Yesterday in our L&C IV class, while discussing Anglo-Saxonism and the fabrication of originary myths in England, the issue of Argenine domestic myths naturally cropped up. In this respect, I remembered a brief article I posted two years ago after a different debate in L&C III. The article however is very much connected with our own discussion. Let me invite you to read that article in If I may say so... (click here). You will also find links to very interesting papers that may enlighten your perception on the issue if you happen to be interested in deepening on the issue.
In any case, let me also propose an exchange: Can any of you think of other possible national myths?
5 comments:
I enjoyed reading the article 'The Myth of the Good Immigrant'. When it refers to our feelings of rejection rather than acceptance of foreigners coming to establish in our soil, I cannot stop thinking that other foreign nations appear to have similar feelings specially towards that immigration that for some or other reson is illegal. In this sense, this reminds me of the Mexican immigrants trying to cross the North American border lines and being persecuted for that matter. Or else, the North African, who for reasons of hunger and misery, try to enter in Spain to work and are eventually deported. Contrariwise, I have never heard of these situations taking place in our frontiers; of police patrols persecuting illegal immigrants. Even if a foreigner were to establish legally in our soil, the restrictions are minimal ( just the Mercosur identity card). In addition to this, immigrants are not required a VISA to enter our nation, whereas other countries demand immigrants not only a Visa, but also to have a bank account or relatives living there.
If we take into account one of the meanings of the concept of "myth" as a traditional story accepted as history, according to Keith Jenkins, we should "re-think" the conventional school narration that on May 25th,
1810, it was a rainy day, all people (creoles) standing at Plaza de la Victoria (current Paza de Mayo) were wearing umbrellas while they waited for an answer from the Cabildo, and French and Berutti were giving light blue (or dark blue)and white ribbons to those creoles. It is known that only rich people possessed umbrellas and they were mostly Spanish (not "el pueblo"), and those famous ribbons represented the Borbones(the House of the Spanish king at that moment); they -the ribbons- did nothing to do with our flag...An how can we know that it was raining? What were he purposes of these myths?
Interesting comment Susana. One may watch pictures of 1810 to check whether it was raining or not during that day in 1810. Yet, a picture would not give at all a 100% information of the rain because pictures sometimes carry the point of view of the painter. As for the flag, i have never heard of that.
I enjoyed the article much, I just would like to add some information about inmigrants after the 'desert campaign' during Roca's tenure. Argentina was almost empty and therefore allowed inmigrants to come and live in our lands. But while it was expected to receive people from England or Germany, the ones who came belonged to the poorest countries in Europe,such us Polish, Jews and Syrian-Lebanese, and that's how they form the so-call 'conventillos'.
This is a fascinating topic and would enjoy if you write more about it!
Though it may be true that the ones comming from the poorest countries of Europe; Polish, Jews and syrian-Libanese, came to our country to form the 'conventillos,' and not the Germans or British. It may also be true that after Roca's desert campaigns intended to remove aborigeens from their native lands, vast territories may have been reserved and granted not precisely to the poorer classes, but to the richer ones. I have never heard of goverments granting poor class people vast acres of land to cultivate. The only alternative for these immigrants appeared to be living in 'conventillos.'
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