HOME!!

We made it back to NY/NJ on time this morning (6AM), tired and cold but healthy and with all of our luggage intact. Now everyone has dispersed back to campus or to the homes of family or friends, most to sleep or prepare for Monday's classes, but a few have to work (RA training or meetings on campus). Either way, I'm sure we'll all sleep well tonight. The temperature in NJ is a shock and we miss Buenos Aires and all we have come to love about it; however, it is good to be home.

Students handed in journals and evaluations at the airport and will soon meet in a reunion to share photographs and start working on pulling together their papers. There are a few more lectures and re-entry activities to come, but on-site part of the program is over so this is the last entry of the bog. Thanks for reading it and following our adventures! We hope you all get the chance to visit Argentina and check out some of the things this blog describes.
Sandra Jamieson .............. &.............. Jonathan Golden
Professor of English ...........................Assistant Professor of Religion
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And a few final images to remember the trip by . . .

January 23, 2008

Today students worked on their research papers by visiting different parts of the city pertaining to their topic. One group went to LaBoca to see the the Boca Junior Soccer Stadium, others went to see the Plaza de Mayo Mothers, and one went to AMIA. Of course, there were some students who just spent the day relaxing or completing their last minute shopping in places like Palermo and Avenida Florida among other places.

I spent my day by taking the stadium/museum tour of Boca Junior Stadium. We were able to take pictures on the field! We went into the local team´s locker rooms, press conference room, and the infamous blue and yellow bleachers. After the stadium tour, we visited the adjacent musuem that displayed large photographs and even a statue of Maradona. They showed a dvd based on La Boca team´s history, and proudly displayed all their victory cups. Afterwards, some of us went to el Caminito to eat pasta at El Estufa.

Jonathan then accompanied me (Vicky) to the cemetary in Recoletta to see if there is a pattern of certain ethnicities buried near one part of the cemetary. I also went to look at the dates of deaths to compare them with statistics of the immigration process. Interestingly enough, the map vendor and a worker I spoke to said that Eva Peron has never been taken out of her tomb, and that the only people that can get in the tomb is the Duarte family who holds the key-the only possible way to get in.

Joanna returned to San Talmo to experiance the folk culture of the city and take puctures of grafitti for my research paper. In San Talmo on week days there are street venders sitting in the square sipping Maté and working on their crafts. Here I (Joanna) baught guifts for my family and talked to the locals about their feeling on grafitti. Most just told me that they did not have an opinion on the political stencils spraypainted on the walls of the city; however, one man told me that he did not like it but could not expain why. I found the locals to be quite friendly and eager hang out and chat. We sat and talked, exchanging jokes while they showed me how they did their crafts. I found the people I interacted with to be quite charming. This experiance was unique because I was treated as a friend not a tourist with a wallet. I am very pleased with my adventure today and am glad that I got to further experience the local culture.

--Victoria and Joanna

01-22-08

Today´s lecture by Alicia Bernasconi, the General Secretary of CEMLA, gave a specific overview of immigration to Argentina in both the past and present. Yesterday, Bernasconi´s lecture focused more on Italian immigration while this lecture gave us a thorough review of the history of Argentine immigration as a whole. She explained the factors that influenced European immigrants to come to Argentina as well as those that forced them from their homelands. Bernasconi also made comparisons between immigration to Argentina and America which is something that we were able to relate to our trip to Ellis Island.

After the lecture, we had a brief lunch and headed to a British country club about a half hour outside of Buenos Aires. We were greeted by the granddaughter of a member of the country club who graciously gave us a tour and discussed the significance and impact of British immigration on Argentina. She explained the importance of several key British figures on Argentine social and economic life. We were surprised to learn that six of the Argentine presidents had British blood including, in the words of our lecturer, ¨the famous husband of Evita,¨ Peron. It was also interesting how she noted that the British people do not ever leave their homeland, but instead ¨carry it with them in their baggage.¨ One of the most important aspects of British life that the immigrants never left behind was their passion for soccer, which was introduced to Argentina in 1857. After this lecture, we were able to see how the British influence remains in Argentine culture today.
--- Tiara, Marie, and Lara

January 21: CEMLA and the Italian Influence in Argentina

Today, January 21, we visited CEMLA, Center of Italian American Migratory Studies, which is located in an old British building where sailors would stay when sailing from Britain. We heard a lecture conducted by Alicia Bernasconi, and it was titled: ¨Argentina, A Land of Immigration and presence in Argentina.¨

Italians have been one of the most influential migrant groups in Argentina. 11.5% out of a population of 26 million migrated to Argentina between 1876 and 1976 mostly from southern Italy.

Many Italians went to Argentina to start a new life in a ¨new world.¨Between 1850 to 1880, the large group of immigrants began to build their own Italian community which inlcuded labor organizations, which protected the workers´essential needs such as health care, work, and burial services. In addition, communities formed in urban and rural areas mainly in Sante Fe, Buenos Aires, Cordoba, and Mendoza. Alicia Bernasconi also mentioned her own personal story about how she considered herself mostly Argentine even though her grandmother migrated from Italy.

Alicia´s lecture helped us make connections between Italian migration and the influence it has had on the Argentina community. In our predeparture course as well as in Buenos Aires we have read and viewed first hand the Italian influence on the culture here in Argentina. Whether it bet he lingual intonation, or the pasta and pizza offerred on almost every menu Italian culture is every, it is a way of life for the people of Argentina.

We have noticed that today there are no seperate immigrant groups, Italians and other groups like the British, and Jewish community seem blended under one Argentine identity. These groups have assimiliated into an Argentine identity without forgetting their origins.

Throughout our trip we have encountered other examples this single Argentine identity. In the beginning of the trip on our bus tour on Sunday, January 6th, our tour guide mentioned that there is an abundance of Italian food in Buenos Aires, but it´s not considered Italian food here, it is considered a part of the daily Argentine diet. Argentina is essentially a country filled with many cultural practices and beliefs, but are all unified under one country name.

After the lecture people explored Buenos Aires more, worked on their research projects, or enjoyed the warm weather.

- Carley, Lydia, and Cayley

January 20th: Faces of Argentina

This was a day that tested all of our patience and flexibility. We departed Hotel Quirinale at 3pm, almost 5 hours after the original departure time due to bus malfunction. Everyone was able to enjoy a few extra hours in Colon around the pool and in the sun.

Upon departure we drove approximately 50 minutes to Palacio San Jose, Residencia del General Justo Jose de Urquiza. The property was incredibly green and beautifully decorated. Acres and acres of green grass encompass the huge palace. The rooms were decorated to fit the 19^th century style which was really interesting, for we were able to get a sense of what the lives were like for people at that point in history.

One particularly area was the room that Urquiza was assassinated in. A tall shrine is placed in his memory as well as flowers and leaves to commemorate the place where he lost his life. The bullet shells still remain the walls surrounding the area where Urquiza died, which shows the reality and severity of the situation.

Many famous people stayed in Palacio San Jose, included one of Argentina´s greatest presidents, philanthropist, and environmentalists, Sarmiento. You can see his bed and part of his room behind us in this picture.

On January 13^th’s trip to El Tigre one can see a different way of life for Sarmiento. In viewing Sarmiento’s summer house on the river we saw a side of Argentina’s president that conveys a simplicity and generosity to nature and education that is rarely seen in the upper class. This lifestyle does not reflect the eloquent place in which he stayed. It must have felt different to go from a modest house at El Tigre to the palace of General Urquiza.

Once we left the palace our journey to Buenos Aires continued. Even with the dimming light of the setting sun one could not help but notice another dichotomy, very similar to that of Sarmiento’s varying lifestyles. Seeing similar how the city of Buenos Aires is to Paris, and recognizing its uniqueness when compared to other Latin American cities, may confuse anyone as they make their way out of the city because of the apparent change in setting. There is an alteration from a European influence/ lifestyle to the traditional Latin American scenery with open fields and livestock. One can see the two faces of Argentina. A country of mixed and vast European influence in an urban setting, but outside the city one is reminded that Argentina is a Latin American country filled with grassy planes and fresh air all of which provide a great agriculture contribution to South America.

- Javier and Cayley

January 19, 2008- Museo Judio de Entre Rios

It does not take two days to notice the difference between urban and rural life in Argentina. However, having been in Entre Rios for two days now, the differences add up and become even clearer. Today we visited Concordia, two hours away from our new nest in Colon. It is the third largest city in Entre Rios. Due to the citrus crisis suffered by many farmers in the early 90´s, the town was struck with more poverty that is still evident today.

On our way to the Museo Judio de Entre Rios (Jewish Museum of Entre Rios), a museum which has just been inaugurated and open specifically for us on this Saturday, we saw dirt roads, shacks for homes, and no clear sign that it was once a large agricultural producer. As we learned in class, the economic crisis of 2001 only made the poor people of Argentina poorer. As shown in the documentary ¨Empty ATM¨or in the movie ¨Buena Vida Delivery¨the residents seemed like people just trying to survive in what was once one of South America´s most expensive countries. Instead, the outskirts of the rural area is in constant construction, so much so that our guide Sebastian described it as ¨so ongoing that it celebrates a birthday every year.¨ We didn't see the family in this picture, but we saw poverty like this. (You can find the image at http://www.proteger.org.ar/doc452.html, where you can also read about poverty like this in Entre Rios and Sante Fe Provinces).

In contrast, the museum we visited today was in the center of Concordia, miles away from the poor children playing with dirty rocks and closer to what seems like an economic recovery. The purpose of the musuem as described by the guide is to preserve history through elements like education, and to explain how, why and where the Jewish immigrants came. The difference between this and other musuems was that it did not strive to collect artifacts simply to store them and call it history, but rather to incorporate history with personal experience, like those of the musuem administrator and others like him. We saw some images similar to others we have seen at the Museo de los Inmigrantes on January 11th -- such as the packed cars that carried the immigrants and their luggage to their new destination, but also a lot f new images tracing what happened to Jewish immigrants after they left Buenos Aires.

because all these people did not change their perspectives, just as the Jewish did not have to give up all their traditions in order to reside in Argentina. They did have to change their language and clothes, and learn to drink mate, but it was said that the Gaucho Judios were not traumatized by change because their situation was better -- especially since moving was constant for those who were also sent to other colonies to learn how to work the land.The museum was created and funded by a doctor who lived in Concordia and had previously been imprisoned in the Auschwitz concentration camp. The museum administrator narrated the story of the Jewish immigrants except that he added anecdotes such as about how he had to also ride on a horse for 10 km to get to school in the morning. Unlike the other museums, there was also a panel of great thinkers, philanthropists, and infamous people that represent the idea that every man and woman with different perspectives and religions can live in harmony. They included Enstein, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King (Happy Birthday), Pope John Paul II, among others. I think this was particularly interesting.

At the end, the most intersting photographs were on display. An Israeli photographer who was sent to Asia, Europe, U.S., and South America photgraphed how the Jewish live now. Some still lived in very poor, rural areas in Israel, Uzbekistan and Yemen, still preserving hundreds of books. In other pictures, children were shown happily in modern schools, living in better conditions. Others in the U.S. and Colorado were part of the Army, Fire House and Singing ensambles, among other professions. It showned the variety of cultures that the Jewish belong to, but how they manage to maintain their traditions irrespective to their living coniditions and generations.

Coming home from the museum, the group was given the rest of the day to relax and enjoy our last night in Entre Rios. While most of the group went to the pool to catch the last bits of sun and swimming, some enjoyed a night at the spa. It was a nice experience because this was a spa that was not in the United States. For only 66 pesos, which is about equivlant to 22 American dollars, you got an hour-long, relaxing facial. Although, we have never experienced a facial in the United States, we knew what they have consisted of and the very costy prices they can range from. The facial started off with different lotions, exfoliants, and astringments followed by facial massages. Then the facial specialist would gently squeeze out any facial imprefections. The final process ended with a facial masque and rinse. It was well worth the pesos and the experience. This is definitely recommended to others!!!

- Victoria Aguirre, Nicole Avella y Alexis Webb ;)

¨Yo no soy el otro, pero no puedo ser sin el otro¨- Levinas

¨I m not the other, but I can´t be without the other¨

¨No hay camino para la paz, la paz es el camino¨- Ghandi

¨There is no path to peace, peace is the path¨

January 18: Villa Clara

Today we were going to visit some of the agricultural colonies of the Jewish immigrants. Unfortunately, the rain prevented us from visiting the first colony, as the vans were unable to safely travel down the muddy road. The decision was made for safety purposes, not to continue on, but to quickly visit Villa Clara, another Jewish colony as to give us a taste of colony life. In Villa Clara, we visited the first Synagogue, which was built in 1912. This synagogue serves the local Jewish population of one hundred people, who visit the synagogue to celebrate holidays.

After visiting the synagogue, we went to the visit the original train station of Villa Clara, which now serves as a museum to preserve the history of the small Jewish colony. We noticed that the railroad there reminded us of the opening to Wolfgang Shaeffner´s movie on Moiseville. Both are now abandoned, but contain remnants of their past usage, such as signs and the original building. The inside contained original town documents and artefacts, focusing primarily on the agricultural purpose of the community. There was even room dedicated to gaucho tools and pictures.

Following the tour, we headed back to the hotel. On Bus #1, an axel broke and we all had to return to the hotel on the other bus while the first one got fixed. Because of our lack of transportation, we were unable to visit Basavilbaso, another Jewish agricultural community. Instead, we got a free afternoon by the pool. Some of us went shopping, others caught up on sleep or went to the beach on the River Uruguay. For dinner, we went to the port and ate at a small café, El Faro.

--Samantha, Lisa, and Marie

January 17: Colon, Entre Rios

Today, after waking up to 6am to finish packing for Entre Rios. At 8am, we boarded buses and began our 5 hour journey to Colon. The drive through the pampas, a type of plain with palm trees, farms, and animals, was a total change from the city we had been living in for 2 weeks. Throughout the journey the scenery changed from barren land to plush forest-like areas with palm trees and shrubs. Most people had slept a majority of the time there since we had gotten up so early.

We knew we had arrived at Colon when we saw the River Uruguay. From our hotel, Uruguay is only a couple hundred meters across the river. The Hotel Quirinale is well decorated and surrounded by beautiful scenery. There is even a pool, which we have all been looking forward to using. After getting our rooms, we went to lunch in town, where we also got a tour of a historical wine cellar. We got back to the hotel and had a lecture on Jewish immigration. Something we learned that we found interesting was that although the population of the Entre Rios province was almost 300,000 in 1895, the European population was only 35,000. This is because the peak years of immigration had yet to occur, and immigrants were just beginning to move to the pampas.

Following the lecture, we went to the Museo de la Colonia San Jose and the cathedral that was there. The Museo focused on immigration and displayed artifacts of life in the colonies, such as branding tools and clothes. The cathedral was a lot more simple than many we have been to, but it was probably one of the most enjoyable. This has much to do with the administrator of the cathedral´s excitement over our visit. After telling us about the history, he took us up to the balcony and played Silent Night for us on the organ. He sang in Spanish while some of us sang along in English. We thought this was a touching display of his passion for sharing his traditions and culture with others.

After this long day, we finally came back to the hotel to go swimming, relax, and have pizza. Hopefully this will be a welcomed break from the city!!

-- Samantha and Tiara

January 16: Finding Jewish Identity

Today we had the pleasure of listening to our own professor, Jonathan Golden, give a lecture entitled ¨Conversos, Crypto-Jews, and New Christians.¨ This was incredibly enlightening for the three of us considering we had minimal previous knowledge on this subject. Jonathan´s lecture offered us a preface to the lecture that we received yesterday by Anita Weinstein. Jonathan introduced his lecture offering background information regarding the Jewish people. He emphasized the severity of the Inquisition and how it paralleled the Holocaust. A prominent part of Jonathan´s lecture was the notion of being Jewish and finding one´s identity. As we have explored throughout this course, defining identity is a complex task.

He described various Latino-Jewish groups throughout the world. Each of these groups practiced different variations of the same rituals according to their varying beliefs, but they had the common thread of being Jewish and suffering persecution. Jonathan conducted ethnographies throughout these communities. As a result of these ethnographies, Jonathan observed ¨historical memory.¨ Our identity is a reflection of what we choose to remember, what has been passed down from generation to genaration through oral history and information from literature. All of these aspects perpetuate the knowledge of history.

Throughout the literature and the films that we have read, we have come to realize the notion of ¨historical memory¨ is practiced within the Argentine community in that many Argentines are not informed of their own history. Although ¨historical memory¨ focuses on what is chosen to be remembered and what is not, institutions serve as ¨living history¨to preserve the tradition and accurate memory of a specific group. This was seen at the Libertad Temple through sacred documents, Jewish immigration, legal papers, menorahs, and torahs, which are all significant aspects of Jewish identity.

All in all, it was a very informative and educational day regarding Jewish culture and its presence in Latin America. Jonathan mentioned a quote that sums up the search for identity that we have discussed throughout the semester. ¨We are often defined not by who we are, but by who we are not.¨

-Johanna, Lisa, Lara







Posted by Johanna C at 6:07 PM

January 15: Shall We Dance?

Today we had a lecture on the immigration of Judaism to Argentina. The lecturer, Anita Weinstein, was the director of AMIA. Her talk touched upon famous Argentinean Jews as well as important Argentinean communities since the founding of Argentina. Important places and names to remember are: Moisesville (town that started the Jewish Agricultural movement in the South), Palacio, the Levy family, Hirsch, etc… She also discussed the Nazi’s coming to Argentina during Peron’s era at which point there was a lot of anti-Semitism which continued into the 1970’s with the Desaparacidos, after which there was a period of peace amongst the Jews and the rest of the Argentinean population. This lasted until the Israeli embassy attacks and the bombing of AMIA. Although it is unknown who these attacks were caused by, it is theorized that they were related to Islamic supremacist groups outside of Argentina. The Argentinean public felt the repercussions as a whole, much like we felt the repercussions of the attacks on 9/11 as a whole. Because people of all backgrounds were killed in the explosions, there was much more solidarity in support of the Jewish community. It is beautiful to see how much a country can change over a given period of time. It must also be noted that although Argentina has the second highest Jewish population in Latin America and the sixth highest in the world there are only about 250,000 Jews in Argentina. However, they have high visibility from being heavily involved in every occupation including medicine, art, music, and especially writing.

We were also taken to learn the famous Argentine dance of the Tango. At first I was a bit nervous because I had no experience what so ever but, I think I can speak for the group when I say that the interest of learning was immense. We were given a class for two hour in which the men were separated from the women to learn the basic steps that are needed to dance. As we got a hang of the eight step routine it was just a matter of practice and time that made Tango a part of our lives. When the lesson was over we were treated to a show with professional Tango dancers, singers, and musicians, which was worth every penny to watch.

After the show Karina and I discussed certain topics of how we could relate the day’s activity in our blog. We came up with the idea that Tango paralleled to Argentina in its existence. For example it is known around the world that Argentina is very different from other South American countries. With its vast European and Jewish immigration that entered the country, the Argentine people are structured upon a mix of hundreds of different heritages and cultures. Tango is similar because there is no recollection of the origin of this passionate dance. All that can be said is that it contains characteristics from many different dances ranging from African to European. So Tango and Argentina are the result of mix of traditions and customs that became the identity of a group of people named, Argentineans.

We also discussed Tango as a tourist attraction. The identity of Argentina is represented through tango to the rest of the world. It embraces all the aforementioned qualities and it is one of the few things known to the rest of the world as distinctly Argentinean. It is an amalgamation not something brought over from another country. It is then packaged for the tourists. At a show, it seems as though Argentineans are seldom found. It seems as though they embrace it while at the same time they are used to it.

-Karina and Javier

La Virgen Lujan and la Estancia

Hi everyone!

Today we went to the Cathedral at Lujan. The Virgin of Lujan is the patron saint of Argentina and of travelers. We saw this image in all the train stations on the way to El Tigre yesterday wishing travelers a good voyage, and today she was the main attraction of the cathedral. People stood in front of the alter raising their keys to her and to the priest for blessings. It's interesting to see how culture effects religion because in most Catholic churches Jesus and/or Mary is usually the focal point in the front of the church, whereas in this cathedral, the image of the Virgin of Lujan is the main attraction. Jesus and Mary are almost secondary with their likenesses off to the side. (It should be noted, that we don't really understand if the Virgin of Lujan is an image of Mary found in the town of Lujan or if she is an entirely different saint.)

On a completely different note, we left Lujan for an estancia which is the Argentinean equivalent of a ranch; however the estancia we went to was more like a resort. It had two pools, a restaurant, soccer and volleyball fields. The idea that was portrayed of an estancia was nothing like the one we saw. As opposed to a cowboy ranch with rustic corrals and bonfires, we encountered tiki umbrellas and a bar. The land was beautiful, green and lush with llamas and sheep, but the most rustic thing we did was ride a carriage on a dirt road into the main area. Even the restaurant reminded me of a restaurant in the city except for the homemade bread. However, it was a fabulous day relaxing and spending time with everyone. More than during any of the lectures or museum tours we've taken, the time we spent relaxing in the pool or playing soccer together was more of a bonding experience. Sebastian also stated that the estancia is not a fully running farm any longer. They only grow enough vegetables and harvest enough cattle to manage the restaurant which is solely based on tourism not cultural rememberance.

All in all, it was a relaxing and enjoyable day.
-Hadiyah and Karina

El Tigre

Heyy :)
Today we went to El Tigre. The group met at 12 and walked to the Retiro train staton. On the way to Tigre we took two trains, one to Mitre and then we took the coastal train to Tigre. The journey was very similar to riding the train in New York because there were not enough seats for everyone to be able to sit. The train took over an hour to get to the delta, but it was well worth the wait. On the way there, it was nice to be able to check out some of the scenery, especially in a foreign country. It was definitely a different experience to be able to travel on these means of transportation.

Once we arrived in El Tigre we had to wait for a boat. We were originally going to be on a boat with many other people and tourists; however, we got lucky and were able to have our own private boat. Because we had the private boat, we were able to get a better view of everything. We could move from the deck upstairs, where we were able to catch some of the rays from the sun as well as see everything or we could sit downstairs where it was cooler and get a great view from the window. The scenery was amazing! The water did not look so clean but many people were swimming in it. We also saw many boats, including a boat that carried groceries. People canoe in this river as well as do many other things. We saw people who spend much time sitting in front of the river and watch the boats pass.

There is so much to do and see around El Tigre. There were many houses that were built around the river and pretty trees and plants. The boat ride lasted for about an hour and after that we were given time to explore the area. Many people went to eat at some of the restaurants in the area while others explored the shops and sat in the grass enjoying the area. Toward the end of the day, everyone met up and we all took the train back to the hotel. This time, we did not have to switch to another train!
-Nicole

El Tigre (Follow Up)

Hey guys, just following up on what Nicole posted a little earlier..

Today we did get to enjoy a relaxing boat ride along the river of El Tigre. But like Nicole said, before we could get to the boat, we had to take two trains. What was really interesting about the trains was the way they moved. Thanks to Sandra acting like a tourguide, we learned that in the United States the trains run on the right side of the track, while here in Argentina they are on the left (meaning they are on opposite sides of the tracks, if the way I am typing this makes any sense.) Argentina railroad tracks are similar to those of the UK because the British built the railroads.

Anyways, when we finally did get to the boat, Nicole pretty much summed up a lot of the things we did see, and from all the activities we witnessed I am guessing this is generally the normal activities of a summer Sunday. But in my opinion, the greatest thing we saw today was Sarmiento´s house, which was actually being preserved by being surrounded by a glass bubble. He was a writer of one of the articles we read this past semester as well as being president and the "father" of Argentine education. But, once again, Sandra had passed down the stories she had heard from a tour she had went on two years ago. She told us that the damp from the river could damage Sarmiento´s house, which is made of wood. That is why it needs to be preserved in that glass bubble. Many years back, he planted weeping willows and pine trees along the water band because the floods would come up and flood everything and wash away the river bank. The roots of these plants would absorb the water and reduce the flood damage. Also, right next door, I am pretty sure I saw a museum where I guess people could tour. I just thought he was a really cool and smart person and it was great to see his house.

Anyways, without repeating the rest of Nicole´s blog, I´ll just end here..

Night guys!
alexis =)

January 12th, 2008

Today we returned to La Boca, originally Buenos Aires' Little Italy, for a museum tour, a tenement visit and some local shopping and dinning. La Boca, the mouth, feeds into Rio de la Plata and was at one point a huge port for incoming ships. This area of the city is full of metal sheeted houses that were decorated with the left over paint from the houses, making the main street, El Caminto, extremely colorful--full of tourists, tango dancers, and souvenir shops. The Quinquela Martin gallery, located at the beginning of La Boca, displays Martin's artwork, much of which consists of brightly colored ships and lively people immigrating into the city. The gallery was also home to many figureheads from old ships, sculptures, and a replica of Martin's living quarters. The rooftop view was picturesque and allowed us to see the top of La Boca in its entirety.

After a quick break for lunch--which ranged from classic Argentine food to Italian cuisine--we headed to Celia Chevalier's art gallery, as well as a tour of her restored Conventillo (tenement). Chevalier paints from her memories as a child when she first arrived to Buenos Aires. Her bright colors and water based paints capture classic Argentina as she remembers it--full of life and flourishing spontaneity. Her paintings ranger from herself as a little girl to angles dancing tango and watching over the city. Chevalier walked us through her paintings, giving us explanations along the way and then she showed us her studio and restored tenement, which looked quite spaces and comfortable in comparison to the tenements on the Lower East Side in Manhattan.

Our gallery tours today enhanced our understanding of the lives of new comers and early immigrants to Buenos Aires. The Italian influence, in what is known as the city's Italian neighborhood, is not overpowering, and almost flies under the radar unless you are specifically looking for it. At first glance La Boca is a sight for tourists who are attracted by the bright colors and the street performers, but as one delves deeper into this part of town and moves passed the painted buildings, a true sense of life can be capture. Life is modest and the streets are not packed with travelers who are helping to boost the economy. Families are struggling to make ends meet and hoping to hold onto the traditions and cultures by which their roots are founded. We were able to see this today as we passed the main strip of El Caminito and walked through the real La Boca neighborhood.

--Hadiyah and Samara

Jan 11th 2008

Today we visited the immigration museum, previously known as "Hotel de Los Immigrantes." While there we received a lecture by documentary filmmaker Wolfgang Schaeffner. He discussed The Moisés Ville Project, a documentary film created to preserve the history of the Jewish settlement at Moisés Ville which is located in the Argentine Provence of Santa Fe. Moisés Ville has undergone many changes since its initial establishment in the early 1900s. The community consisted of Jewish immigrants from Russia, Germany and other Eastern European countries but today is almost completely abandoned. The goal of The Moisés Ville Project is to capture the community as it exists today because Moisés Ville is continually becoming more Argentinian and losing much of its initial Jewish identity.

As Schaeffner`s project works to capture a piece of Jewish immigrant history, the immigration museum also strives to display immigrant history. We found it interesting in contrast to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Both Ellis Island and the Argentine museum presented similar artifacts and photographs, but the Argentine museum`s collection appeared to belimited in what they chose to present. Much of the building is used for storage and while it is opened to the public it is not as well kept or persevered as Ellis Island. It is clear that the museum does not hold as much interest to the local Argentine population as Ellis Island does for many Americans. A few students encountered cab drivers that were unfamiliar with the museum`s location and others that confused the building for today`s immigrant services building. This could be as a result of the majority of Argentines identifying themselves as Argentinian rather than calling themselves ¨Italian-Argentines,¨ or ¨German-Argentines,¨ etc., unlike in the United States where many people identity with their ethnicity. Overall visiting the museum was a worthwhile experience, we were able to obtain new and different perspectives on Argentina`s view of immigration.

After our museum visit many students returned to explore the area around our hotel and relax before the traditional late night dinner.

Melissa and Carley

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comment from Sandra: check out these old images of the Hotel de los Inmigrantes
see images of Moisés Ville here (note: these are not Schaeffner's images)

Thursday Jan 10, 2008

We started off our exciting adventure visiting the three cemeteries: "La Chacarita", "British cemetery", and "Recoletta". The first one we went to, "La Chacarita", had a greater population of people from the low class as well as well known people in Argentina, such as Carlos Gardel, Maria Salome, and the tomb of the Peron Family, excluding Evita. The size of the cemetery was impressive compared to many cemeteries in the United States. In the first and third cemetery, many of the families are buried in tombs with their family members, which shows family unity. The tombs seemed very lavish and expensive due to the family social class before the social economic depression. "The British Cemetery" is very diverse in religion, ethnicity, and social classes which can be seen among their grave structure. Immigration is also expressed in "The British Cemetery" among the grave sites dedicated to the individuals, for example the tombs state the country in which they were born in.
Our afternoon activity consisted of visiting Plaza De Mayo. Since it was a Thursday afternoon we were able to witness the Mothers of the Disappeared walk. Before the walk starts the mothers are set around a table in which they sell books and other items dedicated to their cause and loved ones. The Plaza de Mayo is dedicated to the mothers and their cause even within the floor design, which demonstrates their symbol. As tourist the sadness is felt because these mothers have dedicated their whole life in search of answers of their loved ones and justice. A great population of tourist visit the area during the walk of the mothers, some join in the walk. Walking behind the mothers was sad event, but also a way of showing support and admiration for their dedication. After the walk was complete you were able to feel that you at least made a difference and showed concern even though being a tourist and a visitor in the Argentine country. The mothers then demonstrated their concern not only for their loved lost ones, but for others that live in countries with a corrupt government containing hostages. The mothers also speak about the countries and government they support as association and are also supported by countries such as Venezuela, Colombia (La Fare), and Cuba . Overall today the reflection of our events was in person rather then through a text book. We were able to experience hands on the history and culture of such places and develop our own thoughts and emotions.

- Johanna Cedillo, Yafresie Feliz, Paula Plazas

January 9 2008

Today many members of our group explored the areas around the hotel including the shoping street Florida Ave, the Malvinas memorial, and the British clock tower. A couple of us went to the modern art museum MALBA. Here we saw some facinating controversial pieces by Latin American artists. Later that evening we all went to a "Welcome to Buenos Aires" dinner at the classy Gormet Porteño where we were able to choose from an extensive buffett.

We both explored the MALBA and found it a very worthwhile experience. There we were shocked by an interesting display by a native artist of Buenos Aires, Oscar Bony. Much of his later art were photographs with bulletholes through various aspect of the piece. In one particular display of his he had a picture of the New York skyline in 1996 which he had shoot a bullet through each of the towers of the World Trade Center. Right next to it was a blown up picture of a plane hitting one of the towers on September 11th and a plaque attributing the scene to Osama bin Laden. The caption of the two pieces read, "Fair is foul and foul is fair," from Macbeth. We were very interested in the reactions from people who passed by. Many of them seemed uneffected by it; where as, we were amazed that someone outside the US would feel desire to produce a piece of art about another cultures political turmoil. Overall the trip to the museum was enlightening and an experience that we would suggest to everyone else who missed it.
-- Melissa and Joanna

January 8th, 2008

The itinerary for today was very exciting with many important places we visited. The first event of the day was visiting AMIA ( Jewish Community). Once we arrived to AMIA we were able to discover and analysis more carefully the role of the Jewish community in Argentina. The organization has great monuments that greatly touch upon the visitors. The monuments are contributions not only to the Jewish Community but also the attacks upon the Jewish community. On the tour of AMIA we were able to learn about the different branches of the organization and their mission in Argentina.

After the tour was complete our next event was experiencing the Subte (underground train system), in which we made our way to the Abasto Shopping Center. The mission was for each of us students to buy our own train tickets. The Abasto Shopping Center was absolutely beautiful and large just as many American Malls. Upon arrival we were able to eat at the Kosher McDonald. Then we proceeded to walk around the mall and shop for a couple of hours, especially because of the hot weather we were experiencing outside of about 104 degrees.

After leaving the shopping center we walked past Once and were able to ride on one of the oldest wooden trains, which lead us to Plaza De Mayo. The wooden subway car ride was not at all as dangerous as it may sound. It was just like an antique version of a subway car. The wooden seats were aestically pleasing and we all acted like papparazzi with our excessive, tourist-y photo taking. In Plaza De Mayo we were able to see the Pink House (Presidential House) and many other federal buildings as well. Plaza de Mayo is an absolutely beautiful square. There are many buildings, all of different architectural style, from Parisian to Spanish to Greek. There are many fountains in the plaza and everything looked even better under the beautiful sunny sky. It was a great experience that we were able to travel around Buenos Aires visiting these areas and a way to learn different part of the city and compare based on culture and traditions, like we have learned in class. It is interesting to see how many different sectors of the city are diverse from one another within a couple of blocks.

For dinner we all got together in one of our rooms and had family dinner. Jonathan and some trusty kitchen helpers whipped up a fantastic meal of pasta, homemade pasta sauce, grilled veggies, salad, and sangria. We had so much fun talking and making all of the other hotel residents jealous with the aromas of our tasty meal.

A few thoughts about the day:

Laura: AMIA is a Jewish cultural center that helps Jewish Argentineans in many ways. They are the most suvvessful employment networking agency in Argentina, which has been very important since the economic crash. In addition to this, they work on continuing Jewish traditions, especailly in the provinces where people are very spread out. AMIA organizes these citizens for cultural festivals and other events. The organization receives funding from the United States, Canada, Israel, and individuals and private organizations. In 1994, AMIA was bombed. Eighty-five people were, killed, including employees and non-employees at AMIA as well as people walking by on the street. The organization sees the attack as an attack not only on Argetina´s Jewish population, but on Argentina itself, since so many people of different backgrounds were killed. There is a beautiful memorial in the building which I would recommend readers view here: http://www.amia.org.ar/amia3d.html . It is hard to describe without seeing it, but it was a very moving exhibit.

Yafresie: The tour of AMIA was very interesting and ended up being completely different from what I was expecting. I thought the building only concentrated on the events that happened and the individuals who lost their lives from pass attacks on the Jewish Community. From the beginning of the tour I was impressed by the monuments that are displayed. The structures that reflected the diverse images, was something that I found interesting since it incorporated a lot of symbolism and meaning. The monument that I was very touched by, was the plaque honoring the missing Jews. I felt that the monument reflected a lot of memory and sentiment. The way in which it reflected life, death and the disappeared. The tour was helpful in discovering what AMIA is really like and all the services the organization provides in Argentina.

Yafresie: It was a great experience to see what a large shopping mall is like in Argentina and the type of fashion and clothing that is available.

Laura: The mall was interesting and I got good deals on some clothes, but I would have been happier outside. I don´t mind the high heat because it reminds me of home (California) in the summer...although having to shower every evening after our days´activities is sometimes a pain.

Yafresie Feliz & Laura Zolnoski

January 7th, 2008

This morning we had our orientation with the company we are working with, the Institute for the International Education of Students, or IES. We were given a general overview of Buenos Aires, and some of the fun facts they included in their presentation (as well as my comments about them) follow. Argentina’s economic crisis led to a huge boom in tourism because of the now-excellent exchange rate. Although the crash of the economy is such an unfortunate event, I completely see how this is true – we have all been thrilled about how inexpensive everything is here! For example, yesterday I purchased a pair of sandals that cost $30 in the United States for $25 pesos, or about $8 US…crazy! In the summer, the city is half empty and therefore less crowded. However, we probably never would have known this, because except on Sundays, people are always out in the streets shopping, walking from place to place, or enjoying a good meal. Another thing we all have noticed is that there are a much lesser number of overweight people here. This is probably because of a healthier lifestyle including eating less processed food and more natural exercise such as walking from place to place. Portenos, or citizens of Buenos Aires, eat lunch in the late afternoon and a super-late dinner – at around 10-12 at night. Bars open at 1am, and discos aren’t happening until 3! I absolutely love their schedule, and all the group members seem to be adjusting to this very well. Perhaps this is contributed to the sun setting later, since it is summer here, as well as the Latin American heat that lasts all night – it’s wonderful!

Something I was not so happy about was that Buenos Aires´ soccer team, the Boca Juniors, has relocated to the beach for their summer break. I was so looking forward to attending a game, but if we see one it will be that of a smaller club team. I love watching soccer, so at least it’s something, but I am bummed I won’t be able to witness the craziness of the Boca fans on this trip.

After our orientation, we had a lecture about the general history of Argentina with Professor Klaus Gallo. I enjoyed this lecture because it summed up both our pre-departure course for this trip and my Latin American History class that I took last semester. One of the things he mentioned that we all found interesting was related to the history of Argentina as well as the present: the Spanish spoken in Buenos Aires is heavily influenced by the Italians.The use broad hand gestures usually associated with Italians, and their vocabulary is Itailanized. Although many people would call this an Argentine accent, it is actually only the accent of Buenos Aires.

After our lecture with Professor Gallo, we received our cell phones. IES requires us to have one for safety reasons, but I was just happy to learn that my mom could call me at no cost to me (just sky high rates, we assume, from home). We all asked lots of questions about waht we would be charged, because it is very expensive to use call phones in Argentina.
In the afternoon most of us showered, rested, worked on our journals, or explored the area around the hotel. We got to know each other better over a late and long dinner, of which I can´t wait to have many of while we are here!
Laura Zolnoski

Paula: Today I.E.S. was a great experience, we have many resources here and an amazing staff where we can ask all different type of questions and learn about Argentina from an Argentine native. One of the presentations explained all the policys and suggestions to have a safe and fun active time here in Argentina. At I.E.S. we learned that we can come here from 10am to 4pm and use the computers, television to watch original Argentine films, and even a whole floor where we can paint and relax! I love to paint and that made me really happy, but then again I do not think I will have time to come down and paint, there are way too many places I want to explore so I won´t be painting here! The I.E.S. staff also gave us great tips of places to visit and places to visit at night time!! We learned that the night life here in Argentina does not start until about one am and ends around seven am, that is crazy, back at home I will be sleeping at seven am. They also gave us great restaurants to visit and told us what is their specialy food, steak.

What was very interesting today, on our trip to I.E.S. was hearing all the different accents of people speaking in Spanish. I am fluent in Spanish but I still find it hard sometimes to understand what some people are saying. It is incredible how many different cultures are living in one area where their next door neighboors speak Portuguese and others speak other dialects of Spanish. I learned that the Portenos have different accents from other sections of Argentina, just like in the United States where people from Texas speak with a different accent from people from New Jersey!

In the afternoon we had a very informing lecture on Argentine history. It is amazing how now we are learning about the history of Argentina stragith from the source and not from readings made from non Argentine writers. It was pretty cool listening to the professor speak with his kind of Germen\English accent!! We learned a lot about Argentinas history in an hour and a half. It was pretty interesting to learn about Argentina history coming from an Argentine historian. J.M. Ross, Sarmiento, Mitle, Alberli and Echererra were very important characters in the history of Argentina. National Identity was another very important theme in his lecture, this was also a very important theme in our pre-departure course. National Identity seems to be brought up in most of the readings and films we watched, as well as here when we listen to people durring lectures and while we visit musiums.

Paula Plazas

January 6th, 2008

Our first full day in Buenos Aires was quite eventful. We met up with Sebastian, our International Educational Services coordinator, who will be here throughout the trip to help guide us through the city. His associate, Fernando accompanied Sebastian and the rest of the Drew group as our tour guide for a bus tour around various hot spots of Buenos Aires. Through this tour we gained a sense of BA history and foundation, along with an understanding of the community and its cultural diversity. On our tour we were able to see some of the more popular monuments and sites, such as Casa Rosada, the president's house, the English Tower, which has since been renamed, and many other statues and architectural representations of the immigrant culture and how it has helped to establish Buenos Aires' foundation today. We passed through various communities with an emphasis on specific cultures, for example the British, the Italian, and the Jewish barrios. We can't forget the tourist attraction areas that also allowed us to get a sense of the culture and how it has evolved--La Boca and San Telmo.
Being that today was our first real experience with applying our classroom knowledge to everyday life, we definitely explored as many aspects of the outside cultural influences on the city. as one could fit into a four hour bus tour. Because we had little time to spend at each stop, we have not yet gotten a true sense of how the individual cultures that immigrated to Argentina have become part of the Buenos Aires community. However, we have a clear understanding of what lies ahead for the next few weeks and are eager to return to the main areas and get a full understanding of the diversity in Buenos Aires. We can't wait to explore more! The flee market in San Telmo was only the beginning.

Food Recommendations: After a wonderful day of touring we found a great restaurant set in the basement of an old orphanage called Juana M.--with great food and a Lower East Side Manhattan feel.

--Lydia and Samara

Saturday, January 5--we arrive!

After a slight delay in JFK--five hours to be exact--we left cold New Jersey heading for beautiful, warm Buenos Aires. We landed at 3PM BA time, and are now checked into our hotel (the Plaza San Martin), fed, showered, and generally feeling pretty excited! Regular blog entries will begin tomorrow, so check back to learn about our city tour and exploration of La Boca, San Telmo, and the area around the hotel. (If you want to look ahead, check out the itinerary.)

Alexis Webb

Heyy

Heyyy guys.. my name is Alexis. I´m a sophomore at Drew University. I´m an Art major and a Secondary Education minor. I love to travel, but this is only my second time leaving the United States.. therefore I am taking advantage of every traveling experience I can get. =)

Tiara Ward

Hi! My name is Tiara. I'm probably an Art History, but possibly an English, major at Drew University. I absolutely love to travel and that's exactly why I'm here in Buenos Aires. I can't wait to explore every aspect of South American culture, but mostly I'm excited about that Argentine beef!

Lara Saponara

Hi I´m Lara

my name is lara and i´m a sophomore. im a spanish major and a theatre- sociology double minor. im from manhattan. i am loving buenos aires so far and can´t wait to explore more of argentina!

Marie Quinones

Hola! My name is Marie Quinones, and I am a Sophomore at Drew University. I am a Political Science major, with a double minor in Environmental Studies and Spanish.

Hi, from Paula Plazas

Hey everyone!!!! My name is Paula and I am a sophomore at Drew U. and am very interested in different cultures. I am a double major in Political Science and Spanish, with a minor in Music. I am Colombian and can't wait to see how beautiful Argentina is!! This trip will be Amazing!!!!!

Hi, I'm Melissa May

¡Hola! My name is Melissa May, I am currently a senior at Drew University. I am an economics major with a concentration in sistainable and international economics and a minor in anthropology. Back at Drew I am a very active member of the women´s rugby team. I love to travel and this is my first time in South America so I am very excited to be here.

Hi, my name is Hadiyah

Hi, I'm Nicole Avella

Heyy im Nicole! im so excited to be in Argentina.This is my first time leaving the country.... i love cheerleading and doing exciting things! Im a political science major and a sociology minor..anything else? just ask :0)

Hi, I'm Vicky Aguirre

Holaaaa!

My name is Victoria (Vicky) and I am a senior graduating in May with a double major in Spanish and Sociology and a minor in Political Science. I love reading, dancing, and of course, traveling. As a Spanish major and a South American descedent, I am ready to explore the wonders of Argentina!

Vuela, sin miedo.

Hi! My name is Carley and i am a sophomore at Drew. I am a political science major and a psychology and European studies minor. I love traveling and exploring other countries but i have never been to South America and can't wait to get to Argentina!

Hi!

Hi! My name is Lisa and I'm a Sophomore. I'm a Psychology major. I love traveling and I am so excited to see all the sights in Argentina!

Hello!

Hello everyone! 

My name is Cayley Barlowe, and I am currently a sophomore. I am studying Psychology as a major, and Spanish as a minor. I have traveled before, and absolutely love learning about how other people live. I have never been to South America, so I am very excited to go to Argentina!

Buenas!

Hola Everyone!! I'm Samara and I am a Senior at Drew. I'm a double major in Spanish and Political Science and I am looking forward to traveling the world. Argentina is the next stop--I can't wait!

Hi there,

My name is Lydia Gourdet. I am currently a sophomore at Drew who is majoring in biology and double minoring in Public Health and Italian Studies. I enjoy traveling and Argentina was always a place where I wanted to go. I am extremely excited about going, especially to learn more about the Argentinian culture.

Hey

Hey I'm Javier. I'm a sophmoreand a double major in Political Science and Spanish. I've always been interested in Hispanic culture and I can't wait to go to Argentina and learn more about "the Paris of South America". It's going be great!

hi

Hi, my name is Samantha and I'm a sophomore. I'm an English major and a minor in writing and sociology.

Hi...

Hi, my name is Yafresie and I am a Sophomore at Drew University. My major is Political Science with a double minor in Italian and Spanish.

Hey

I am Joanna. I am a senior, a sociology major, and an educational policy minor.

heyy

My name is Laura and I am a junior. I am majoring in Sociology and minoring in Latin American Studies and Anthropology. I love to travel (and write about it) and I can't wait to start exploring Buenos Aires!

Hiya!!!

I'm Karina Otero. I'm a junior and a double major in Theatre and Spanish. I am excited for Argentina and I look forward to reconnecting with a part of my own immigrant past (the maternal part).
See you soon! =)

Hello

Hello!! I am Johanna and I am a Sophomore and I am majoring in Psychology and double minoring in Spanish and French. I am so excited to make by first stop to South America! Can not wait to see Buenos Aires.

Teens and Tango, La Boca 2006

I love this image! The Tango is, of course, being danced for tourists; the local teenagers are totally ignoring both the dancer and the photographer, yet one is wearing a tourist t-shirt (I heart Argentina). And the post was just there, conveniently dividing the image and representing the fading paint in the non-tourist areas of La Boca. For me, this juxtaposition of contradictions and the complicated economic layering typifies contemporary Buenos Aires.

Welcome!

Welcome to the DIS-Argentina 2007-2008 Blog.

This blog is part of Drew University's International Seminar (DIS) program to Argentina in Fall 2007-Spring 2008. The program begins with a 4-credit seminar (ENGL 40/SPAN 117: "Identity and Ethnicity in Argentina") to be held at Drew in Fall 2007, team-taught by Ada Ortuzar-Young (Professor of Spanish) and Sandra Jamieson (Professor of English). In January 2008, the group will go to Argentina for a little over 3 weeks (spending most of our time in Buenos Aires). Sandra will be joined by Jonathan Golden (Professor of Religion and Anthropology) and Cristal Reyes (CLA '08-Spanish and English major, Comparative Literature minor) in Argentina. Then, on our return to Drew, students will complete work on their research project and present their research in a public colloquium. They also complete and edit a collection of travel writing begun whilst in Argentina.

During our time in Argentina, students will explore the questions at the heart of the seminar, conducting research, interacting with citizens, and traveling to significant districts of Buenos Aires and Entre Ríos (including Basalvilbaso and Vila Clara). They will also post regularly to this blog to keep parents and friends updated on their research--and adventures. There will be occasional posts in Fall 2007, and we will provide links to the final projects and travel writing that students produce in Spring 2008, but most of the posts--at least one a day--will be added in January 2008. In the meantime, we have posted a few pictures to show you where we are going.

We hope you enjoy the journey!