One of Argentina’s big problems is that almost all of its ruling class is Italian, some of them not even far removed from Italy. Francis himself is the child of middle-class Italian immigrants who arrived at the beginning of the 20th century. He didn’t even speak Spanish, except a few words to the servants, until he started school.
The 20th century immigrants came to join the established Italian population that had showed up in the 19th century. They were generally not impoverished rural people or from the urban slums of Italy, like the Italians in NYC, but were middle-class or better, merchants, etc. so they moved right into power.
All true. But if you ever met and got to know Argentines of Italian descent and got to know a similar number of Italian -Americans from the NY metropolitan area or native Italians, you would immedeatly note the disagreeable, different characteristics of the Argentines. As you allude they are very arrogant, lack self awareness, often phony and not very pleasant to be around.