While I was sipping my steaming cup of “Plum N’ Carrots” at Tea Connection, my tea sanctuary in Buenos Aires that offers exquisite blends of black, green, and red teas as well as a smorgasbord of delicious juices and comestibles, an obviously indigent man came in and quietly asked my fellow patrons for spare change. After a few minutes, the manager noticed the man’s presence, walked over to him, and politely asked him to leave, giving him a pat on the back and a smile. The interaction was as if the manager were a big brother or an old friend playing the same routine of keeping this man’s behavior in check.

In the Argentine culture, the fraternity of men could not be stronger. It’s a beautiful sight—the hand on the shoulder and exchange of words as two men, whether friends or strangers, cross paths. It is as if the two grew up together, playing futbol in the park as boys and chasing the girls on weekends as young men. Yet even without this shared history, Argentine men have a mutual understanding and respect for one another. Among those who are more intimate of friends, it is not uncommon to see even more physical connections, such as an arm hung around another’s shoulders as they walk down the street.

When I compare this to the interpersonal relations in the U.S., the two cultures could not be more distinct. In the north, everyone is a stranger, exemplified through the cold glances one obliviously tends to give and receive on the street. Our goal is to avoid—be it awkward moments or uncomfortable interactions—and nothing could alter this routine. Could the U.S. ever embrace this type of camaraderie among men demonstrated through physical interactions? A part of me wishes it could be so, however another part believes that homophobia is too strong and prevents men from showing their feelings without constraint. In contrast, it appears that Catholicism plays such a dominant role in Argentine culture that homosexuality does not even enter into the picture when one sees two men together. In a sense, the culture is beyond homophobia—it just assumes that homosexuality does not exist.

Regardless of how this cultural peculiarity came to be, it seems to promote a culture of compassion and solidarity within the city and, when I encounter it in the street or in my tea haven, it has the amazing capability to put a smile on my face.