How much of the appeal for expats towards Argentina is race-based?

[Fiscal]

Based on my limited experience in Latin America, Argentina strikes me as one of the worst countries to be an expat in. Cold winters, meh beaches, seems hard to make real friends (not just once in awhile cafe acquaintances) unless you marry into a family, crime-ridden, crumbling and decaying architecture, so-so food besides parillas and fancy restaurants if you're in Buenos Aires, and so on.

Places like the lakes in Cordoba are beautiful but few expats are going to know that area and if you have no family there it would be awfully lonely experience.

The dollar goes far in Argentina and private health care is good quality and inexpensive.

But the main difference is the "European-ness" of Argentina. Is the expat attraction to Argentina in fact in some way racist?

 

[Renzi]

Based on my limited experience in Latin America, Argentina strikes me as one of the worst countries to be an expat in. Cold winters, meh beaches, seems hard to make real friends (not just once in awhile cafe acquaintances) unless you marry into a family, crime-ridden, crumbling and decaying architecture, so-so food besides parillas and fancy restaurants if you're in Buenos Aires, and so on.

Places like the lakes in Cordoba are beautiful but few expats are going to know that area and if you have no family there it would be awfully lonely experience.

The dollar goes far in Argentina and private health care is good quality and inexpensive.

But the main difference is the "European-ness" of Argentina. Is the expat attraction to Argentina in fact in some way racist?

Don't really understand what you're getting at. You seem to be suggesting that it's racist to feel more comfortable in a society that more closely resembles one's own. Then would it be more ethical for expats to move to a majority non-white community and throw their privilege (and money) around like they're Cecil Rhodes, and in the process permanently alter the local culture?

 

[QuilmesSlo]

Fiscal you sound like a first class jerk. Live where you are comfortable. And shove your race card you know where.

 

[Wade K.]

In the last three years I spent three months in Mexico, 2 in Colombia, 3 in Kyrgyzstan, 1 in Kazakhstan, 1 in Ukraine, 2 in Georgia. I found the people in Central Asia to be the friendliest overall, Colombia a close second. I felt like I stood out uncomfortably in some places, blended in better in places like Ukraine and Georgia. I am attracted to being some place where I blend in, can go about my business without being stared at. But more importantly I found in the tropics I got sick much more easily from the local food. Really sick in Mexico. And I don't mind the four season climate but I wish northern Argentina had more higher altitude cities where the weather would be milder. I've got a friend who's also looking at Argentina. He's interested in Ushuaia as he likes it cold all the time. Some people thrive in that kind of climate.

 

[Dougie]

Fiscal, just curious which Latin American countries do you think are better to be an expat in?

I'd say the attraction of Buenos Aires for many is that it's a big cosmopolitan city that is inexpensive, high quality healthcare, pretty good education, cultural attractions, weather is pretty decent in my opinion, the public transport is better than any other Latin American city, safer than most other big LA cities, architecture is more attractive than the other major cities.

If you are someone that doesn't mind a smaller city, then yes you can find beautiful small cities all over Latin America that may provide a better lifestyle depending on what you value. That is a different discussion about where to live though.

As far as big cities go, the only other Latin American cities I'd consider living an extended amount of time in are Rio or Lima and those have their problems too.

Rio although beautiful is more crime ridden than BA, worse public transport, speak Portuguese.

The sun comes out in Lima like 10 days a year, it's constantly grey. Anything public is going to be worse there.

Are there some Europeans that feel more comfortable in Buenos Aires because it has a familiar culture, food, people...? Probably. Not sure if that necessarily makes them racist.

 

[sergio]

Buenos Aires is a big, somewhat cosmopolitan (I say this because there is still a good deal of provinciality in the way people think and act) city with a lot of entertainment and cultural opportunities. There is no other city in Latin America that can compete in this regard. It's also reasonably safe. The population is much better educated than most in Latin America. I don't quite agree that the city is as European as you say. It used to be that way but with the influx of people from other countries of Latin America there has been a great deal of change in the ethnicity of the people. IIf you go to the provinces, especially in the north, it doesn't look very 'European' to me -- of course Europe doesn't look so 'European' any more. They have seen massive immigration from the ME, Africa etc. As an expat retirement haven I'd agree that Argentina is not welcoming like some towns in Mexico (Ajijic, San Miguel de Allende, etc), Panama, Costa Rica or Spain, the latter especially for Britons. I don't know how many non Latin American expats live in Argentina but I am certain that the number has shrunk. I doubt any are coming these days.

 

[Wade K.]

Based on my limited experience in Latin America, Argentina strikes me as one of the worst countries to be an expat in. Cold winters, meh beaches, seems hard to make real friends (not just once in awhile cafe acquaintances) unless you marry into a family, crime-ridden, crumbling and decaying architecture, so-so food besides parillas and fancy restaurants if you're in Buenos Aires, and so on.

Places like the lakes in Cordoba are beautiful but few expats are going to know that area and if you have no family there it would be awfully lonely experience.

The dollar goes far in Argentina and private health care is good quality and inexpensive.

But the main difference is the "European-ness" of Argentina. Is the expat attraction to Argentina in fact in some way racist?

I would also add for many of us no matter where we go it can be a lonely experience. The difference is between struggling to get by in our home country and being comfortable in a place like Argentina. With modern communications you can be a lot less lonely no matter where you are.

 

[jblaze5779]

The hardest thing for me is the covid bs.

Before, at least you could still pretty much live your life without an Argentine mindset controlling your quality of life. Now what you do everyday is controlled by a way of thinking that, to me, is confusing and makes little sense.(IMO)

Now that I'm under the thumb of a local way of life, Argentina is way less appealing. Getting to the point where I'm considering throwing in the towel and moving to the next gig, if one exists anymore...

After all this I see why the locals are so big on psychiatrists.

 

[on the brink]

Places like the lakes in Cordoba are beautiful....

I'm confused: which lakes you meant? Argentina's lakes are along the Andes, mainly in Neuquen and Rio Negro.

 

[Fiscal]

Don't really understand what you're getting at. You seem to be suggesting that it's racist to feel more comfortable in a society that more closely resembles one's own. Then would it be more ethical for expats to move to a majority non-white community and throw their privilege (and money) around like they're Cecil Rhodes, and in the process permanently alter the local culture?

I'm not suggesting anything, it's a question for discussion!

That said, in what sense does Argentinian culture more closely resemble US culture morethan, say, Brazilian culture or Peruvian culture or Mexican culture?