Berkley Center

The novelty of the Buenos Aires subway quickly wore off when I realized I would rather suffer the trade-off of a longer commute in order to avoid the sardine-like conditions of rush hour. Thus, the colectivos, or city buses, became my preferred method of transportation. While I lived in Belgrano, a neighborhood on the outskirts of the federal district packed with embassies and trees, my commute to classes and friends usually took a solid hour and a half. However, my daily journey presented a fresh chance to simply observe the life around me, to take in the sights of the city as the bus traveled from one neighborhood to the next.

Argentina is usually associated with its roots in Roman Catholicism. Numerous ornate churches dot the city, a quick sign of the cross is not uncommon to see on public transportation, and public policy has often sided with the Church’s teaching, namely on the issue of abortion.

As I traversed through the streets, however, it became apparent that the city is also home to many Jewish-Argentines. As the colectivo would approach the neighborhood of Recoleta, I had come to expect Orthodox Jewish men blended among the cafes and street vendors. My host family, though not practicing, is of Jewish descent. In fact, Buenos Aires holds the second-largest Jewish population in the Americas, after New York City.

The history of Jewish immigration to Argentina can be traced back to several different periods in European history. The first Jewish immigrants fled the Spanish Inquisition and quietly assimilated into Argentina. Anti-Semitic persecution in Russia and Romania led to a large influx of Jewish immigrants during the nineteenth century, while the Holocaust was the major force that led many European Jews to escape to Latin America during the twentieth century.

Ironically, Argentina later became a safe haven for many ex-Nazis seeking to avoid prosecution in Europe. Although emigration of the Jewish population picked up momentum in the latter half of the twentieth century, there is still a vibrant Jewish culture nestled in the heart of Buenos Aires.

Generalizations serve their part by allowing us to process information faster and make conclusions more easily—certainly useful under certain conditions—but I was humbled to find that Buenos Aires goes beyond the Roman Catholic stereotype of Latin America. There is certainly a basis for this generalization, but I found that the truth lies closer to the rich interaction between different religions, cultures, and backgrounds.

Buenos Aires is a truly cosmopolitan city. Hop into a cab, and you may debate American politics with an immigrant from Bolivia. Leave a seat next to you on the bus, and you may end up in an hour-long conversation with a German philosophy student. Talk to your classmate at the university, and she may be from Mexico. Try to watch a Georgetown basketball game, and you may meet some American expats living in Argentina. Despite its spotted history, Buenos Aires remains a fertile ground for sharing and learning about ideas from cultures all over the world.