Gender and Diversity As part of your cross-cultural experience, you will find that you are confronted with different cultural attitudes towards gender and diversity. Many of these differences may be surprising at first, but it is important to recognize these differences as cultural, not personal. By learning about these differences before you go abroad, you will be better prepared to adjust to different cultural realities.

Machismo and Gender Relations Machismo, loosely defined as "an exaggerated masculinity" by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a strong cultural influence in Latin American countries.  Although Argentina is considered one of the most progressive and advanced countries when it comes to women's rights and gender equality, if you are a woman, you may still receive cat calls from Argentine men and be exposed to machista comments and attitudes while studying abroad. Things to remember when it comes to machismo: It's inevitable.  Some expressions are worse than others, all are annoying, and you're going to hear them. If you get whistled or called out on the street, keep walking and don't respond.  If the person is persistent, say "Déjeme en paz" or something similar.  Forget your manners: you don't have to smile and respond to strange men yelling at you on the street. It's part of the culture, so men don't necessarily think that what they're doing is offensive. If any form of machismo turns into physical contact or you experience any other uncomfortable incident, talk with the Resident Director and always feel free to call the Resident Director's emergency number.

Frank Curiosity: The Argentine Approach to Racial, Ethnic, and Religious Diversity Argentines are generally upfront and frank. When conversing with Argentines, you should be prepared for frank questions about your racial, ethnic, and/or religious background.  These questions are generally not meant to be offensive. They are only the Argentine way of expressing interest and curiosity. Race/Ethnicity Argentina is unique among Latin American countries because of the large European immigration to the country in the 1880s after its independence from Spain.  The majority of people in Argentina will describe their heritage as a mixture of Western and Eastern European, and they take pride in their European heritage. You may expect to hear frank questions about your heritage, especially if your are a student of color. Generally, Argentines will ask these questions out of curiosity. Crossing cultural boundaries always involves some degree of social discomfort, at some point or another. As an American student studying abroad, you may feel a sense of "otherness," which can be compounded by the issues of your race and ethnicity. If you are asked uncomfortable questions about these topics, answer the question respectfully and calmly.  Dialogues about ethnic and racial diversity are important to your personal growth while abroad.  The Resident Director is a great resource to go to if you are having concerns related to this or any other topic that might come up while you are abroad. Religious Diversity Argentina's majority religion is Catholicism. Although other religious communities exist in urban areas, they are not a strong presence.  Students of faith should recognize that Argentines might ask frank and unexpected questions about your religion and your individual religious practices out of curiosity.  These questions are not meant to be offensive; it is just the Argentine way of expressing interest in a topic. If you are observing religious traditions different from Roman Catholicism, it is important to explain to your host family and Argentine friends what the tradition means to you. It is important to keep an open mind about people's reactions to your religious beliefs; it is possible that they've never met someone with of your religious persuasion before. If you are respectful of other people's spirituality, they will be respectful of yours.

Expressing Nationality While in English there is only one adjective for describing being from North America, "American", Spanish has a different set of vocabulary for describing nationality within the Americas. In Spanish, the word "americano/a" means from the Americas.  Whether you are Argentine, Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Mexican, or American, you are considered americano/a.  It is disrespectful to use the word americano/a in reference only to the United States or Canada to anyone from Central or South America. More specific words to use instead of americano/a are: Norteamericano/a North American Estadounidense From the United States Canadiense Canadian

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