Ethnic Group: Latinos Subgroup: Argentinians I chose to focus on the sub group of Argentinians because their culture is very

different from the Latin culture that I have experienced in Central America. Also, I will be traveling there in June and figured this would be a great way to inform myself about where I will be going. Argentina is located on the south-eastern tip of South America and is bordered by Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Chili. It is the 8th largest country in the world, and 2nd largest in South America. It has the 3rd largest economy in South America, and has enjoyed relative prosperity since its founding, with the exception of an economic and political crisis that took place after 1930. Today it is classified as a middle emerging economy. Over 40 million people live in Argentina and most speak Spanish, particularly the Spanish form of Spanish, meaning they employ the use of the vosotros verb, whereas many Latin American countries to not. A common term to refer to Argentinians in Latin America is Che, which also means friend or dude in Argentina. The famous Cuban revolutionary, Ernesto Guevara was nicknamed Che because he came from Argentina. Its climate is very diverse, ranging from sub-tropical to subpolar, and if you travel its length you can find palm trees and penguins. Its capital city, Buenos Aires is considerably European in its architecture and design. It is called the most European city in Latin America and 85% of Argentinians are descendants of European ancestors. The majority of Argentinians are Roman Catholic. Their official music and dance style is the Tango. Because of the deep rooted tradition of gauchos, or cowboys, and the large scale cattle industry, Argentina is well known for its meat production. It is also the one of largest producers of wine outside of Europe, most of its wine production coming from the Mendoza region. Its official sport is Pato, a game that is a combination of polo and basketball (!!!), but the most popular sport is futbol. The Argentinian national team has won 25 major titles including two world cups. Hailing from Argentina is the FIFA Player of the Century winner (I had no idea there was such an award) Diego Maradona. Lionel Messi, who many would argue is the current best player in the world, is also from Argentina.

Here is a Map of Argentina:

This is a photo of the capital, Buenos Aires:

Vineyards of Mendoza:

A Gaucho:

The Tango:

Diego Maradona:

Stereotypes about Argentinians:

Negative: In Brazil and Uruguay, they are stereotyped as arrogant, proud, narcissistic and racist. To this Argentines are also known for being gossipy, full of grandeur, liars (chantas), envious, quick and exaggerated in Uruguay. Chileans often depict them as arrogant. In addition to the mentioned stereotypes, Argentine have also been labeled as lazy, vain, and pedantic. Positive: In Spain and other South American countries, like Peru, they are stereotyped as passionate, somewhat coarse, noble, honest and kind. In reality: The stereotypes listed above are all character traits that can be easily misconstrued by people of other cultures. It is easy to misjudge people from different cultures because you are viewing them through the lens of your own cultural values and beliefs. Americans who travel abroad are often judged based on the general perceptions of Americans by people of other countries based on what they see in the media. We know, however, that Americans are an extremely diverse people with countless views, beliefs, and values and we cannot be placed in one general category. I am certain that the same applies to the Argentines.