Abstract

GIORGIS, Marta. Urkupiña, the migrant virgin festivity, work and reciprocity in the bolivian great Cordoba. Cuad. Fac. Humanid. Cienc. Soc., Univ. Nac. Jujuy [online]. 2000, n.13, pp.233-250. ISSN 1668-8104.

For about four decades approximately, in a Village near Cochabamba Bolivia, people celebrate the ''Festivity of the Virgin of Urkupiña'' on the 15th August (in the Catholic Calendar the day of the Assumption) This religious ritual convoke thousands of people that move to Urkupiña from most of the departments of the country to ask the virgin for money-loans, these money loans will be given back to the virgin with interest during three consecutive years. During 1982 a group of ethnic Bolivians, who were living in a neighborhood which is in the outskirts of Cordoba, started celebrating the Festivity of the Virgin of Urkupiña since then the celebration takes place on 15th August, having more people coming and more participation people this event takes place on other neighborhoods in Cordoba as well. These inhabitants of Cordoba are perceived by their Argentine neighbors as ''Bolivian migrants''. Nonetheless, from the perspective of these inhabitants migration is defined as ''coming to Argentina and leaving the country'' to work. This paper shows the recreation the inhabitants have made of this social space in their condition has modified the festivity sense. In the transnationalization process the virgin has kept her ''lender'' and ''capitalist'' character, but has incorporated a new ''good'' in the exchange list with her devotus: ''work''.

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