University of Wisconsin–Madison

Argentina: Genesis Liriano

Program: UW Activism Through the Arts, Winter Intersession

Major: Community and Organizational Development, Education Policy Studies

What is your most memorable experience from your program?

A memorial site dedicated to 35,000 missing people during the Argentinean military dictatorship has been one of the most memorable experiences in my whole life beyond this program. It saddens me to see the age ranges between 2 months to 80 years old and those were based on found names. Those people experienced torture until their final breaths. Though their spirits were heavy I am proud to say that their legacy also lives on beyond the lines of Argentina and their stories will be heard.

A large group of people gathered on a street, waving and carrying blue and white flags and umbrellas.
Nunca Mas – Protests rounds that began in the 1980’s to bring attention to the 35,000 missing people during the military dictatorship continues to happen every Thursday led by the grandmothers and mothers of those missing.

What did you learn about yourself or the world because of your experience?

Taking this course through a political science lens made me realize how media control plays a large role in how countries and cultures are perceived. In my program I learned about Argentina experiencing multiple rulings where media was censored both incoming and outgoing. This is why many people in that era from outside countries don’t understand the harsh reality. Digital media and archival work will keep these histories and their truths alive.

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Taking this course through a political science lens made me realize how media control plays a large role in how countries and cultures are perceived.

What is the moment you are most proud of?

I am most proud of how much I’ve grown within my time away. I was actively imagining my life in a different context. I was fully embracing the lifestyle: my accent was changing, I was changing my diet, I became involved in understanding the country’s politics. My host mom started to feel like family and my cohort a home away from home.

What is your advice for someone considering your program?

Everything you think you know about Latin America does not apply. The history of Argentina is very different from the rest of Latin America including economic patterns and demographics. This influences the aspects from the food to even architecture seeming closer to European (French, Italian, German) than the counterparts of similar countries nearby.