La Casa Rosada

You've heard of the White House, but have you heard of the pink house? This is the name of Argentina's presidential residence: la casa rosada [lah cah-sah row-sah-dah]. This translates literally to "the pink house." Located in Buenos Aires, la casa rosada was finished in 1873. It has hosted many famous visitors including Madonna and Pope John Paul II. For more information on some of the history of the building, see this Wikipedia article where most of the facts just stated were found.

The building is an important icon to Argentines just as the White House is important to Americans. It is the icon of their nation's leader. This has been both positive and negative. Many times la casa rosada represents a president who the people see as corrupt and as someone who turns his or her back on Argentina to gain money. Whether during the presidency of a good or bad leader, la casa rosada is a distinct building that represents the focus of Argentine politics. Here are some pictures of la casa rosada.

Catholicism and Argentina

Argentina is a predomintantly Catholic country. It traces it Catholic roots back to the time of the Spanish conquest and the names of many cities reflect this. Here are a few examples:

• Santa Fe [sahn-tah fay]—means "holy faith"


• Rosario [roh-sahr-io]—means "rosary," or the crucifix representing the cross of Jesus Christ


• Apóstoles [ah-post-oh-lays]—means "apostles"


• San Juan [sahn whuan]—means "Saint John"
  


• Misiones [mees-ion-ays]—means "missions"


• Santa Cruz [sahn-tah croose]—means "holy cross"

The names of cities are just a few of the many things that attest to Catholic influence in Argentina. The Catholic Church has had quite a bit of political influence, as seen in its support for a law preventing divorce that was only rescinded recently. Images of saints and Jesus Christ appear all over the country in the form of statues, stickers on doors or cars, and paintings. Here are a few examples of different forms of the Virgin Mary that people display.



There are many other holy figures for Argentines that they have statues and paintings of in their house and elsewhere. While the people are in general faithful in God and to the Catholic Church, they do not always equate that with having to go to church services. Many cathedrals in Argentina are dwindling in attendance. But the people have faith in their religion and try to raise their children in the sacraments and teachings of the Catholic Church. Just like in many Latin American cities where the Spaniards made colonies, many Argentine cities have a beautiful cathedral at the center of town, often in front of a large plaza. Below are some pictures of some of these cathedrals. Argentina's Catholicism is an important part of their identity. They see their religion as something passed down from their European ancestors and as a heritage to keep. Understanding this is important to understanding Argentina's people.

"Don't Cry for Me Argentina"

Have you ever heard this line? This famous line came from the most popular song of the musical Evita which later became a movie starring Madonna. Evita is about an Argentine leader named Eva Perón [ai-vah pear-own]. Evita [ai-veet-ah] was her nickname. She came from a poor family in a Buenos Aires suburb to become one of the most famous women in the world and without a doubt the most famous Argentine woman ever. Due to her incredible ambition, she rose from the slums as a radio actress and became increasingly famous.

During her rise to fame, she met a military man named Juan Perón [whuan pear-own]. The two eventually got married and Juan became president of Argentina. He and Evita claimed to be fighting for the poor and the working class. This was a welcome idea to them, people who had been ignored by their government and the upper class. Evita was very popular with the poor and had an incredible charisma. Even if you don't understand the words, watch this video and notice the emotion and passion with which Evita spoke.



Evita was popular with the poor because she fought for their rights. She pushed for the government to fix problems that would help the poor. She got the vote for women and established a foundation for helping less-privileged people. However, this meant that she was not as popular with the richer classes. She sought to take away their influence and power to help the poorer classes and, as many say, gain more power for herself. This represents the dispute that has existed since Evita died: some saw her as a saint while others saw her as power hungry. Look at this image from the cover of a book. The title is Santa Evita [sah-ntah ai-veet-ah], which means "Saint Evita" or "Holy Evita."

In the movie Evita appears a song called "Santa Evita" as well. It includes poor children singing to Eva as if she were a saint or a mediator with God. They asked her to help them and "tell heaven that I'm doing my best." This is how some people saw her. Yet during these praises of "holy Evita," Antonio Banderas' character tells Evita to "Turn the blind eye, Evita. Turn the blind eye." This could mean many things, but it seems like a suggestion to her to ignore her shady acts while the children praise her.

The movie and moreso the musical on which the movie is based talk about how Evita saved money raised for the poor for herself, how she tried to silence critics by undemocratic methods, and sought political power over all else. Hollywood and Broadway do a good job in most cases of exaggerating the truth, but the musical and movie are commentaries on how Evita was a controversial figure in Argentina and still is today. Check out the movie and the musical if you have a chance and look for the subtle commentaries that are made on both the good and bad things Evita was involved with. The music has great examples of this.

In any case, Evita is the most famous Argentine woman ever and has left a lasting impact on her country. To understand this, one needs to only see pictures of her funeral. She died of cancer at a very young age: 33. The song "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" is from the musical/movie when Evita is sick and unable to perform all of her duties with her characteristic energy. She asks her country to not have pity on her, but instead to thank them and to ask them to think of what she has done and become. At the end of the song, she says "I'm Argentina, and always will be." This was true especially for her husband's political career. With Evita died Juan's popularity in Argentina (for the time being; he later became president again). Here are pictures from her funeral procession of Evita in 1952. These pictures represent a country that was truly in mourning for a fallen leader and icon. In the last picture, Juan Perón is the second man from the left, with a hat in his hands and a military uniform on.

¡Aquí se habla castellano!

Contrary to what many people in the US think, not all Latin American countries are the same. In fact, they are all distinct from their cultures to their languages. Even some countries in Latin America speak a language other than Spanish! Brazilians speak Portuguese, for example. Even among Spanish-speaking countries (and within countries) there is a big variety of vocabulary words and accents. Argentina is no different. The Spanish spoken in Argentina is what Argentines call castellano [cah-stay-shah-noh], not español [ess-pan-yole] like one might say in other Spanish-speaking countries.

Castellano means "Castillian," which refers to a region of Spain. You see, Spain is a country made of up many different peoples. There are different nationalities within the same country. There are Basques, Galicians, Catalonians, and Castillians. These all have their own language and culture. The Castillians are the biggest group and speak the language that most people call Spanish because it is the dominant language of Spain and has become the dominant language of Latin America ever since Spain invaded in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Since Argentina tends to look to its European roots, Argentines call their language castellano to relate more with its Spanish background. In reality, the accents, grammar, and vocabulary are not the same. But now you will know that if you ever visit Argentina, don't ask someone if he or she speaks "español!" This is what the title of this post refers to: aquí se habla castellano [ah-key say ah-blah cah-stay-shah-noh] means "We speak Castillian here!" How they refer to the language is just one way in which Argentines differ from many other Spanish speakers. Their accent is beautiful; their vocabulary is large; and the flow of the language off their tongues reflects Italian roots. (For more on Argentina's immigration and background, scroll down and see other posts that talk about these topics.)

Watch this video and listen to how the play-by-play man speaks. Even if you have never heard Spanish before, listen to the rhythm and flow of his voice. This is a soccer game, so he is speaking very fast. Yet notice the flow and accent that differ from Spanish your perception of Spanish that comes from other countries. But listen to how his voice rises and falls and how he places emphasis on certain syllables. This passionate announcer is not much different than many Argentines and how they speak their language with energy and emotion. This is one example that shows the beauty of the pronunciation and accent of Argentina's castellano. ¡Y qué golazo! [ee kay gohl-ahs-oh] ("And what an amazing goal!")



Castellano is one of the many ways in which Argentina tries to distance itself from other Hispanic countries in order to bring itself closer to Europe. It is one reason, of quite a few, that many other Hispanics see Argentina as prideful and snotty: Argentines don't even recognize that they speak the same language as the other countries! Yet it is an important part of Argentina's culture and teaches us quite a bit about how they see themselves in relation to Europe and the rest of Latin America.

La Siesta

One of the most distinct traditions Americans notice when in Argentina is la siesta [lah syes-tah]. Many Argentines wake up early in the morning to work. The men usually go to work and the women usually clean the house, buy food for lunch, and get everything ready for when the husband comes home for lunch. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day in both quantity of food and importance for the family. The whole family is usually together and the meals are usually excellent. After lunch, children go to school and many times the adults take a nap. Depending on the region and climate, this nap can last between thirty minutes and three hours or more. It seems that the hotter and more rural a city is, the more likely its inhabitants will sleep longer after lunch.

Can you blame them? Have you ever felt tired after a big meal, like Thanksgiving? While everyday Argentine lunches aren't as big as a holiday feast here in the US or there in Argentina, they are filling. And imagine if its 110 degrees outside! You definitely don't want to be out in that heat working with a full stomach. You might prefer to sleep or spend some more time with your family. This is why Argentines value the siesta so much. By taking it, they have more quality time to rest and spend time with the family. They value work, but see relationships as something important to establish and maintain as well.

There are parts of the country where everything literally shuts down from 1 to 4 pm. During this time you will have a hard time getting a lot of things you might be looking for. This is especially true if what you want is not a basic need, like food. Everything closes down because everyone is home eating or resting. Yet there are also places like Buenos Aires (generally the bigger cities are the same) where the city doesn't slow down too much. In a big city, life is more fast-paced and work is done in air-conditioned buildings. In the country, however, the work is slower and the heat makes farmers think twice about working in the early afternoon. They prefer to get up early and make up for lost sleep during the siesta. All in all, the siesta is a tradition that many Americans don't like but also don't understand. It is not a sign of laziness, but instead a way for Argentines to make effective use of their time to work, cultivate family and friend relationships, and enjoy life. Check out these pictures of some siesta sleepers. The last one is what some places look like during the siesta. (People refer to the nap as a siesta, and also call the time period right after lunch the siesta.)

Ernesto "Che" Guevara

Have you ever seen this picture? Maybe you have and it was on a t-shirt just like this one.

This is a picture of Ernesto "Che" Guevara [air-nest-oh tchay gae-vahr-ah; commonly referred to just as "Che"]. Did you know that Che is Argentine? He sure is; he was born in Rosario in 1928 and studied medicine. However, his fame came not through medicine, but through socialist revolution. He was a communist and supported revolutions as a way to bring about more social equality. He helped Fidel Castro win in Cuba's revolution of 1959 and travelled to various places in Europe, Africa, and Latin America to promote his ideas of reform. While he never seemed to try to implement his revolutionary ideas in his native Argentina, he is one of the most famous Argentines and one of the most influential Argentines (and Latin Americans) of the twentieth century.

While he was captured and executed in Bolivia in 1967 while trying to promote a socialist revolution there, his legacy lives all over the world among those people who feel that social injustice can be cured by communism. Whether you agree with Che or not, it is impossible to deny that this Argentine has had a very profound influence on Latin America and many other parts of the world. Here are some pictures of Che and his influence. The first is Che with Fidel Castro. The second is of a memorial to Che in Havana, Cuba. Its inscription says Hasta la victoria siempre, which means essentially "always until the victory." This indicates his belief of a need to always continue the fight against injustice until the victory is won. The last picture is of a wall painting of the famous Che picture in a poor neighborhood in Mendoza, Argentina. His face as well as quotes of his appear on walls all over the country.

Fun Facts

Did you know that there are almost forty million people in Argentina? Or did you know that 2 percent of Argentina's population is Jewish? How about the fact that English, French, German, or Italian is spoken by many Argentines in addition to Spanish? What do you think about how all Argentines over eighteen must vote? If you knew some of these fun facts, then you know more than most people about Argentina. These and many other tasty tidbits of information are available in one comprehensive Web site: the CIA's The World Factbook.


With a detailed map (shown above), information on the Argentine flag, numerous statistics on all sorts of issues, important names and dates, a category on international disputes, and much more, Argentina's section in The World Factbook has most everything you want to know about Argentina. Click here to go to the site. Spend a few minutes getting lost in the immense amount of information.


Here are a few more pieces of information to get you interested.

• Argentina is a little less than 30 percent the size of the US.


• The highest and lowest points of elevation in the Western Hemisphere are in Argentina.


• There are more women than men in Argentina.


• About 97 percent of the adult population is literate.


• Argentina trades with Brazil (in both imports and exports) more than any other country.


• There are 1,381 airports in Argentina.

Check out The World Factbook to find out more!

Los días feriados

Los días feriados [lohs dee-uhs fair-eeah-doss; "holidays"] are special days for Argentines like holidays are important for us here in the United States. Something different about Argentina is that many streets, towns, and neighborhoods are named after these dates. It would be like naming a street in your hometown "4th of July." This might happen in the US (or happen more frequently with names like "Independence" or "Freedom"), but it is much more common in Argentina. See the post below about Avenida 9 de julio. Here are some holidays that Argentines celebrate (other than the same holidays we celebrate here in the US as well, like Christmas and Easter). Most of this information is from Wikipedia's article called "Public holidays in Argentina."

25 de mayo (May 25): This day commemorates the beginning of the revolution in 1810.

20 de junio (June 20): Flag day; this is the anniversary of the death of the flag's creator.

9 de julio (July 9): On this day in 1816 Argentina declared its independence.

21 de septiembre (September 21): This is students' day; the first day of spring, a time to be outdoors!

12 de octubre (October 12): This is Columbus Day, but more celebrated in Argentina.

Since the seasons are reversed, many of Argentina's holidays are different from ours. For example, can you imagine a Christmas with 100-degree weather? But these are still times for Argentines to enjoy time with their families and with good food. Here are some of the tasty barbecue delights that one might eat on any holiday.

El Tango

Have you ever heard of the tango? It originated in Argentina and is there called el tango [elle tahn-goh]. While it is not as popular outside of Buenos Aires, it is a symbol of Argentina. Watch these videos to see how it is done. To learn more about the steps and other aspects of the Argentine tango, check out this article.

Conquest of the Desert

In the late 1800s, Argentine politicians sought progress similar to the US and European countries. This meant that the government encouraged immigration and investment from European countries. These politicians, called "liberals," wanted more land in the center of Argentina for growth and development for these foreign workers and companies. To do this, a few military leaders like future president Julio Roca [who-lyo row-ka] led in the 1870s and 1880s the "Conquest of the Desert," a military campaign to move natives off the land in preparation for foreigners. Many natives were killed or migrated to other parts of the country or continent. This is a picture of General/President Roca.

This represents a sad time in Argentine history when many peoples and their cultures were exterminated. Roca has monuments to him, streets named after him, and other honors. He did other things while president that make him popular, but he is certainly not seen as a villain. This represents an important aspect of Argentine culture. Argentina has often eaten better and been richer than most other South American countries. Because of the European heritage, many Argentines have very light skin (see the pictures in the post below about Argentines in the NBA).

Because of this heritage, a feeling of superiority comes to Argentines and many other Hispanics of European heritage throughout Latin America. Traditionally the whiter a person is, the more opportunities and privileges he or she will have. Therefore, Argentina has often been a country that tries to look to Europe and not the rest of Latin America, often making others in the region roll their eyes. In any case, the "Conquest of the Desert" represents an ideal that still exists today in many Argentines' mind: the lighter the skin the better and the more opportunity for progress.

The Art of Molina Campos

Florencio Molina Campos [floor-ens-yo moh-lee-nah cahm-poss] is perhaps the best Argentine artist at depicting the life of inland Argentina and the gauchos [gow-choss]. With exaggerated facial expressions and other characteristics, Campos sought to depict the life not of the porteños [poor-tai-nyoss; which means "people from the city of Buenos Aires"]. Instead Campos sought to recreate the daily, and often boring life of those in Argentina's pampas [pahm-pass] or plains. During Campos' life (early twentieth century), the gauchos lived off of the open land by raising cattle, drinking mate [mah-tey], and enjoying the slow pace of the pampas. Look at these paintings by Campos and see how he depicted life in the Argentine pampas during the first half of the twentieth century. His art is helpful in seeing what life was and still is like for many Argentines away from the skyscrapers and busy avenues. Check out this Web site to see more. While the site is in Spanish, you can search around and see many more paintings.