Argentine Patriotism and Nationalism: Pro-Kirchner Demonstration on May 25th

Politics in Argentina is a topic which could have an entire anthology of books written about it, so one blog post really only barely begins to scratch the surface. However; my experience at the pro-government rally on May 25^th was extremely interesting and it gave me some valuable insight into the modern-day political climate in Argentina.

            The politics of Argentina has been dominated by a series of very influential and dominant politicians. The first significant of these such politicians was Juan Domingo Peron. Peron's legacy in Argentina is by far the largest of any 20th century political figure. It seems as though modern Peronism can mean any number of things depending on who you ask, but it is undoubtedly the single largest political movement in Argentina. This wave of “Peronism” which lasts to this day might provide some insight into why politics in Argentina seem to be so heavily dominated by these big personalities of politicians. In Argentina, it seemed evident at the rally that it is just as much about who the politician is as it is about what they do or how they do it. It’s almost as if there are always new politicians on the scene who are attempting to make their own brand of politics in one way or another. Personality and image is everything; politicians seem not to be defined as “liberal” or “conservative” as they often are in the US, but more so by their charisma and a unique blend of politics which they try to make as their own. This has been the case with a few presidents and other prominent political figures in the US, but it seems to be much more dramatic here. Certain politicians, Cristina Kirchner being one of them, develop an almost cult-like following.

            Some insight can be gained by looking at the recent political history of the country; there has been a Kirchner in the presidency ever since Nestor assumed the position in 2003 following the financial crisis. The Kirchners, first Nestor and then Cristina, have been successful in seemingly bringing Argentina back from total economic meltdown to the growing economy it has today. These successes, though it is yet to be proven how long they will last, seems to have sealed the Kirchner name in Argentine history. And as evidenced by the turnout to the May 25^th rally in Plaza de Mayo in central Buenos Aires to celebrate the last independence day of which Cristina will be in office, the Kirchners have quite a lot of vocal supporters. Though as intense and loud as the crowd was, silence fell and people listened intently to every word of Cristina's speech when she came onto the stage to talk. The shear mass of people who came out to the rally is enormous on any scale, much less in comparison to similar rallies which occasionally take place in the US.

            I believe that there are several important factors which play into Argentina being able to host these enormous rallies while the United States has essentially nothing even close to this level of pro-government demonstrations. One of these factors is that people are more involved in politics here as compared with the United States, especially since voting is mandatory. Although politics can definitely create some very heated debates among people in the US, there doesn’t seem to be the level of involvement and passion that one finds in Argentina. In the US, People love to complain when things don’t go their way or when the candidate they support loses, but that’s where the involvement ends for most people. Here however, people seem to take politics much more personally, and showing support is just as important as showing disapproval.

            Secondly; the Argentina seems to be much less strictly bipartisan than the US. Even though the actions of the Kirchner administration still have plenty of criticism from certain groups, Cristina has the support of a majority of the country; something that many US presidents do not have when leaving office. Even though there are certainly those who disapprove of her and her policies, the majority of the country feels the need to back her and to back Argentina. She, along with her late husband, are essentially the icons of Argentina’s resurgence onto the global stage, and for many she is a new sort of national hero.

            Lastly, a cultural difference between the US and Argentina might contribute to these phenomena as well. In the US, politics is often viewed as a deeply personal issue, and not something which should be shared with the world. This is not the case in Argentina however, and people feel that openly discussing issues and politics is essential to the proper functioning and preservation of democracy. To many Argentines, showing up to the rally was them doing just that.

The Importance of Soccer in Argentine Identity and Nationalism

Although it is undeniable that soccer is growing in popularity in the United States and increasing numbers of Americans are following the sport, it is still not anywhere near as much a part of the national identity as it is in Argentina. For the past several weeks, it has seemed as though the entire country comes to a standstill whenever the Argentina national team is playing in the Copa America tournament. The rivalry between Boca Jrs and River Plate is so intense and deep that essentially everyone in the entire country has chosen a side, even if they don’t explicitly root for either team or live in Buenos Aires where the teams are located. Argentine society is so deeply influenced by soccer in ways which very few other countries are, and the effects of this which can be observed are quite interesting.

            One of the main things that soccer is able to do is provide a sense of unity to a country which otherwise is rather segmented in many ways. Society in Argentina has historically been very divided between the population in Buenos Aires (the Porteños) and the others in the country. Although everyone is technically Argentine and identifies as such, there is a huge difference in the lifestyle and upbringing of someone who lives and works in Buenos Aires vs a person who was born on a cattle ranch in the countryside. It is in many ways similar to some regions of the United States; someone who lives and works in Manhattan is going to have an extremely different lifestyle and way of looking at the world than someone who lives on a dairy farm in the Adirondacks, yet both people would consider themselves Americans and New Yorkers. One of the ways to achieve a common sense of unity among the population is through international sports competitions. During our time in Buenos Aires, there has been no better example of this than the Copa America. When the Argentina national team plays; everyone is united as Argentines in that moment. No matter what area of the country or time of day, people will put aside what they are doing to support the team. The sense of spirit and unity which exists as the team plays is something pretty special and unique.

            There are some interesting issues worth mentioning that I’ve noticed, however. Although Lionel Messi is definitely the star of the Argentine team and arguably the single best player in the world right now, it seems as though the Argentine people have not fully accepted his accomplishments because of the fact that he left the country to go play for Barcelona when he was very young. Because he only became a star after signing on to play with Barcelona, many Argentines seem to not really view him as an “Argentine” star since he left at such a young age and only achieved fame in Europe. There are no particular instances that come to mind of a situation such as this coming up in American sports, but the situation (especially with regards to soccer) is much different here. With soccer, club alliance is everything. Even the most hardcore American football fans look insignificant in comparison to the level of fanhood which exists in Argentina for the various football clubs. The system is completely different, and this explains why the level of fan intensity is so much greater. In the US; professional sports teams are nothing more than that; a team of players which belongs to a company with the intent to make money. Here however; these soccer clubs are communities which people grow up in their entire lives. Club Atletico Atlanta (pictured below), for example, offers numerous sporting opportunities (not just soccer), as well as educational opportunities for its members. Being a member of these clubs provides people not only the opportunity to come to the stadium and see the soccer games, but also to take advantage of the full range of offerings the club has and to feel as though they are a part of the community. This is one of the primary reasons why Messi does not have the support in Argentina that one would expect; he was never part of one of these Argentine communities except when he was a very young boy, and he therefore does not have that same common identity. It has been discussed that Messi might return to Argentina to play a season with Newell’s Old Boys (his original club as a child) when his career with Barcelona is coming to a close. This would be a good way for him to solidify his reputation in Argentina and get his legacy fully embraced by the people.

Cafe Culture in Buenos Aires

When you first walk around the many neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, one of the things that strikes you most is the shear amount of Cafes which line the streets. Although it is easy to dismiss the significance of these establishments and come to the conclusion that Porteños must just really like coffee, the reality of the situation is much more complex and significant than that. For Porteños, and Argentines in general, cafes seem to provide not only a place where one can go to grab some coffee and read the paper; but also a location and a venue for true public discourse and debate to take place. It is over coffee at the seemingly endless cafes which inhabit the city where people debate politics, sports, news or whatever other current events are relevant at the time. It enables people to remain engaged with society and the events currently being discussed in a way which would otherwise not be possible, or at least not as easy (or delicious).

            When searching for an equivalent venue in the United States, one does not come immediately to mind. Sure there is a coffee culture in the US, and it is growing more significant all the time in many metropolitan areas, but it seems to not serve the same purpose. The average coffee house in the US will most likely be primarily filled with people working alone. College students and young professionals typically go to coffee houses as an alternative to their respective office buildings or libraries. There will be some people who go together to discuss current events and politics or to just catch up, but they are generally more the exception than the norm. Although it is an important function that these coffee houses in the US are filling, it is fundamentally different than the cafés of Buenos Aires. Although there’s no way to say for sure, I believe that the strong café culture in Buenos Aires has contributed in some way to the seemingly high level of political awareness and involvement that Argentina appears to have in comparison to the US.

            I believe that one of the primary reasons that the café culture is so strong in Argentina, and Buenos Aires in particular is the fact that there is such a strong history of European influence. For several decades at the end of the 19^th century and beginning of the 20^th century, there was a massive wave of immigration from Europe to the southern cone of South America, and Argentina in particular. Within the span of a few decades, pockets of immigrants from many western European countries began to emerge around Buenos Aires. Many of these immigrant groups brought parts of their native cultures with them; café culture being one of those things. Cafés began popping up around the city and they provided a place where Europeans could be reminded of home, even though they were thousands of miles away.

            Another factor which I feel had a significant impact on the expansion of café culture in Buenos Aires and the fact that cafés turned into locations for political discourse to take place is the fact that Argentina has had such a varied (and often turbulent) political history. In more “stable” countries such as the United States, there seems to be less passionate public discourse over politics because people haven’t had to live through different governments and the suspensions of certain freedoms like much of the population, especially the older population, in Argentina has. This firsthand experience with governmental turbulence has given Argentines an appreciation for democracy and self-expression that is not seen in many other countries, and the cafés provide the ideal space for this free exchange of ideas to take place.