Families, young people and tourists enjoyed this Saturday morning the traditional Chinese dragon dance, music from Colombian and Chilean bands, colorful typical costumes and tasty dishes from different parts of the world at the start of the Festival of Collectivities to celebrate Immigrant’s Day, which is commemorated this Sunday.
Framed in a beautiful sunny day, the activities began at 10:30 in the grounds of the former Hotel de los Inmigrantes in the city of Buenos Aires, located in Antártida Argentina 1,355, and will continue until this Sunday at 8:00 p.m. with more than 60 gastronomic stands. Y 40 music shows and dances with free admission.
“We are traveling through South America for eight months and we stayed in Argentina for two, so we came to spend the day here, because this Festival is also held in my country and is very well organized,” a 32-year-old Turkish man told Télam. , Gagatay Ordeur, while eating at the Brazilian food stand with his partner.
In the event park, which is part of the grounds of the National direction of Migrationrun by his organization, offers food and drinks from different countries at stalls run by migrants and descendants dressed in traditional costumes of various nationalities such as Greece, Brazil, Pakistan, Spain, Colombia and Ecuadoramong others.
With outdoor tables to enjoy the dishes comfortably, visitors can enjoy the dances of different communities and also present shows by El Choque Urbano, Anda Calabaza and Los del Fuego, in addition to witnessing the famous public TV program Cocineros Argentines, who will broadcast live tomorrow from the place.
The festival is held to celebrate Immigrant’s Day, which is commemorated every September 4 to remember the provision issued by the First Triumvirate of 1812 that established “immediate protection for individuals of all nations and their families who wish to settle in the territory” and honor the thousands of people from other nations who chose to develop personally and professionally in Argentina.
with the traditional dragon dance and dancers dancing under the warm Saturday sun, groups of families and students – a large part of them foreigners – witnessed the show with views of the historic building that housed the Hotel de los Inmigrantes, the first point of arrival in the country for a large number of foreigners, especially Italians and Spanish, who arrived at the beginning of the 20th century.
“The dragon dance is currently used for ceremonies, inaugurations, festivities, weddings, and it brings good energy, omens and drives away evil spirits,” Brenda Sáez, one of the dancers from the Lung Chuan Association, told Télam. in performance.
(Photos Florence Downes)
The young woman explained that “the dragon is the imperial one and the lion represents the people, so there are a lot of people handling the golden dragon and the lion is just two people.”
Sitting on a bench in the shade with her partner, Bianca Bargas, a 25-year-old Ecuadorian woman, said that it was the first time she had visited the place since she lived in Argentina for eight years.
“It’s very well organized, it has outdoor tables and I ate food from my country, a cassava tortilla, which brings me a little closer to my little house,” said the young student of Graphic Design at the University of Buenos Aires.
Then, two Colombian and Chilean bands offered their music and dance show with native costumes on a stage located at the end of the venue.
At the entrance of the Festival there is a stand of the AySa company where information is given on the importance of caring for water; and another space that reports on the hydroelectric use of the River in the province of Santa Cruz, where children can have fun painting maps of Argentina and the different native animals.
There is also a mobile National Registry of Persons (Renaper) where visitors can make their DNI at the time, and another space that provides information with visual panels on how renewable energy works, as well as games for children with a 4D cinema, are other attractions before entering the premises.
As part of the festival, there is also a traveling exhibition at the Immigration Museumso that visitors can learn about the different migratory waves in the country and also consult the database of the Port of Buenos Aires, where they can give them a certificate of arrival of their ancestors.
In addition, you can try a 4d simulator to see the museum inside and the artistic samples that the place offers.
On the other hand, also within the framework of National Immigrant Day, the community artistic project “Integrated, regardless of origin” was inaugurated this Saturday, which consists of a sample of 150 large black and white portraits to make visible immigrants. migrants and refugees and their contribution to the construction of the country.
It is organized by the Foundation for the Cultural Integration of Migrants and Refugees, with the support of the UNHCR and IOM (International Organization for Migration) and is set up around the Plaza Rubén Darío, in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Recoleta.
