Buenos Aires, City of Immigrants

Buenos Aires has wonderful neighborhoods and easily walkable areas when the weather is nice, but this day we woke to rain. I thought I could just weather it, so to speak, but dodging umbrellas on the city streets quickly grew tiresome.

We decided it made the most sense to head toward the Museum of Immigration at Puerto Madero. The museum, located behind the current immigration headquarters, was the Ellis Island of Buenos Aires.

From the early 1900's until after World War II, there were many Europeans who relocated to Buenos Aires. Those immigrants who had friends or relatives to sponsor them were processed and quickly left the building. Those without employment or contacts stayed in the dormitories for a week or more until they could secure housing and a job.

Looking at the exhibits, we discovered a poster that advertised travel on the very ship Henry's family had traveled on: the Mendoza.

 Most of the immigrants' names were logged in huge, leather-covered ledgers, although a few of the ledgers had disappeared. Luckily, the museum had digitized many of their records. For a few pesos, anyone could request a computer search.
Henry paid the pesos and was surprised and excited to find his name, along with his parents' names, on the computer screen. 

For a few more pesos, he was given souvenir certificates documenting his family's arrival.

We celebrated the completion of the immigrant's journey by having dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Dada.

 Henry said it was the second-best meal he'd ever had; the best was last year's dinner at Dada's!