Today was really nice because the day didn’t start until the afternoon, so I was able to go out and get some breakfast at a local cafe. The agenda for the day consisted of two museum visits, which started at a museum dedicated to the history of Argentine immigrants. The museum was a converted hostile-like building where women, children, and men without family in Argentina would stay once they arrived in the country. One thing that was interesting was how the women and children had to stay in the hostile until a documented man or family member came and “claimed” them. This system was likely put in place to ensure. that all newly arrived immigrants had a support system and place to stay in the country.

Like the United States, Argentina is a country of immigrants that was once home to native tribes and indigenous peoples. Many of the immigrants that came to both the United States and Argentina were from Europe, but the patterns differ in the way that more Spanish, Italian, and neighboring South American country immigrants went to Argentina. Another similarity is the time period in which majority of the immigration took place. In both the United States and Argentina, the most significant waves of immigration took place during the late 19th century and early 20th. The motivation for immigrants to move to their new country was also similar because Argentina and the United States were seen as prosperous lands with lots of opportunity to start a new life. It was common that immigrants moved for reasons of financial instability, political troubles, and a chance to make a living through work. While there are many similarities between the United States’s and Argentina’s immigration histories, the cultural composition is still different in many ways, which has been apparent throughout the trip. Later in the day, we had another museum visit that primarily focused on the indigenous peoples of Argentina like the Mapuche and Guarani tribes. We got to see their traditional practices of weaving, boat building, and pottery. I loved that we were able to have cultural outings today and learn about a history that is new and foreign to us.