To many people, Argentina is just another country they have heard of, but know very little about. Like Lithuania, or Finland. Or Canada. But the modern world and American cultures have a surprising number of influences from Argentina, or Argentines. Allow me to forcibly educate you about some things you may or may not know are Argentine:
Eva Peron - For many people, this sort of starts and ends with Madonna's self-indulgent portrayal in Evita. But here, she is a true folk hero. The entrance to her tomb is always well covered with flowers and there is almost always a line of people, locals and tourists, waiting to file by and pay their respects. She was a populist hero, who fought for the poor of Argentina at a time when no one else really bothered.
Toms Shoes - Founded outside Buenos Aires in 2006, the logo is the Argentine flag without its sun in the middle. The shoes are slightly more fashionable versions of traditional gaucho alpargatas, which the Argentine cowboys (gauchos) have been wearing for centuries. The original recipients of the donated half of the buy-a-pair-give-a-pair business model were Guarani Indians in Argentina's Missiones province.
Lionel Messi - Born in Argentina, he is the world's greatest still-playing footballer. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your perspective, he never played for an Argentine League club. He was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency (he's a small guy) and none of the Argentine clubs could afford to pay for his treatment. In steps FCB to save the day. Currently the center forward for FC Barcelona and famous for never taking a dive, in a sport obviously rife with its share of actors. He is currently FCB's leading all-time scorer and just this year, made UEFA history by becoming the first player in that organization's history to score five goals in one match. He also holds the world record for most goals scored in a season, at 73. And he is undoubtedly my favorite player.
Ernesto Guevara - Born in Rosario Argentina in 1928. Most people recognize him as a Marxist revolutionary. The nickname "Che" came from his prodigious use of the phrase. It is a common Porteno (resident of Buenos Aires) phrase or interjection. Che can be used in normal speech as either the equivalent of "eh?" (think Canadians) or as the SoCal-style "bro" or "dude".
Chacos - Chaco is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina. It is famous for being totally unremarkable and almost last in any sort of social, economic or political indicator in the country. Half of the population lives below the poverty line and approximately 40% of its children are malnourished. It is also an indigenous tribe, primarily in Paraguay, who were famous for their oral tradition and stone edifices. Most of you will recognize the name from the awesome Jesus-style hiking sandals.
Law of Gender Identity - Argentina was the first country in South America to legalize gay marriage. More importantly, it was the first nation in the world to enact a "Law of Gender Identity" which essentially provides that a person can be identified on any legal document as their preferred gender without needing surgery. The law also provides that some of the costs of gender reassignment surgery can be covered under the national prepaid medical plan. Essentially, this makes Argentina the country with the most gay-friendly laws and regulations in the world.
Yerba Mate - The national beverage of Argentina. It's made by steeping the dried leaves and twigs of the mate plant in hot (not boiling) water. Traditionally, and correctly, consumed by filling a hollow gourd with the shredded leaves and twigs and placing a metal straw into the gourd. Hot water is then poured over the mate and the resulting "tea" is drank through the metal straw. Mate is a customarily social practice, with two or more people passing around the gourd and sharing conversation. The flavor is somewhat reminiscent of green tea and mate itself is highly caffeinated, the leaf having at least twice the amount of caffeine as a coffee bean.
So there you go, a bit of Argentine culture you may be aware of or even encounter in everyday life.
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