the Latin South,
and eventually from across the hemisphere and beyond. But if
Miami's seductive appeal is one half of the story, the other half
is that few people have ever ended up staying there. Today, by many
measures, Miami is one of the most transient of all major
metropolitan areas in America. Miami: Mistress of the Americas
tells the story of an urban transformation, perfectly timed to
coincide with the surging forces of globalization. Author Jan
Nijman connects different historical episodes and geographical
regions to illustrate how transience has shaped the city to the
present day, from the migrant labor camps in south Miami-Dade to
the affluent gated communities along Biscayne Bay. Transience
offers opportunities, connecting business flows and creating an
ethnically hybrid workforce, and also poses challenges: high
mobility and population turnover impede identification of Miami as
home. According to Nijman, Miami is "mistress of the Americas"
because of its cultural influence and economic dominance at the
nexus of north and south. Nijman likens the city itself to a hotel;
people check in, go about their business or pleasure, then check
out. Locals, born and raised in the area, make up only one-fifth of
the population. Exiles, those who have come to Miami as a temporary
haven due to political or economic necessity, are typically
yearning to return to their homeland. Mobiles, the affluent and
well educated, who reside in Miami's most prized neighborhoods, are
constantly on the move. As a social laboratory in urban change and
human relationships in a high-speed, high-mobility era, Miami
raises important questions about identity, citizenship,
place-attachment, transnationalism, and cosmopolitanism. As such,
it offers an intriguing window onto our global urban future.
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