Day 4 in Buenos Aires! Today we went on a bus tour around Buenos Aires and surrounding areas. We first went to La Boca, and visited the stadium of the Club Atlético Boca Juniors team. We walked through the neighborhood, where we passed by many beautiful murals and walked by the colorful buildings. After La Boca, we visited San Telmo and Plaza de Mayo, where we learned about the history of the neighborhoods and visited several churches. Throughout this tour, we learned a lot about the history of Buenos Aires and Argentina as a whole.

There are many similarities and differences between the history of the United States and Argentina. One similarity between the countries is that they were both under colonial rule by a European country, which also leads to both countries also having revolutions for independence. One more similarity is that both countries experienced mass immigration. A difference between the two countries is the political stability that each faces. The United States has been relatively politically stable, whereas Argentina has faced several regimes and coups. Additionally, the U.S. sustained long-term economic growth, while Argentina’s economy has been more changing and unstable.

At Plaza de Mayo, we also visited the Pink House (Casa Rosada), where the president works. We learned more about the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo are a group of Argentine women who began protesting in 1977 against the forced disappearances of their children during the country’s military dictatorship. Wearing white headscarves embroidered with their children’s names, they became a powerful symbol of resistance and human rights advocacy in Argentina and beyond. We also visited a statue/monument in front of the Pink House, that had rocks with peoples names surrounding it. The rocks placed around the statue were left by families of people who died from COVID-19 as a form of protest. They aimed to draw attention to the Argentine government’s mishandling of the pandemic, particularly its delayed vaccine rollout and inadequate response.

We then visited the Buenos Aries Metropolitan Cathedral, which holds San Martin’s remains. We visited the oldest pharmacy and oldest bookstore in Argentina. After the city tour, we had lunch. We then went on a Graffiti tour within the city, especially in Palermo. We learned about the culture and importance behind the graffiti and street art that is very widespread in the city. Seeing the different street art was really interesting, and analyzing them as a group helped me to understand and appreciate the art even more.