Día Del Inmigrante

On Sunday, November 6, Argentina celebrated Día del Inmigrante,  a celebration for all the immigrants living in Argentina.  This was my day, as I am an immigrant.  It is still weird for me  to think of myself  as an immigrant, but I am.  I immigrated to Argentina in 2004 from the United States.  I am now a legal resident.

Argentines like to talk about how they are a country of immigrants.  They are proud of their Italian, Spanish, and other European roots.  When you meet Argentines, they always want to know where you are from.  What they mean is your heritage, not necessarily what country you are from.  Argentines living here for generations will still introduce themselves as “Italians, Russians, or Polish.”  They have a reputation throughout South America for their insistence to continually think of themselves as Europeans rather than as Latin Americans.

One of the things that I love about living in Buenos Aires is the access to cultural events provided by the government.  On any day of the week, you can usually find something to do that is free or at a low cost.  The government believes that culture should be available to all people.  Throughout the year there are concerts, plays, and many events you can attend.  I am still amazed at how many wonderful events I have been able to go to that have been free.  Ballets. operas, orchestras, and theater.  All first class.

Día Del Inmigrante was not an exception.  For weeks there were billboards advertising the celebration to take place in Parque de Tres Febrero in front of the planetarium.  There were to be dance troupes representing the various countries performing.This was the first year the government was sponsoring this event.  I was excited.  Not just because I am an immigrant, but because I love dance.  I am a tango dancer, but I love dance in all forms.

The event started at 2:00 pm.  I got there around 3:00 pm with my friend Fernando.  It was a beautiful day.  The sun was shining.  It was not too cold. The area was packed, but not too much.  I was able to stand fairly close to the front.  There were families with picnic baskets, groups of friends, and couples, all watching.  People here tend to make events like this an outing, sharing food and mate.  Vendors were selling choripan (a sausage on a bun), candy, and soft drinks. The atmosphere was very family and very festive.

As I nosed my way to the front, I lost my friend Fernando.  I found myself next to a family of Russians.  We smiled at each other. I caught the end of the Greek dance troupe.  I never think of Greeks living here in Argentina. There is no “Greek Town” and there are no Greek restaurants, yet they had two different styles of Greek dance troupes represented.

 As I got closer to the stage I was able to see a board that listed all the countries that would be performing; Italy, Brasil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Israel, Spain, Japan, Ukraine, Scotland, Lebanon, and Africa among others.  I also noted that countries with many immigrants here such as Peru, China, Colombia, and of course the USA were not represented.

I was mesmerized by the beautiful costumes and the wonderful dancing.  I tend to lose myself in dancing, whether it is my own or someone else’s.  I wondered if these were troupes that always practiced together, or if they came together just for this event.   Each country brought a new perspective with their native dance.  None of these dances were new to me, but it was exciting to see them performed here in Buenos Aires.   As the young dancers finished they would sit with their families.  You could see the pride and excitement on their faces.    Many people  who come here for extended stays or even those who more or less live here, constantly complain about the lack of diversity in Argentina.  You would never know that from this exhibition.

This post was originally published on Affordable Calling Cards September 10, 2009. (http://www.affordablecallingcards.net/)