Today we’d like to introduce you to Damian Funes.
Hi Damian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 40 years ago (now you know my age), and I started studying English at 6. My mom always insisted that learning English as a second language would give me more opportunities in the future, and it did. My first trip to the US was in 1994 on a family vacation to Florida, and then a second trip to Los Angeles in 1998. In 2001 I had the chance to spend three months studying to improve my English at Texas Wesleyan University, so I got to know Dallas/Fort Worth well. At that point, I think something inside me was revealing that my connection with the US was starting and would become deeper. Even though I made many friends and connections, it was in 2017 that I moved to the US. In Argentina, I graduated as a Psychologist at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. I worked for some years with private clients and defended children’s rights and vulnerable families. Over the years, with the lack of resources, the ongoing economic crisis in Argentina, and the stress I was going through, I decided to take a year off and travel to visit some friends in California. To make the story short, what I didn’t expect was that I would get to live permanently in the US. The main point of my story is that even far away from home (Argentina), I started some projects in Los Angeles to gather the Argentinian community, which is growing every day. We throw parties every month, “mateadas” at different beaches to gather people to drink our popular drink called “mate,” and our recent event to gather people to watch the Argentinian games at the World Cup; by the way, we are Champions! 🙂
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
It’s been pretty smooth compared to other stories of immigrants, and I feel lucky about that. Still, while starting in a new country, you go through some difficult situations when you cannot travel and visit your family because you are waiting for a change in your status. You have to adapt to the times of the immigration offices, etc. Regarding the project with the Argentinian community, the struggles are usually the difficulties of finding available dates at the venues for organizing parties and to make people happy since everyone has different likes and needs.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I would say that I’m very proud of how diverse I can be to adapt to different types of jobs and give the best of me in different environments. As I mentioned, I worked as a psychologist for almost ten years. Still, I’ve also worked in temporary rentals of apartments in the entertainment industry, organizing shows and representing artists, and working in social media for a platform that promotes Latin businesses. Some years ago, I also studied to become a flight attendant, but I never worked in that area. About the project to gather the Argentinian community, called “Argentinite,” it’s crazy how it’s growing every day. We got to do “mateadas” not only in Los Angeles but also in Miami, San Francisco, Dallas, and other cities worldwide like Bogotá, London, Copenhagen, Buenos Aires, and Madrid. Some of this story responds to part of the question about what I’m known for. I’m slowly becoming a referent for some Argentinians that write me every day asking about where they can get Argentinian food, what’s the best store, where to apply for a job, where to meet other Argentinians, and so on. I’m grateful if I can connect with people and make them feel that, at least for a moment, they are not alone in a foreign country.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
The main credit is to all the friends I made along the way and especially those Argentinians who appreciate the Argentinite as a place that reminds us that even far away from home. We can still gather and celebrate our culture, enjoy music and stories, and share our culture with people from other nationalities that want to know how crazy we are. Other people who deserve credit are Jesica, my partner in this project. My family, girlfriend, and friends are always next to me, and this country (US) for all the opportunities it provides.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.argentinite.com
- Instagram: @dami.funes / @argentinite
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/damian.funes.568
