Exceptions to Argentine Stereotypes

It’s funny when you find yourself writing about something that you feel clueless about. Even more so when that subject is your own country. Lately, I’ve had the feeling that foreigners coming to Buenos Aires expect Argentines to know their own country like the back of their own hands. It seems to me that they assume that any lady will know how to dance tango, or that any guy will love to drink maté . In my mind, there are plenty of misconceptions regarding us Argentines.

To begin, it’s not often the case that Argentines know how to dance tango, a sensuous dance that has become one of the most well known in the world. More often than not, Europeans are the ones who show a growing interest in this increasingly popular dance. Not surprisingly, on many occasions it is these visitors who are the ones dancing it better than us porteños . I can recall one time when I was at “La Ideal” (a well-known coffee store in Capital where people can learn how to dance tango) where there were lots of Europeans on the dance floor. All of a sudden, a Russian man asked me to dance with him. Astonishment was all I could find in his eyes after I had told him I didn’t even know the basic steps. For that reason, I suggest that foreigners coming to Argentina think twice before arriving at any conclusions regarding us Argentines and our dancing skills.

Secondly, it’s true that many Argentines are accustomed to drinking maté at any place and at any time. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of us do. The same applies to eating meat twenty-four-seven. There is, in fact, a growing tendency among Argentines to eat more vegetables than meat.

Moreover, I consider it of the utmost importance to stress the fact that most of us don’t really know our country. Often times, people coming from the US or Europe know our country better than us. Over the last ten years, it has become extremely expensive for us to travel, even to nearby places within Argentina. Consequently, you shouldn’t be surprised to find that many porteños don’t know the first thing about the provinces.

On the other hand, I suggest that you explore areas other than Las Cañitas, Barrio Norte, San Telmo and Puerto Madero. Luckily there is more to Buenos Aires than those historic and beautiful places. The riverside surrounding the area of Zona Norte, which includes San Isidro, Olivos and Martinez, is an area that you surely shouldn’t miss. For more information on these and other parts of the city, check out our Barrio Guide .

If there is anything to conclude with, it’s this: all Argentines do not drink mate , dance tango or eat meat all day long; but ALL of the women here are indeed firecrackers! Good luck!

Daniela Gambarotto
LPBA Guest Writer