Spring, Elections, Racism and Pregnancy, September 2007

Spring is finally here. For our first year in Buenos Aires (and our first winter in years), we survived the coldest and longest winter Argentina has experienced in over 40 years. At least that is what the taxi drivers tell us. “It hasn’t been this cold since I was a kid! But it will end soon…” We are still are waiting for the famous storm that normally accompanies the “Dia de Santa Rosa” on August 30, commemorating the end of the winter season for Argentines. The Portenos are sure it will come any day, so everyone is walking around the city with umbrellas.

In political news, Cristina Fernandez, who is a Senator and the wife of the current President of Argentina, recently announced her candidacy for the Presidency here, and she has a good chance at winning. How ironic, I think, that a woman can be elected as President in a country where women are consistently talked down to, objectified, and discriminated against. Every kiosk is filled with magazines of naked and scantily clad women. Female TV personalities are barely clothed, made up to look like kabuki dolls with long, improbably colored hair, and ridiculously sized breasts (my husband’s comment: “It’s an outrage!”) When I see these women, all I can think of is how long, and how many surgeries, does it take them to look like that? Scan the job ads here if you want proof of just how much discrimination against women in the hiring process is accepted; “Receptionist wanted. Between 20 and 30 years old. Send photo.” I used to see this sort of thing in El Salvador in the 1990s, but that is still is allowed today in one of Latin America’s most developed countries is shocking to me. How could a woman be taken seriously as President in a country like this?

Maybe Argentines are willing to get past the “woman thing” as long as the alternatives remain bleak, and the country continues to do well under her husband’s watch. The economy continues to hum along with strong growth rates, still in large part thanks to high commodity prices. Venezuela is investing in Argentine companies and buying Argentine debt, and other private companies continue to invest here, in spite of the uncertain investment climate. Construction is booming, real estate prices are on the rise, and prices for gas and foodstuffs in Buenos Aires remain low, and controlled, good short-term news for the middle class and the poor. Even continued energy shortages and new, weekly corruption scandals plaguing the current administration don’t seem to be hurting Cristina’s chances of winning the Presidency in October. So I guess I can look forward to a few more years of cheap steak.

Mrs. Fernandez Presidential candidate recently stated that one could not compare her to the U.S.’ Mrs. Clinton, given her long political career (compared to Mrs. Clinton’s short one?). I’d have to cattily ad that esthetically, there are also some differences. I’m used to female politicians wearing suits, and downplaying their makeup a bit. I know I’m perpetuating stereotypes, but I can’t help myself. I can’t concentrate on what someone is saying when I am overly distracted by how they look. Sue me. So here is a tip for Latin American, female politicians who visit the U.S.—channel Nancy Pelosi, or better yet, recently-named “best-dressed” Michelle Obama when you pack your bags.

Of course, an Argentine looking to a black American woman for dressing tips is rather unlikely here, given the level of racism I’m finding among Argentines, even when opinion surveys show how Argentines think Americans are prejudiced. In my own experience, I have heard of playgroup mothers commenting negatively on the “dark skin” of the kids frequenting neighborhood playgrounds. About a week ago, my husband and I were scanning the papers one morning to find a survey among Argentine youth, where it was reported that over 60% actively discriminate against a number of groups. The most discriminated group was Gypsies; the second most discriminated group was Jews. The third, Americans! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, given how relations are between the U.S. and the world these days, and given former President Peron’s pro-Nazi leanings and Argentina’s shameful history of hiding German war criminals following WWII. These groups were followed by “Indios” and immigrants of other countries—Peruvians, Bolivians, Paraguayans—in the survey. My husband, a D.C. native, was shocked to see that among the list of discriminated peoples, black people were not even listed. We assume it is because there are just no black people in Argentina to discriminate against. Living here is like being in Northern Wisconsin. When I see a black person, it’s like sighting a rare bird. I find myself turning my head and staring, trying to find out where they are from by listening for the inevitable Portuguese (Brazilians!) or English (other tourists). I must admit that living in “Whitey’s World” is a strange experience after spending three years in West Africa.

So election season is upon us here as well. I’m sure the U.S.-bashing will increase as the campaign heats up, as that seems to continue as the surest way to win elections in Latin America these days. Given how much our countries officially dislike each other, Ms. Fernandez and her husband the President predictably avoided the U.S. Embassy’s annual July 4th Party this year. Usually these official events bore me to death, but this one was a pretty good party. It was held in the Ambassador’s historic mansion (purchased by the U.S. Government from a rich Argentine before the Depression) and the food, drinks, music, and sights were impressive. The U.S. Ambassador, an avid 60s-80s rock enthusiast, personally selected all the music. I enjoyed scanning the crowd and catching glimpses of all the famous Argentines I read about in the papers. The most interesting sighting at the party was former President Menem, somewhat surprising given the popular allegation against him that he accepted $10 million dollars from the Iranian government for his role in covering up the investigation of the bombing of the Jewish community center and Israeli Embassy here. He was alone at the party, also telling given his most recent internationally reported cuckold status; his wife was photographed topless a few months ago with another man in Miami. I bet in typical Argentine politician fashion, he is more ashamed of the latter scandal than the former, or maybe neither bothers him too much.

I wish I had wine picks to share with you all this month, but unfortunately, my “sommelier” status is on hold as I enter my 20th week of pregnancy. We decided to take advantage of Argentina’s rather wonderful health system and have another baby here. It is quite a different experience to be pregnant here than it is in Ghana, or in the U.S. for that matter. When you enter a doctor’s office in Buenos Aires, you begin the appointment with a kiss on the cheek from the Physician, and sit down for a talk with coffee or tea before actually discussing health issues. My first OB appointment here was spent chatting for about an hour with the MD about my feelings about pregnancy, my last pregnancy, any other experiences I wanted to share, my husband, what I’d like to avoid this time around, etc. before we got down to the business of blood tests, sonograms and the inevitable scale. My only complaint about my OB here is that he is adamant that I weigh like a supermodel while pregnant—I am under orders to not gain more than 10 or 11 kilos (up to 22 pounds total) for the duration of my pregnancy. He also told me to limit exercise to walking for my first trimester, and maybe after that I could do the exercise bike. It’s nice to be having my second kid, so I can smile and say, “vale”, and then confidently ignore his advice.

All this is in such contrast to my experience with my first pregnancy in Ghana. The only thing I remember the German OB saying to me after I told her in her dark, shabby office in the back of a whitewashed private clinic that I took a home pregnancy test and it was positive was, “Zose tests are pretty goot”. No advice, no tests, visit over. I later opted to give birth in the U.S. rather than suffer the no-drugs, no doctor on site, push-down-on-the-mother’s-belly-when-things-get-tough West African birth experience that my American friend underwent in Ghana. So given the choice, I’m glad I am here for the second kid.

Another contrast to Ghana, or the U.S., is that the private hospitals here, like the one a block away where I plan to give birth, are wonderfully organized and clean. Their personnel are actually pleasant. You walk in and someone receives you, directing you where you need to go. They have wonderful café’s and courtyards, and valet parking. Your OB is assured to be there at your birth. The nurses treat birthing mothers like princesses. Many rich Argentine women prefer to schedule their births here, and opt for cesareans. For those who are willing to be inconvenienced to give birth the old fashioned way, epidurals and other pain killing drugs are expected, and many go ahead and schedule post-birth tummy tucks and liposuction right after birth. Don’t think my health insurance will cover that.

Of course, pregnancy always brings with it a few inconveniences. Just last week, I finally found a job advertised locally with an international NGO that I’m perfectly qualified for, and would love to do. I applied, but everyone I talk to, especially my Argentine girlfriends, tells me that I won’t be hired, precisely because I’m pregnant, and if it gets to the interview stage, I should hide my pregnant status. This is what Evita fought for? So women can be treated like princesses as long as we are pregnant and look like supermodels, but forget about working? What kind of wanna-be-socialist country is this anyway? One that is going to elect a female President. Go figure.