Katryn C. (Hialeah)

Weeks ago, we had a new project for the following presentations: the city of Hialeah. The first group presented the city's past; The next group (the second) presented migration in Hialeah from 1960 through 1980 and other points about the city. The group that followed (ours, group 3) presented the aspects of the city's present, and the last one (group 4) presented the future (or what would be the possible future) of Hialeah. In short, we covered a lot of different elements of Hialeah.

Going deeper into these presentations, the first group gave an interesting explanation about the past of the city of Hialeah, and they began talking about the socio-political aspects of the city through the years, introducing various of the most important political figures (mayors) that Hialeah had throughout each period. They started with Raul L. Martinez in his two terms as mayor (1981-1991 and 1993-2005). Julio Robaina followed him during his six years as mayor (2005-2011). And then, the last and current mayor of Hialeah, Esteban Bovo (who replaced Carlos Hernández, the previous mayor of Hialeah from 2011 to 2021). After that, they explained a little about the city's electoral history, mentioning the JFK Library in 1976, where you could (and still can) vote for official government members.

Then they mentioned various facets of Hialeah in different time jumps, one of them being 1920-1940, where they showed us one of the old newspapers that was famous at that time (the HI-J-HI News) and which It had as its cover a class group that had just graduated from Hialeah' Junior Highs School in the class of 1940. From there, a time jump was made to Hialeah in the years 1960-1980, where they mentioned one of the baseball teams that the city had in 1960 (the Hialeah Post 32); and again, we returned to the city library (JFK), but in 1980. Another time jump, this time to show the significant change that the city of Hialeah had in the years 2000-2020, color and digital photos, different clothes, and a population just as different from the one they showed us at the beginning of the presentation. The population began to acquire a more Hispanic character (due to the influx of Cubans in the city).

Another jump, but not in time but in topic. They explained one of the most incredible features of Hilaeah: its architecture. They discussed how the city's architecture had a wonderful mix of styles, including Mediterranian Revival, Art Deco, and Mid-Century Modern, thus resulting in unique buildings that could only be seen in this part of Florida.

At the same time, they mentioned some architectural landmarks of Hialeah's past, such as the "Bright House," which, according to the speaker, was the home of James H. Bright. Possibly the most important figure in the city, the speaker introduced James H. Bright as a man of great ideas, projects, and achievements. Another of the architectural landmarks mentioned in the presentation was the "Amertec Building," a building designed with an abstract appearance similar to the face of a fish (according to the image displayed on the slides) and that, unfortunately, did not live beyond the past.

Because it was demolished.

As much as I would like to continue explaining the aspects of this presentation, I am taking too long. Therefore, it is time to briefly summarize the following points from group one's presentation. In addition to the above, the group explained other topics related to the city's past, such as the recreation parks that existed in Hialeah (The Hialeah Race Track and the Hialeah Park Walking Rink and Paddock area). They also mentioned social aspects of it, such as the GFWC Women's Club to create a library in the city. Also, they went over the public health and education that existed in the past (mentioning Miami Dade College as well).

As for the presentation of the next group, they touched on various topics about Hialeah, including the immigration issue that has affected the city. The one that caught my attention the most was the part of the migration by boat, specifically the "Mariel Boatlift," which happened around 1980 and which gave the name "Marielitos" to all the immigrants it brought to the United States (if you saw the Griselda miniseries starring Sofia Vergara, then you will know what some of those immigrants ended up in...). Another very interesting topic from this group was the opportunities these immigrants obtained upon arriving in Hialeah, employment opportunities in manufacturing sectors, and legalization programs to improve their immigration statuses.

Our group was the next to present, and fortunately, we were able to avoid the (not) comfortable moment of speaking in public (through a camera, but oh well) because one of the group members (Luis) had the brilliant idea of ​​making a video and making that our full presentation. We begin by mentioning the number of schools, the various religious communities, and the population of the city of Hialeah at present.

Yes, our topic was about Hialeah's Present.

Anyway, following the transition of the video, it was "my turn" to present. I explained the city's real estate situation, including the average prices of houses and rents and the current trends in the real estate market. Then, I briefly mentioned the existence of a somewhat old urbanization within Hialeah, which is Seminola. Finally, I also briefly mentioned (rather fleetingly) the factories in Hialeah and how they contribute to the community.

The next speakers touched on more interesting topics regarding Hialeah's culturally diverse cuisine due to the different Hispanic communities within the city (which was explained at the beginning), as well as the artistic areas of Hialeah (such as the Leah Arts District and Garden of the Arts). The last speaker spoke about the "Calle 8" event that takes place in the city, as well as the existence of other shopping centers in Hialeah in addition to the Westland Mall.

Finally, it was the fourth group's turn to present their topic: The Future of Hialeah. At first, they began by mentioning the city's current situation (decaying buildings and high traffic), and from there, they escalated to the topic of the future. It was almost like everything the city would focus on fixing and improving from the current situation. Then, due to the decaying buildings, they would strive to revitalize these structures, which would bring more job opportunities in the future. 

They also mentioned the topic of housing for the future of Hialeah, which will plan to provide more affordable residences for those in the middle class. Another point mentioned in this presentation that caught my attention was the city's plans to improve (at least a little) its public transportation system. Hialeah is planning to expand the availability of electric scooters and bicycles, in addition to implementing new Metrorail routes in the city, something that could help alleviate the situation with heavy traffic.

In conclusion, we learned about the situation in the City of Progress and discovered new characteristics of Hialeah that we did not know existed (in my case, at least). We took a short tour through this city's past, present and future. We discover the long path the city had to go through to become what it is today and how immigrants from Cuba made a new life in the country by finding Hialeah and turning it into the bustling, lively, and diverse city we have now. Although the city is suffering some declines in infrastructure and other social areas, it is working on developing plans to solve this situation. Evidently, the "City of Progress" continues to undergo constant transformation with no intention of halting its pursuit of a brighter future.