My Cultural Background

I have chosen to do my project on Argentina. Argentina seemed to be a very interesting country to do a project on because I am not familiar with their culture, but only a few known facts. Argentina does have an interesting history but I want to know much more detail about it. I wanted to pick a Latin American country that was different from my Mexican heritage. By doing the cultural portfolio of Argentina, I hope to learn a little more about their culture than the more dominant Latin American countries such as Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, or Brazil.

My definition of culture is a way a society lives and it is important because culture affects the ideas and actions of a society. The actual definition that I found in my sociology book is that culture is the language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and even material objects that characterize a group and are passed from one generation to the next (Henslin 38).

My personal culture is being an American with Mexican descent. My cultural standards are the same to other Americans, but also being Mexican has caused me to have a dual identity. Although I am an American, I still have Mexican influences in my family culture by the food I eat and by speaking English and Spanish at home, which are norms that are different in the broader American culture. I feel Mexican when I’m surrounded by the culture as speaking in Spanish or identifying with other Mexican-American people that have succeeded in the United States. I identify immediately as an American whenever I visit Mexico and feel like the other. Also I identify with my American identity when learning about American history or by celebrating the 4^th of July. Sometimes both of these cultural identity clash with each other and makes me feel almost alienated by both cultures, so by being Mexican-American it has created for me and many others a different subculture.

I also identify as being a Californian because I was born there. I think moving from California to Illinois when I was younger has made me identify more as a Californian. By living and being raised in California I appreciate diversity and made me a more open-minded person. I guess it is because California is very open-minded state. I identify as being Californian when I get homesick or whenever someone makes fun of California. I can also identify as being from Illinois by the way I do things such as speaking with a Chicagoan accent, which cousins from California has clearly pointed out, and also appreciating diversity. I guess Illinois is my new home state so I identify with it whenever I leave the state. So I guess I am part of four cultures: American, Mexican, Californian and Illinoisan.

I am aware that Argentina is a Hispanic country, so their culture will be somewhat like mine. Their culture would be based around the Spanish language and heavily influenced by Catholicism. The Argentinian culture would probably be very family-oriented. It might also be influenced by modern American culture and other Latin American cultures.

Soccer

Soccer is more than a sport, but a passion in many Latin American countries such as it is in Argentina.  Although it is probably overshadowed by Brazil, soccer has been important part of social life in Argentina. In Buenos Aires alone, there are 24 professional teams, more than any other city in the world. Some of the biggest teams are the Boca Juniors, the most popular team, River Plate, and many others. Each team represent the neighborhoods rather than individual cities and most root for the team they grew up in and family loyalties. Argentina has played in the World Cup since 1930 and have hosted and won in 1978 and won again in 1986. The best known soccer player, Diego Maradona, played for the Boca Juniors and was part of the winning team in 1986. The fans are also what make the soccer game interesting. The stadiums are filled with fans singing and taunting, but clashes with the police. Like any culture, sports help to unite fellow fans of their team and also have a common enemy (the other team). I chose this as an important artifact because soccer is what makes people from different walks of life join together to support their own team or the Argentinean team in the World Cup.  

Steak (Asado)

Argentina is steak heaven of the world, so vegetarians have to be aware. Steak has an important part of the Argentinean diet and culture. Steak has helped shape the culture of the gauchos in the area of the Pampas and made Argentina one of the largest beef exporters of the world. In 2006, livestock farmers kept around 50 million cattle in the Pampas. Many of the landowners of the area became wealthy from beef production. Argentina has also crafted the asado, the way steak is cooked in Argentina and is also the national dish. The al asado is a way to slow cook the meat in a fire on the ground or in a fire pit surround by metal crosses which hold the carcass of the animal. A la asado is when a fire is made after the coals have formed then a grill is placed over the meat to be cooked. Unlike some other techniques, the meat cooked in the asado form is not marinated, but salt is applied before and during the cooking period. The average time it takes to cook an asado is 2 hours. However when served, Chimichurri, a sauce of garlic, parsley, lemon and oil, is accompanied with the asado. The asado way of cooking is important to the Argentinean culture not just because of its history, but also the way it is cooked. Because it is cooked slower, many families can join together in a barbeque setting where everyone enjoy their company and have great food. It is good to say the food and family are important to the culture.                      

Tango

The tango has a unique and complicated history in Argentina. Many are not sure of what are the exact origins of the dance but many see it as a fusion of European, Latin, and African roots. It combines European polkas and waltzes, Cuban habanera, and candome rhythms from Africa. The tango originated around the time Argentina received a massive influx of immigrants from Europe around the late 1800's and early 1900's. The dance originated in the slums and brothels of Buenos Aires where many of the immigrants, mostly men, would go because of the lack of women in the area. Some say that the dance acted the relationship between the prostitute and her pimp. Others say that the dance reflects the loss and longings of the immigrants. Many in the upper classes in society frown down upon the tango dance. Actually, tango became famous in Paris because of the sons of Argentina's wealthy introduced the dance in Europe were it became a dance craze in the continent. Many of the wealthy had now accepted the Tango during the spread of it in the 1920's and 30's. Around 1950, however, the political repression of the dance has begun and rock & roll has become to replace the tango and declined in popularity until the 80's. Only underground groups would dance or play the tango. The reason this artifact is important is because the tango has shown the diversity of Argentina and provided the people the ability to express themselves. This dance has become important to the culture and history of Argentina. Many now can not think of the tango without having Buenos Aires in mind. Many are now dancing the tango for the sensuality and beautiful music. What better way to add the tango as an important artifact of Argentina.

Evita

An important person in Argentinian history is a woman who was a real “rags-to riches” story and is known throughout the world by plays or movies about her life. This Argentinian is Eva Perón or better known as “Evita”. Born on May 7, 1919 in Los Toldos, Argentina, she was born into a poor family as an illegitimate child. Her biological father was a ranch manager and her mother was his mistress. When she was seventeen, she left to go to Buenos Aires to start an acting career and three years later had a career as a radio and film actress. In January 1944, Evita met her future husband Juan Perón, and future president of Argentina, at a fundraising event to help earthquake victims. When her husband became president in 1946, Evita became active in politics to help the poor and to grant women the right to vote which became legal on September 23, 1947. She also had many critics especially in the military and the wealthy elite. Even with criticism from the military she tried to become the vice-president candidate with her husband on the ballot. She later decided not to run because of her health problems with cancer. Evita soon died on July 26, 1952 and millions crowded into Buenos Aires for her funeral. Her political activism has made possible the right to vote for women which later formed the Perónist Women’s Party and helped the poor by starting the Eva Perón Foundation for Charitable Works. She is important to Argentinian history because she fought for the rights of millions in her country and is an inspirational person to look up to. The champion for the underdog, I picked her as the Argentinian artifact because she is well beloved in her country and the world.

Gauchos

Many people know most about Argentina is the tango, but many are surprised that Argentina has its own cowboys called “Gauchos”.  I chose the gaucho for my artifact because of how important they were in Argentina’s beef industry, cultural identity, and Argentinian history. The gauchos are nomadic horseman and cowhand, mostly of mestizo background, of the Argentine Pampas (grasslands) who flourished from the mid-18^th to mid-19^th century and are like folk-heroes of the country (“gaucho”, 2011). Many were well respected to some extent even feared in the country.  The government at one time used gauchos instead of the army or the police force to keep order in the more rural provinces of Argentina (“Gaucho in Argentina”, 2010). The gaucho culture consisted much on “gambling, drinking, playing the guitar, and singing doggerel verses about hunting, fighting, and lovemaking (“gaucho”, 2011).”  Many are also noticed by the kind of costume they wear such as chiripa girding the waist, a woolen poncho, bombachas, which are long accordion-pleated trousers, and high leather boots (“gaucho”, 2011). Sadly gaucho culture is declining due to modernization of Argentina. Argentina’s beef industry, 7^th leading beef exporter formerly no. 1, is now having cattle being kept in feed lots instead of running around in the pampas (Beal, 2011).  Gauchos are becoming tourist attractions, but are still important to Argentina’s culture because they show love for nature and freedom, which is another reason I chose this as a great artifact.

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 Henslin, James. "Culture." Sociology A Down-to-Earth Approach Core Concepts. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2009. Print.

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Vasquez, P. A. (2007, July). Evita and women's participation in politics.   Retrieved from http://www.evitaperon.org/evita_peron_instituto.htm