If the economy gets real bad will people turn on expats ?

[sts7049]

many folks in the street tend to not look very cheerful - it's the typical argie "resting bitch face". caused by the general stress of moving about the city and dealing with the day to day BS. doesn't mean they really are disgusted by you though.

 

[QuilmesSlo]

Yeah if things get 2001 level bad I think a lot of naive folks in this thread are going to experience a darker side of the Argentina people they dont currently believe exists

In fairness, if you dropped a 2001 level bomb on any western society, you're going to see some real dark. I don't think it's unique to Argentina. What is unique to Argentina is the non trivial possibility to return to such conditions.

Best to remain an optimist, and, as David Y sagely pointed out, keep a low profile. Let others serve as the lightening rod for people's resentments.

 

[zensailor]

If you live in San Telmo and don't believe more and more locals aren't looking at you with hate and thinking about the US dollars you are earning and stealing their rentals you are in denial. All the best wish you well but you are living in make believe fairy land

TROLL

 

[Cambalache]

I am very surprised by the content of this thread. I had NEVER heard such nonsense. I am local. Argies we are friendly and curious (in a good way) towards expats. Troll detected!!

 

[Tar Baby]

In 2001 when things went to hell there was no Airbnb or digital nomads earning in dollars then making a fortune on the exchange rate. Maybe I am paranoid but I have been coming to Buenos Aires for 15 years and I feel some anti yankee aggression in the air I've never felt before. Specifically in San Telmo the idea that San Telmo should be for Argentinos and not tourists is a sentiment I am seeing now more than ever

I have been in South America a long time. The 'Ugly American', and the corollary 'Economic Refugee American' are typically disdained. It's why I avoid them like leprosy and why all of my friends here, and in other South American countries, are Latinos, Argentinos and otherwise, who freely relate their unflattering opinions of my compatriotas estadounidenses.

We reap what we sow. Act like a pinche gringo and you will be treated as such. Be a good, humble and respectful person and you will have a much better experience. I've not once had my U.S. nationality held against me here. So no, don't worry about it. In rural Colombia, probably. But not in the metropolitan areas of Argentina.

 

[SinPulgas]

Prejudice is real and very much alive in Argentina, i hope you never have to find out when the chips are down, all those so called argie friends will throw you under the bus.
I was here during the Falklands conflict and i was the only one with a direct family member fighting the Brits , never the less, when the time came i was the imperialist Yankee that in their eye it was the same as being a Brit.
If personal accounts are worth anything, i will tell you, don't be surprised if even your wife's argie family turns on you if things get bad enough.
Just for fun or as a social experiment , get drunk with an argie and bring up foreigners , you'll be surprised at the magnitude of prejudice existing. of course you'll be exempt because you are their ''friend'' , but as they say, you know , all the other foreigners....... not you , just the others lol
Not even in them hills of Kentucky( which they have a reputation) i've heard such blunt prejudice.
I'm glad to hear most of you never experienced this...... or maybe you are not reading it right , or perhaps it's all in my head, but certain attitudes are very inconspicuous for those of you not very deeply immersed in the culture.

I'm always aware (and worried) that this may happen as things get worse. People are funny, though. The abstract idea of a "foreigner" is one thing, and someone that you can see and talk to is another. I can imagine that the extreme case of a war would change things in a hurry. I remember what happened in the US after the twin towers were taken down.

All that being said, nobody's turned on me yet, and I haven't faced any problems for being a foreigner. Yet.

 

[perry]

I'm always aware (and worried) that this may happen as things get worse. People are funny, though. The abstract idea of a "foreigner" is one thing, and someone that you can see and talk to is another. I can imagine that the extreme case of a war would change things in a hurry. I remember what happened in the US after the twin towers were taken down.

All that being said, nobody's turned on me yet, and I haven't faced any problems for being a foreigner. Yet.

I agree with Mckenna in some of his remarks . Scratch the thin veneer of civilty here and people can turn against you in a heartbeat . The social divides in Argentina are inmense and will get much worse soon .

 

[nazareth37]

I have been in South America a long time. The 'Ugly American', and the corollary 'Economic Refugee American' are typically disdained. It's why I avoid them like leprosy and why all of my friends here, and in other South American countries, are Latinos, Argentinos and otherwise, who freely relate their unflattering opinions of my compatriotas estadounidenses.

We reap what we sow. Act like a pinche gringo and you will be treated as such. Be a good, humble and respectful person and you will have a much better experience. I've not once had my U.S. nationality held against me here. So no, don't worry about it. In rural Colombia, probably. But not in the metropolitan areas of Argentina.

This is right on, and good advice in good times and bad. I've been here for almost 25 years. From the get-go our approach has been one of respect, integration, kindness, interest in the culture, and knowing the codes. Make friends with Argentines. They have a great sense of humor (they have to). As friends they are as loyal as they come. Only once in all that time was I ever put on the spot about being from the US. My tormentor was Italian, not Argentine.

 

[SergeGGG]

Chill out people, as an argentinean myself I can assure you we are more than friendly towards foreign people. And basically there could be some inner hate or whatever towards tourist and the likes but it will never get to the point of violence, take South Spain as en example, plenty of expats living here and they're even called "giris" by the locals in a not that nice way, but that never translate to violence or anything like that. Same in places like Iceland or Barcelona where the tourist party is wrecking havoc on the locals and their life style, beside the economy, people love to complain about expats and tourist but it never gets to the point of actual violence or just being plain rude to people speaking another language, guess there's no place for that in the modern world, not even in La ciudad de la furia.

 

[wrangler]

I've heard discussions among my friends about foreigners who come to Argentina and decide to stay. There seems to be a general concern among them, mainly due to the perception that they might increase the demand on local resources. However, I haven't witnessed any hostility, just worries. I believe that the Argentine population as a whole is unlikely to develop negative sentiments towards the expatriate community or foreigners, as they are not accountable for the economic policies being implemented.