ARGENTINA
A Brief History
Argentina is located on the bottom part of South American continent, it is bordered with Uruguay , Brazil , Paraguay , Bolivia , Chile and the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Buenos Aires and it is the most populous city of Argentina. Argentina has an area of almost 3,8 million square kilometers. Argentina gained its independence from Spain in 1816. Argentina is one of the world major’s agricultural producers, ranking among the top producers and exporters of wheat, beef, and soybeans.
Argentina was colonized by Spain in the fifteen hundreds because the Spanish Royalist Force settlers thought the land would be rich in silver, that’s where Argentina got its name from the Latin word “ Argentum” which means silver. Argentina has population of about 43 million people, and according to the research, about half of the Argentinians are partial Italian from their decent . They have a saying, “ Los Argentinos deciendes de los Barcos” meaning “the Argentinians are descended from the boats,” to say that it is a country of immigrants.
The Argentine War of Independence was fought between 1810–1818. Before Argentina gained its independence there was a first revolution known as “The May Revolution”. It is a week long series of events that took place in Buenos Aires (at this time capital of the Vice-Royalty of Rio de la Plata). The result was the removal of Vice-Roy Baltazar de Cisneros and that’s when the Primera Junta assumes the government. It was the first successful South American revolution.
Argentina declared their independence on July 9, 1816. Manuel Belgrano, Juan Castelli and Jose de San Martin are considered as the heroes of the Independence.
In April 1982, there was a war called” Guerra de las Malvinas” also known as the Falkland War . It was a ten week war between Argentina and United Kingdom over the two British overseas territories .The Argentinians troops invaded that island, but a month later, the British sent a naval task force and they defeated the Argentines and forced them to go back home. Until now the Argentines are claiming for that island saying “ Las Malvinas son Argentinos”.
According to Hofstede insights, Argentina has a score of 49 in Power Distance, this means that people in the country have low power distance; to them, less hierarchy is better.
The actual president is of Argentina is Mauricio Macri and he has been in office since 2015.
Argentina’s Culture and Traditions
The main language of Argentina is Spanish and their popular dance is Tango, it is a dance that influences from African, Native American and European culture. It is danced with pairs; the male is usually the lead and the female is the follower. There are also other dances like Malambo and Carnavalito which are not really famous worldwide but particular to the Argentinian culture .
“I remember when I was a kid we had to do those dances at school performance just to have a feel of our own culture.” - Luciana
Argentinians have a strong passion for soccer and it is known all over the world . According to Luciana ( a native of Buenos Aires who is currently pursuing her education in the US ), it is never going to change even if the team is not doing well, win or lose they will always be supportive; and it is also in life, good or bad Argentinians will always support their friends or family . The value of friendship is very important there.
we show this friendship importance with this iconic tea called “mate,” we usually sit in a circle and pass it around to symbolize friendship, she said.
Communication Challenges
I spoke with two people from Argentina, “Luciana” and “Luis”. According to them, people in Argentina are very expressive when they communicate; they also use lots of hand and body gestures and they tend to stay really close to you when they communicate. It is very common to greet with a kiss regardless of gender. For the hand gestures, it is believed that they got that from the Italians because they are also very expressive, unlike most people in America.
If you are not used to being direct and expressive or talk closely to others it can be challenging, you may feel uncomfortable because Argentinians express what they feel, expressing their emotions at the moment .
Argentinians are also not punctual, unless it’s something professional. They are usually late to everything, they are a slow paced culture and will take their time to get ready, and of course, they will be usually late .
“If you are used to punctuality, you may regret for showing up on time” — Luciana
If you plan to visit Argentina, it is always good to know Spanish. Many people there do understand English, but it’s better to know Spanish a little bit, at least to communicate around.
People in Argentina dress more casual, there is not that much difference compared to the United States; unless it’s an important meeting or work , people will most likely dress informal, it depends on the context. “It is always good not to expose expensive accessories, and also not to have a camera hanging because that can show that you are a tourist, and things will be more expensive for you to buy,” according to Luis, a native of Cordoba, Argentina.
Like any other countries it is always good not to talk about politics in conversation because everyone has their own personal political views. Argentina is also an open minded country, they are not too conservative about certain topics as some other countries in the world.
Communication Tips
Do not be surprised if someone there talks to you and pat your shoulder.
Here are some common words you can use if you ever visit Argentina
CHE — hey/you/dude/mate/friend. Universal interjection
BOLUDO — ballsy, friend
BUENA ONDA — good vibes. Can describe a nice person or just mean cool
TAL CUAL — exactly / good point
DALE — ok / great/ sounds good / come on
¿DE DONDE SOS? — where are you from?
If you hear an Argentinian says : “ Estas al horno !” that means you are in trouble !
Hi! My name is Eben-Ezer Francois. I am a student at City College of San Francisco. This blog is for an assignment in the class Intercultural Communication taught by Dr. Jennifer Kienzle. If you have any questions or comments about this project, please contact Dr. Kienzle: jkienzle@ccsf.edu
