Subscribe to our RSS FeedOne nice thing about numbering all of the Random Observations is that we know exactly how long we’ve been here, and wow, 12 weeks goes by really quickly. Some of our new and improved random observations now include photos! Enjoy…
Random Observations: Week 11 & 12
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Spring is definitely in the air here. The weather is getting hot, the sidewalk cafes are full, trees are blooming and there are kids making out everywhere. I guess they don’t really have a house to go to, so they take to the parks, streets, etc. Sorry, I only have a picture of the flowers, not the kids making out.
- This picture pretty much sums up the Argentine attitude towards salads and vegetables with your dinner. Yes, it does say “Salad Bar,” but do you see any salad? I see a bowl of olives, but everything else is pretty much the garnishes for the meats.
- Maybe to make up for the lack of salad here, we’ve found that portion sizes at the stores are much smaller than in the U.S. This picture shows the biggest possible bag of M&Ms that you can buy at the grocery store near us - the “GRANDE” bag. Compare this to what they sell at the grocery stores back home (the XXL bag is 52oz - over 15 times larger) and you can see why we have an obesity epidemic.
And a few other random observations:
- There are not very many people of color here. Argentines themselves are for the most part fair skinned, probably stemming from the many European immigrants here. There seems to be very few African immigrants in Buenos Aires, so they are more noticeable when you see them. (Something that you would never even think about in NYC because it’s such a melting pot of people and cultures.)
The strange thing is that I saw an African immigrant on Santa Fe street selling fake watches out of a briefcase. This scene could have easily been taken directly from mid-town New York. What is with African immigrants selling fake watches? Is this a universal thing?
- I’ve seen limes in grocery stores, so I don’t think there’s a problem getting them here, but don’t expect one in your drink at the bar. They have some lemon slices, but I have yet to see limes. Even when I ordered a Corona, it came sans-lime…just not the same.
- Happy Halloween! While it may not be an officially recognized holiday here, the kioscos all sell Halloween candy and you can find a good number of costume parties (although it is still impossible to get a real pumpkin). I’ve heard that the celebration of Halloween in Argentina has especially picked up in the last 10 years, which is good for candy and costume sales. (Halloween generates $5.77 billion in sales in the U.S.) Plus, it’s my second favorite holiday after Christmas…
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9 responses so far ↓
1 Antsise Frixione-Conner // Oct 31, 2008 at 5:51 pm
The people of color are all in Brasil. The ships of slaves didn’t make it that far down…
2 Alan Patrick // Oct 31, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Antsise,
Not true! The slave ships made it down here, and indeed straight after the end of slavery in Buenos Aires it is said that around one third of the city’s residents was black.
Alan
3 Lululala // Oct 31, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Antsise! How argentine you are! Not only the things you say are not true… I also feel a high level of racism in your words (the only thing left for you to say seemed to be “we are all Europeans here!”). They are “all” in Brazil. NO they are NOT. And BRazilians are mostly white - as they say - or europeans - as you Argies, like to say. So really, before you say anything, READ and LEARN, not only read and FORGET it.
4 Luis // Oct 31, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Alan is right. And this is one of the misteries of argentine history. There are a few theories explaining what happened to coloured people in Argentina:
1) They were sent to the front lines in independence wars and against neighboring countries.
2) They were specially vulnerable to tuberculosis and were decimated while an outbreak.
3)And the third and, in my opinion, the most probable, is that they simple were outnumbered by far by last century’s european immigration and their color simply washed away by mixing.
Today, it is very difficult to tell if the slighty dark color of some argentines is due to their indian or african ancestors, they are simply mixed with a very high proportion of white blood.
5 Madeleine // Oct 31, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Actually, I think the african slaves did make it down here too, but not so much as in Brasil.
During the Independance war, lots of them were sent by their “masters” to fight with San Martin, for example. Forefront canon meat! Diseases took its toll on the rest of them.
In Mendoza, there is that giant monument in Parque San Martin where you see that some soldiers have African features. I cannot download a picture here (I think) but you can see one in my blog http://madodecker.spaces.live.com (the fist soldier of picture 21 in the album “Mendoza avec Yvon”).
As for the Africans on Santa Fe and Corrientes, lots of them are from Nigeria, THE master country for counterfit goods in Africa… Perhaps they bring all these watches and gold-plated jewels with them all over the world (?).
And in a few weeks, the jacarandas will be dressed in purple. Pure bliss! don’t miss the show in Bosque de Palermo.
6 Evie ABat // Nov 1, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Well, I am of color, so I’m adding to the mix! I was surprised to see those jewelry vendors on Santa Fe, too, and I assumed they were from Nigeria. I could be wrong.
Yeah, I don’t see as much color blending as, say, NY, LA, or DC. I have yet to see an interracial couples, but I’m 1/2 of one. There is cultural blending, though, with all the Peruvians, Bolivians, and Paraguayans.
7 Hernan // Nov 1, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Ignorance is not discrimination! it’s just being miss informed, either History or cultural differences.
Yes, grew up in B.A. and yes I had a black classmate (one) in my primary school (middle school) and one in High School. I rarely saw one in the street in Buenos Aires.
I was scared and impressed to see so many black people in Atlanta when I arrived… I don’t think I ever saw discrimination when growing up… but in the US it is a very sensitive topic.
So I think it is important to understand that, MOSTLY, Argentine don’t have issues with discrimination by race, religion, gender, political view, etc. Mostly.
In fact some words used to describe someone’s feature that in the US are considered BAD BAD words like Negro, Fat, skinny, big nose, big boobs, big head, big ears, tall, short…etc, in Argentina those are used as nick names, or instead of friend, wife, honey, dear, babe, baby, hubby, etc.
Maybe Antside comments comes from the fact that MOST black people from Buenos aires are from Brazil where according to the CIE book of facts, almost 40 % are back when in Argentina almost 90 % is considered white.
What I learned in High School about why there are not black people any more is series of unfortunate events (yellow fever in Buenos Aires, Front line war, and perhaps the mix) but according to hat I remember is that even tho Argentina freed the slaves at the beginning of 1800s they didn’t have jobs and they still were considered the lowest social class so a big number of them migrated to the northern countries like north of Uruguay and Brazil.
Their luck in Argentina wasn’t better than the natives which are in danger of extinction.
8 Madeleine // Nov 1, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Interesting issues.
From my understanding, some Argentines do have quite a big issue with xenofobia (fear and rejection of the ‘other’). I’ve heard most people I know or in random conversations in public places talk real bad against the ‘negros’ from the indian communities in Argentina, Bolivians and Peruvians especially, that they are lower-class people, are taking the jobs, are taking advantage of the eduction and health care systems, that they contribute to the insecurity, the filth, the drug and ‘villas’ problems, etc.
We all have our ‘niggers’ issue, individually or collectively. Even though this is totally unfair, and should never exist under any skies. Unfortunatel, that reality stil exists with the white towards blacks, white Argentines towards more ‘coloured’ people, white north-africans towards black africans, africans from one tribe towards another tribe (Tutsi and Hutus ring a bell?)
Basically, we are afraid of the unknown and it is much easier to put them aside and live confortably than trying to learn from the other.
Too bad though.
9 IGoBuenosAires // Nov 6, 2008 at 8:58 am
This debate seems to be heating up lately. There was just an article written (can´t remember, Argentimes maybe??) regarding a survey done on Portenos, took blood samples and did questionaires. At the mention of ¨being black¨ Portenos slammed doors. Sin embargo, in the end, samples show that a high portion of Portenos actually have African DNA. A large portion of Africans actually integrated into the Argentine society and slowely were less evident.
The myth that Africans were less able to survey disease is akin to saying they weren´t as highly developed, sounds latently racist, no?
There is probably some truth in the war theory, similar to what many countries do with minorities.
Last but not least, Julio Argentino Roca came in the 1800´s and committed widespread genocide of native Argentines and anyone else of color. Hence why we today see Argentines mainly of European decent.
I don´t think most Argentines know they are prejudiced, nor would the majority ever overtly express it. It is more built into the culture, similar to most countries (hello, Prop 8 in California). Very friendly people, just not exactly taught what prejudice is.
Cheers,
Kate
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