The Culture of Geography
Geographers who study the changes made by the way different types of people live are called cultural geographers. Cultural geographers have a lot to study in Florida. Many people and cultures have made their mark on Florida. We can celebrate their contributions through music and food.Â
Spanish explorers, Native Americans, American southerners, Cuban immigrants, and others have all passed through Florida and changed the state’s culture. One large movement of people from Cuba to Florida was in the late 1800s. They lived in growing communities in Tampa and Ybor City and many of them started cigar-making businesses in those cities. According to government records, by 1900, Florida had the most immigrants of African/Caribbean heritage. New York was second.
Learning about these different cultural histories helps Florida citizens understand their state’s past and why there are so many different types of people living around them today. In Miami, the Little Haiti Cultural Center teaches visitors about the art and music styles of the island of Haiti, which is only 600 miles away from Florida’s southern tip. Also the University of Miami Concert Jazz Band is scheduled to play a concert celebrating the African and Caribbean music traditions that can be heard by some people living in Florida.
Have you ever eaten a meal like this?
The food of Florida that is influenced by its African and Caribbean past uses lots of beans or rice. This is often mixed with whatever meat is available–pork, chicken, fish . . . and sometimes even goat! The food can be spicy, but not painfully hot. It helps that the rice, beans and meat is often served with plantains. Plantains look just like a big banana but can be fried in slices like potato chips.
TLX News Journal: Geography Activity
How do you think a cultural geographer learns about different countries food, dance, or dress? Do they ask questions, taking notes and photographs? Why don’t you make a list of questions about the different cultures you see in your classroom or your neighborhood? Find out from your friends if they or their relatives came from a different country.
