Subscribe to our RSS FeedSo, today seems to be the day to make fun of Americans escaping the economic crisis and heading to Buenos Aires to take advantage of the strong dollar. I actually am quite proud of myself for having predicted this trend back in September 2008. No, I didn’t predict the influx of expats (that started after the 2001 crash) but I did wonder if more New Yorkers would be moving to Buenos Aires after the financial turmoil started.
First, Gawker published their story, Buenos Aires Ruined By I-Bankers, which was itself prompted by a New York Observer piece, quoting them:
You’d start the day at a park and then run into five former bankers, and then you’d wind up at a bar and all of a sudden there would be 15 of them,” Mr. Webb said. “Ex-bankers, ex-traders, Lehman guys, Bear guys, everyone. Guys that got screwed by their job and came to a place where everything was cheap. It’s fuckin’ beautiful and the sun was going down at 9:30.”
and stating that the city is now populated by laid-off American bankers.
Then BlackBook also got into the fray with Strong Dollar + Weak Steaks = More Douchebags in Argentina while pointing out that this trend is nothing new. They also added a pretty funny video called “Meet the Foreigns.”
You have to be able to laugh at yourself, right? Well, hopefully the new arrivals will drop their Wall Street ways, appreciate the local culture and spend their time learning the language, but I guess we’ll have to see. I’m sure I’ll still be able to pick out the Americans when walking through Palermo…
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4 responses so far ↓
1 Reed // Mar 5, 2009 at 12:06 am
That video’s hilarious. I know all those people! I think I’m Stephen (and sometimes Nigel).
It does drive me crazy when I meet Americans who have no interest in doing anything but partying with other Americans. But I don’t meet ‘em that often, luckily.
2 Jan Quigojom // Mar 5, 2009 at 9:15 am
They should all have their ill-gotten bonuses and fat salaries confiscated and given back to the people whose houses and savings disappeared, then sent to survive on some desert island with the corrupt accountants, auditors, government officials who made/let this all happen.
Cheesh. Nobody tell ‘em there’s life outside Palermo, OK?
3 Tangobob // Mar 5, 2009 at 10:41 am
I loved the video. Is it any wonder that the Argies think all Americans have mre money than sense?
I never realised how true this was until I put on a hat to prtect me from the heat. Freinds said I looked like a yanqui, and all the shops started charging me double.
Any body want to buy a hat?
4 Jamie // Mar 5, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Classic stuff, thanks for posting!
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