The gauchos of Argentina were a skilled and nomadic group of outlaws, who, despite their marginalized status, gained recognition and admiration between the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries. As "mestizos," with a mixed heritage of European and indigenous ancestry, the gauchos stood out in national folklore and literature as a symbol that appealed to diverse groups beyond the country's white majority.

As someone raised by a Chilean father and German-Argentinian mother in Sydney, Australia, I have always felt a sense of disconnection with any one culture due to my mixed heritage. The gaucho serves as a powerful symbol of those who exist between cultures, and it resonates with my own experience of not fully belonging to any one place.