30  TANGO AND THE ECONOMY

Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 21:21:36 +0000
From: "~DANCE MORE TANGO~" <24tango@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject: TANGO AND THE ECONOMY

Enrico wrote:

Maybe is time to talk seriously, and to separate economic situation
from
Tango at Buenos Aires."

How can you seperate the two when tango dollars mean so much to
so many. Why do you think there has been such a flux of 'play for
pay' dancers, or why, in the last five years have the young people
come back to tango? Because they see a dismal future and feel
somehow that tango will get them out of the country. And for some
it has worked. It's like the old saying, "if you want to get out of
Harlem, play good basketball".

The desperate economy also plays havoc with the traveling dancer.
Not just the problem with the airlines, that will be resolved, but
children begging on the streets or selling paltry goods while
you are having lunch, or pilfering food from your plate when you
leave. That is not so easily resolved and these images stay with you.
Not only this but the increased crime and theft are situations
that also affect our decision to travel to these destinations. I remember
many years ago that I would leave the milongas early in the morning
and walk in the streets alone. Not anymore. Granted, tango dancers
represent a very small percentage of the income to BA, but our dollars
would be missed.

So I feel that it is impossible to seperate the economy and tango and
I welcome other opinions.

regards to the list,
norma
www.dancemoretango.com

Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2020 00:38:52 -0700
From: Sergio <sergio@NCINTER.NET>
Subject: Tango and The Economy - Gypsies

Norma says: "Why do you think there has been such a flux of 'play for
pay' dancers, or why, in the last five years have the young people
come back to tango? Because they see a dismal future and feel
somehow that tango will get them out of the country. And for some
it has worked. It's like the old saying, "if you want to get out of
Harlem, play good basketball".

The nations that went from a "State Owned" economy to one of "Free market" had to go through a transition period.
Canada and most Eastern European countries are good examples. During this period there is high unemployment, increase in crime, drug =
addiction, prostitution, corruption and mafia activity among other social calamities. The USA was/ is not an exception. The American =
population had to suffer similar social problems until very recently and many of them are still present.
It seems that nations that have developed economies and are very rich in natural resources adjust and eventually continue to develop. I hope =
that this is the case for Argentina.

To think that young people see dancing tango as a way out of a bad economical situation seems to be (imo) an absurd generalization.
I think that most people dance tango because they like it, in Argentina and abroad the same. Those that aspire to be tango instructors are an =
infinitesimal part of them and from this group those that wish to travel abroad to teach are a small proportion.

Argentineans that emigrate are entrepreneurs, technicians or professionals. Enrico made reference to a newspaper article (from =
Florida) that explains this in detail . Argentina has very low emigration rate, due to this its citizens are excepted from obtaining a =
visa to come to the USA, that means that they can come whenever they wish without any obstacles. Many Argentineans are entitled to have =
double citizenship with countries in Europe, this allows them to go and live there if they wished. Spain accepts professional titles from =
Argentinean Universities without any further examination ( this in many cases could be an entry to other countries of the European Community).
So be realistic how many people can make a living abroad teaching tango? Very few. Those probably get in touch with tango tourists giving the =
impression above expressed.

The irony is that despite of all its economical problems Argentina receives between 300,000 and 500,000 immigrants per year.
Many come from Eastern Europe.Romanian and Hungarian gypsies come to Argentina and obtain protection from the United Nations as (persecuted =
minorities). These women and their children beg in the street, open doors, simulate all sort of fake disabilities, etc, etc. This happens =
all over Western Europe as well. There is a street in San Telmo where those gypsies live that is known as the Street of Miracles because the =
man that was limping kicks his crutches and runs, the blind can see, the children that had been crying all day long in Florida St. become quiet, =
etc. Many gypsy women rent children from other gypsy families to go begging in the street, it is calculated that this occupation brings =
between 15 and 200 dollars per day. I personally made an investigation of this ethnic group in Mar del Plata, where most of them originally =
came from Hungary but have lived in Argentina for a couple of generations. I discovered that most of them are very well off, they are =
in the used car business. They own beautiful houses lining Hara Ave.. The houses have a garage for several cars, and a large living with only =
a table for fornichure the floor covered with carpets and pillows. Here there are beautiful dances that I had the fortune to be part of. Playing =
very romantic music, dancing, drinking, the women wearing beautiful, colorful dresses and fine jewelry. Despite of all this the women and the =
children still beg in the streets, some shine shoes, some tell your fortune and some (a minority) are poor.

Till very recently (1994) the unemployment rate was very low (about 2.5 to 3.0 %). When the companies were privatized new technology was =
introduced, and many thousands of employees were dismissed.

The Argentine peso has the same value as the American Dollar this causes economical problems as well as unneeded immigration due to the fact that =
even a low salary of 400 or 500 pesos per month is an enormous amount for people coming from Central, South America and from Eastern Europe. =
The high value of the peso causes problems to export as Argentine products are expensive while imports are cheap.

In summary: the economy has been in recession for the last three years, unemployment rate is high, the distance between the rich and the poor =
has increased. The government has decreased in size, social services have been curtailed, education is still free including tertiary level, =
and medical care can also be obtained for free.

Tango tourists visit mostly downtown and the Southern part of the city (the humblest one), they interact with cab drivers, hotel employees, =
waiters, tourist guides, etc. all occupations that are performed in great percentage by immigrant workers (from Southamerica or the =
interior).
I am a world traveler and...
...quite frankly... I believe that even now, with all its problems the country as a whole and Buenos Aires in particular look better than most =
places in the world. But I could be wrong...

In any case tourism is an important activity for the city of Bs.As. and tango is a factor in attracting visitors but only *a factor* (one) out =
of many other attractions. Too long, I apologize.

Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 10:53:17 -0700
From: Enrico AAANETSERV <enrico@AAANETSERV.COM>
Subject: Re: Tango and The Economy - Gypsies (or... Presidents)

Sergio:

>In summary: the economy has been in recession for the last three years,

unemployment rate is high, the >distance between the rich and the poor has
increased. The government has decreased in size, social >services have been
curtailed, education is still free including tertiary level, and medical
care can also be >obtained for free.

Allow me to clarify: free education means you don't have to pay for it. In
USA it is free, but it costs between several thousand dollars a year to
$30,000 a year or more... (I had two daughters in "free colleges", it costed
me a fortune!).

>In any case tourism is an important activity for the city of Bs.As. and

tango is a factor in attracting >visitors but only *a factor* (one) out of
many other attractions.

Perhaps one single tango dance of presidents Menem and Clinton can have more
impact than all the low-budget tango tourists in promoting tourism in
Argentina in this world of ours so dependent on the media news (Thank you
Melinda for organizing it!).

Enrico

Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 10:19:16 -0500
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: Tango and The Economy - Gypsies

Sergio wrote:

>It seems that nations that have developed economies and are very rich
>in natural resources adjust and eventually continue to develop.

At the risk of digressing too much from tango, let me sound a note of
disagreement. Throughout history, the most developed countries have been
rich in economic organization rather than natural resources. The
historical record shows that an abundance of natural resources neither
seems to be a prerequisite or an aid to economic growth.

--Steve (de Tejas)

Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 11:58:07 -0400
From: Melinda Bates <tangerauna@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Tango and The Economy

> At the risk of digressing too much from tango, let me sound a note of
> disagreement. Throughout history, the most developed countries have been
> rich in economic organization rather than natural resources. The
> historical record shows that an abundance of natural resources neither
> seems to be a prerequisite or an aid to economic growth.
>
> --Steve (de Tejas)

A former ambassador to Uruguay once explained to me that most countries have
a monetary policy to avoid recessions, while Argentina, for a variety of
historical reasons, has recessions to avoid having a monetary policy.
Curious.

Melinda