insight
ARGENTINA CONTRIBUTIONS
Written by: Susanne Rothschild, MBA, PMP | President, The Rothschild Corporation
This article focuses on a few of Argentinean-American contributions
to our lifestyle, business, and culture. For example, did you know?
Argentinean-Americans (Argentina immigrants and their descendants) came to the U.S primarily in the
1960’s for greater economic opportunities and in the 1970’s to escape political persecution. The majority of
the immigrants of the 1960’s were well-educated professionals including many doctors and scientists. The
more recent groups have been more diverse in backgrounds. The U.S. government broadly classifies Argentin-
ean-Americans as “Other Hispanics”; however, the majority of Argentineans are of Italian and European ori-
gins. Although they speak Spanish, they pronounce Spanish with more of an Italian sound. Given their strong
connection with Italy, they primarily settled in New York City that has a number of Argentine-American
organizations that promote business ventures between Argentina and the U.S., many Italian immigrants, and
associations that promote the advancement of Science, Technology, and Culture. (Below are a few highlights.
Refer to https://www.everyculture.com/multi/A-Br/Argentinean-Americans.html for more information.)
1. What are some of the Argentinean contributions to lifestyle in the U.S?
• The rich Argentinean cuisine that has become popular in the U.S. includes huge rare beef steaks, dishes
made with vegetables and meat, empanadas (meat turnovers), Italian pasta, and dulce de leche (a thick cara-
mel made with condensed milk), and mate tea.
• Best known for their Argentinean beef, traditional specialties include asado (grilled meat and ribs), parril-
lada (Argentinean mixed barbeque) and empanadas.
• Gaucho pants, baggy trousers fastened with a leather belt that were popular in U.S. fashion for many years,
were inspired by the traditional gaucho pants of Argentina.
• Argentineans brought their traditional “la sobremesa” custom of following meals by sitting at the table
14 iF Magazine | October 2018
22