Having grown up deeply connected with my Chinese heritage, embarking on my first international experience in Buenos Aires, Argentina made me incredibly nervous. The idea of having to adapt to a completely new culture was exciting but nerve-wracking. As I spoke with my new study abroad classmates, I found that the sentiment was shared among us. Coming from a variety of cultures and religions, we were all concerned about fitting into this new and unfamiliar environment. However, we decided to embark on the journey together to discover what the city had to offer. 

My friends and I in front of the gate of Buenos Aires’s Chinatown. Similar gates can be found in Chinatowns across the world, including the one in Chicago to welcome visitors. 

The multiculturalism of Buenos Aires quickly became apparent as we wandered around its bustling streets, encountering a melting pot of people from around South America and the world. We met students from Ecuador and taxi drivers from Panama.  

For my birthday, my friends and I had dinner at Dragon Porteno in Chinatown. We had tea and tried the Argentinian version of staple dishes like mapo tofu, dumplings, scallion pancakes, wontons, and vegetable stir fry! 

One weekend while making our way to the Belgrano Art Fair, we stumbled into a European heritage festival. There were rows and rows of booths showcasing cultural foods whose aromas reminded me of my grandma’s home cooking. As I wandered through the stalls selling baklava and pierogies, I had the chance to meet a Polish Boy Scout member. The festival was full of lively music, dance performances, and pride in traditions. It reminded me a lot of my hometown, Chicago, the culture and vibrant city life of which is built on hundreds of years of immigration from people seeking a better life for themselves and their families. At that point, I felt a lot more at home. 

At the European heritage festival, a large crowd gathered and held hands to dance to the live music. 

I met a member of the Polish Scout organization in Argentina who was helping sell pierogies and Polish cakes. 

During the rest of my time abroad, I eagerly tagged along with friends from different cultural backgrounds as they explored the city to find things that reminded them of home. Our explorations led us to beautiful cathedrals and majestic synagogues, offering a glimpse into the city’s religious diversity. 

I visited the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral which is near Plaza de Mayo. Inside, my friends and I visited the grave of José de San Martín, an Argentinian general who led South America’s struggle for independence from Spain. 

My Jewish friends and I visited Templo Libertad, a Reform Jewish synagogue. It was very beautiful inside and I learned a lot about the religion and culture from my friends. 

In our shared apartments, we came together to make latkes and roll sushi while sharing stories of their importance to us.  

My friend Lydia hosted a sushi night where we all learned from her how to make our own sushi rolls. We got fresh sushi-grade salmon from a nearby fish market and found fresh avocados at our local grocer. Nobody knew how to cut sashimi for the sushi, so I took on the challenge after watching a couple of YouTube tutorials. 

I shared my heritage by teaching my friends how to make dumplings from scratch. 

I taught my friends how to make veggie filling and wrap their own dumplings. I usually steam my dumplings, so this was the first time I had ever fried them. To fry them, I turned the pan’s heat up, poured a bit of water, then covered the pan with a lid to make the dumpling skin crispy. 

As my birthday approached, I found myself navigating the vibrant streets of Chinatown, surrounded by both familiar and distinct sights and sounds. I ate dim sum with a friend for brunch, and while the small dishes we ordered were very similar to what I was used to in Chicago’s Chinatown, I noticed subtle differences in our food reflecting the adaptation of Chinese food to the Argentinian taste profile. 

Bre and I got dim sum for brunch after class. 

Bre and I ordered dim sum staples like congee (rice porridge), osmanthus jelly, savory rice crepes, siu mai, egg tarts, and shrimp dumplings. While most dishes were the same as ones I would find in Chinatown, I noticed some foods were a bit sweeter and less spicy than what I was used to. We were incredibly full afterward. 

Through these diverse experiences, I not only found comfort in the similarities between Buenos Aires and my hometown but also embraced the beauty found in their differences. My friends and I were able to discover our cultural niches, making our transition into our new environment much less daunting. The city was a living testament to the beauty of cross-cultural interactions.