Cultural Geography, Research Paper Example

The process of immigration to Argentina began in the 16^th century by the Spanish colonization; it continues until present days. It involves people from neighboring Latin and more remote countries: Korea, China, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Western European countries. Therefore, the issue of multiculturalism, cultural struggle and personal freedom has gained urgent character. Some Diasporas tend to preserve national language, to profess religion, to adhere to traditions in new countries. Other immigration communities prefer to facilitate the assimilation and convert to a new religion, learn the language, and gain new gastronomic preferences.

The diversity of ethnicities among Argentine residents implies the existence of different religions and cults. In Chapter I “Declaration, Rights and Guarantees” of the Constitution of the Argentine Nation, the Federal Government claims to support the Roman Catholic Apostolic religion, all the inhabitants of the Nation have the right “to profess freely their religion” (Constitution, ch. I, section 14). Therefore, native and foreign residents have the right to follow their own faith. The government supports The Catholic Church through tax benefits. All religious institutions are free from income tax and value-added tax. The National Secretariat of Cult monitors the activity of above two thousand officially recognized cults and religions.

In Argentina, the Roman Catholic Apostolic faith (90% of Argentines) is practices alongside with Protestantism, Judaism, Islamism, Greek and Russian Orthodox religion, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and Hare Krishna being in a minority.

The cult professed by immigrants may serve a uniting factor for ethnic communities within an alien and often hostile society.  There is informed no considerable tension on the basis of religious traditions in this country. The Argentine republic strives to rehabilitate the state for the years of despotic government in the eyes of the world community. Freedom of religion provides one more sphere of human rights in the country which is emphasized at the meetings of Human Rights Committee (Human Rights Committee ninety-eighth session, 2010). Currently, the long-term presence of Israelites in Buenos Aires resulted in construction of fifty synagogues, twenty-one Conservative synagogues situated in different regions of the city.

The democratic state of affairs in religious issues was not always the same. The Peron’s regime was exclusively pro-Catholic, with state controlled obligatory religious education in schools. Burdick M. (1995) states the approach assuming Catholicism as the ultimate “orientation of the life of man towards its supreme and definite destiny” discrediting historic Protestant churches and alienation large Jewish presence in Buenos Aires (p.54). Moreover, before the 1994 non-Catholic was not permitted to run for president.

Constantly growing number of immigrants to Argentina proves the comfortable conditions for new-comers. The support from government helps to assimilate quickly. However, hampering of the assimilation process does not concern primarily religious aspects. Firstly, problems in perception by other population relate to antisemitism and racial prejudice. According to the data of Human Rights Documentation Center, “the government of Argentina has taken significant formal steps toward the elimination of racial discrimination over the last decade” (Racial discrimination, 2001). Officially, authorities deny the phenomenon of xenophobia within Argentina’s society. Evidently, the desecration of Jewish cemeteries, attitude to Jewish as not Argentine, presence of racist expressions in former police manuals prove the opposite.

Asian immigrants experience the same racial discrimination. Their race or skin color identified attitude. In 1993, when Korean immigrants were involved in exploiting undocumented Bolivian immigrant and stealing electricity from the State, the attitude to them worsened. The Human Rights Documentation claims that “previous popular image of Koreans as industrious changed to an image of Koreans as poorly integrated, exclusive, and not willing to learn Spanish. Their presence in good schools and neighborhoods has been described as an invasion” (Racial discrimination, 2001). The Bolivian workers protested against the hard working conditions and oppression at work. These protests fueled the discrimination debates in the public.

On the other hand, the eagerness to integrate faces resistance basing on racist attitude provoked by racial belonging but not indecent knowledge of language. It stands to reason, that immigrants willing to assimilate prefer to learn Spanish to interact more successfully. The culture of Italians, living in La Boca region of Buenos Aires, merged with native traditions and produced the low class portenan way of life and a new distinguishable dialect of Spanish.

Ethnic communities fulfill the functions of civil rights sustaining, linking with local governments, and support the preservation of national languages. The Jewish institutions in Buenos Aires include the DAIA (Delegacion de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas) and the AMIA (originally an Ashkenazic mutual-aid society). The Once district of Buenos Aires is a Jewish cultural center for concerts, lectures, and a high school, sports activities. Still, most of the Jewish immigrants learn the language and do not use native language.

Residence within restricted native ethnic communities like Chinatown reduces communication to fellow countrymen. Then, there is no necessity to learn Spanish, unless the job requires speaking to foreigners. Besides, English may be used as the second language in Argentina.

Each immigrant resident of the republic of Argentina regardless of the country of origin could follow his own path: assume changes in religion, culture of meals, language learning or preserve all the national attributes. Evidently, racial/ethnic discrimination impacts the culture struggle significantly. Fighting down discrimination is among government’s primary aims in the framework of internal policy as the concentration of foreigners is constantly growing.

References

Burdick, M. A. (1995). For God and the fatherland: religion and politics in Argentina. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Constitution of the Argentine Nation. (1994, August 22). Retrieved October 20, 2010 from:  http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/documentos/constitucion_ingles.pdf

Human Rights Committee ninety-eighth session. Human Rights Committee praises steps taken by Argentina to break with legacy of dictatorship, protect rights, concluding consideration of Fifth report (2010, March 11). Retrieved October 20, 2010 from: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/hrct717.doc.htm

Racial discrimination: the record of Argentina, Human Rights Documentation Center. (2001, September). Retrieved October 20, 2010 from: http://academic.udayton.edu/race/06hrights/georegions/southamerica/argentina01.htm