Florida as a multicultural Frontier

We can characterize Florida as a multicultural frontier because it has been a place where a lot of cultures have come together. Florida is a very diverse state. Florida has cities that have been innovative in allowing other cultures to incorporate their cultures into Florida cities. Many Cuban refugees have fled to Florida and they make up a large percentage of the population. Cubans make up an even larger part of the Miami population which has many Cuban cultural aspects to it. Also many people have moved to Florida from Puerto Rico. There is a large influence of Puerto Ricans especially in Central Florida. Many other people of Hispanic descent also live in the Florida area. Florida has also developed cultural influx due to its large tourism industry. When people from other regions of the United States or other countries come to Florida the state ends up offering cultural options that appeal to the tourists from their given region. All of the examples above are great examples of why we can characterize Florida as a multicultural frontier.

When I Think of Florida Historty I think Of

When I think of Florida History, I mean I think of the history of the twentieth century and onward. I always think of things such as Disneyworld and current events. I have only been to Disneyworld twice. One time when I was around ten I went to Disneyworld and around last December I went to Disneyworld for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Florida history also brings to my mind Palm Beach and South Florida. I've been to Hobe Sound and quite frankly I thought it is very nice. With Palm Beach I always think of the glitz and glamor of Worth Drive. I also do think of Florida history that's less recent. Ponce de Leon comes to mind and the search for the fountain of youth. With regards to current events I tend to think of the total collapse of Charlie Crist’s senate campaign. I also think of the fact that I really dislike Rick Scott. I do not think he’s the most qualified person to be governor of Florida. I feel his ties to the medical industrial complex (also known as the medical industry) could create a lot of conflicts.

History Department Profile: Dr. Yusheng Yao

Rollins College has always acted as a resource for the Central Florida community. While Winter Park residents have longed understood the college as a center for the arts, they sometime forget the dedication to academic innovation and excellence associated with Rollins. Yet, the school's history is one of innovation in teaching, scholarship, and service to the community. Today, with issues of global cooperation and competition daily headline, you can find professors in many academic departments dedicated to understanding these new global circumstances. In the history department, the history and future of China are a central focus for Dr. Yusheng Yao.

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Dr. Yao grew up in Beijing, China. As a sixth grader, he welcomed the Cultural Revolution when it started in 1966 because it relieved his worry about the upcoming examination for entering junior high school. Like millions of the Chinese youth of his generation, Yao was sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution, where he worked in the fields at first and later on as a carpenter. Without opportunity for school education and ample time to kill in his spare time, Yao began to study English by himself in 1972. When national examination for college was restored in 1978 after Deng Xiaoping came to power, Yao could enter Peking University. After receiving his B.A. and M.A. degrees in English literature in 1982 and 1984, he had taught in the English Department of Peking University for three years.

Yao came the United States for graduate study on Harvard-Yenching scholarship in 1987. He received his M.A. in American Studies in 1992 and Ph.D. in history in 1999 at the University of Minnesota. His research on Chinese modernity can be found in numerous academic journals.

For more information on China, investigate the China Center at Rollins College.