Latin America
10
People of Argentina
Related threads:
- Welsh-Argentines
- Slovene-Argentines
- Argentines and argentine-descedants in the US
- Argentine 23andme results
Extracted from Wikipedia:
Ethnography of Argentina
__________________________The ethnography of Argentina makes this country, along with other areas of relatively modern settlement like`Brazil, Canada, Australia ,the United States or Uruguay what in the country is called crisol de razas (race crucible), or, a melting pot of different peoples. In fact, immigration to Argentina was so strong that Argentina eventually became the second country in the world that received the most immigrants, with 6.6 millions, second only to the USA with 27 millions, and ahead of such other immigratory receptors such as Canada, Brazil and Australia.
Upon the independence of Argentina, the newborn country had a large territory but was thinly populated, and like the other Latin American countries, the ethnic composition was largely the same from the colonial-era that lasted from 16th to early 19th centuries. Then, in the mid-19th century, a large wave of immigration started to arrive to the country due to newly established Constitutional policies that encouraged immigration, and due to issues in the Old World such as wars, poverty, hunger, social unrest and pursuit for opportunities or a better life in the New World. This immigration was mostly from Europe but also from the Arab world, Russia and Japan.
Thus, most Argentines are descendants of the 19th and 20th century immigrants, with about 97% of the population being of European, or of partial European descent. Arab descent is also significant (mostly of Syrian and Lebanese origin), and the Jewish population is the biggest in all Latin America (7th in the world). Mestizo population in Argentina, unlike in other Latin American countries, is very low, as is the Black population after being decimated by diseases and wars in the 19th century, though since the 1990s a new wave of Black immigration is arriving. Native Argentines on the other hand have significant populations in the country's North-West (Quechua, Diaguita, Kolla, Aymara); in the North-East (Guaraní, Mocoví, Toba, Wichí); and in the Patagonia or South (Mapuche, Tehuelche). Asian peoples have increasing minorities in some Buenos Aires neighborhoods and are expanding to other large Argentine cities. Finally, through the centuries people from neighboring countries like Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru have immigrated to Argentina, establishing important communities.
Argentineans carried a large fraction of European genetic heritage in their Y-chromosomal (94.1%) and autosomal (78.5%) DNA, but their mitochondrial gene pool is mostly of Native American ancestry (53.7%); instead, African heritage was small in all three genetic systems (<4%).
Ethnic groups
The arrival of the European immigrants
Re-enactment of the arrival of immigrants to the Port of Buenos Aires, XVII Immigrant National Festival, Oberá
The number and composition of the population was stable until 1853, when the national government, after passing a constitution, started a campaign to attract European immigration to populate the country. This state policy lasted several decades. At first the number of immigrants was modest compared to other countries such as the USA (though the number of immigrants was steadily increasing as they moved to the rural areas to settle and to found colonias like those of Italian, German, Swiss, or French origin), but in the 1870s, due to the economic crisis in Europe, it started to increase, reaching an extremely high rate between 1890 and 1930. Unofficial records show that, during the 1860s, 160,000 immigrants arrived in Argentina, while in the 1880s the net number increased to 841,000, almost doubling the population of the country in that decade.
Between 1857 and 1950, 6,611,000 European immigrants arrived in Argentina, making it the country with the second biggest immigration wave in the world, only second to the United States with 27 millions, and ahead of such other areas of new settlement such as Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and Uruguay; and permanently changing the ethnography of Argentina.[1][2]
Immigrants arrived through the port of Buenos Aires and stayed in the capital or within Buenos Aires Province and this still happens today. In 1895, immigrants accounted for 52% of the population in the Capital, and 31% in the province of Buenos Aires (some provinces of the littoral, such as Santa Fe, had about 40%, and the Patagonian provinces had about 50%).
Waves of immigrants from European countries arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Over 30 percent of the country's population born overseas by 1914, and half of the population in Buenos Aires and Rosario was foreign-born.[7][8] Over 80% of the Argentine population, per the 1914 Census, were immigrants, their children or grandchildren.[9]
The Hotel de Inmigrantes, built in 1906 to accommodate the 100,000 to 200,000 yearly arrivals at the Port of Buenos Aires, was made a National Historic Monument.Note: Yes, we have our own culture. However, our culture is based on hispanic culture. Cleary, we had other important influences, but to say that spanish culture had been diminished is just silly.Spaniards
Argentine elites diminished the Spanish culture from their culture in the newly independent country and created Argentine culture.
Between 1857 and 1940 more than 2 million Spanish people emigrated to Argentina, mostly from Galicia, Basque Country, Asturias, Cantabriain northern Spain, Catalonia in north-east Spain, and also from Andalusia in southern Spain.
Italians
Italian immigration to Argentina began in the 19th century, just after Argentina won its independence from Spain. Argentine culture has significant connections to Italian culture, also in terms of language, customs and traditions.[10]
Italians became firmly established throughout Argentina, but the greatest concentrations are in the City of Buenos Aires, in Buenos Aires Province, Santa Fe Province, Entre Rios Province, Córdoba Province, Tucumán Province, La Pampa Province and, in the nearby country of Uruguay.
There are many reasons explaining the Italian immigration to Argentina: Italy was enduring economic problems caused mainly by the unification of the Italian states into one nation. The country was impoverished, unemployment was rampant, certain areas witnessed overpopulation, and Italy was subject to significant political turmoil. Italians saw in Argentina a chance to build for themselves a brand new life. The Italian population in Argentina is the second largest in the world, by numbers, outside of Italy,[11] some 25 million people. Italians form a majority of the population of Argentina and neighbouring Uruguay as up to two-third have some Italian background; among the Latin American countries, only Brazil has more people of Italian descent (28 million, approximately 15 percent of Brazil's total population).Mestizos
According to recent studies these figures vary. Currently more than 30% of the population is mestizo Up to 8.5% of the population is mestizo (of mixed European and Amerindian origins). Mestizos mainly live in the northern provinces, and in some districts within the Greater Buenos Aires area.Amerindians
There are Amerindian groups like the Tobas, Aymaras, Guaraníes and Mapuches among others that still maintain their cultural roots, but under continuous pressure for religious and idiomatic integration.
The local natives that speak Quechua adopted that language by the teachings of the Spanish religious missionaries that came from Peru to today's Santiago del Estero Province; the language is quickly losing importance. Survey on Indigenous Populations, published by the National Institute for Statistics and Census, gives a total of 600,329 people who see themselves as descending from or belonging to an indigenous people, representing 1.5% of Argentinas population.Note: Altought there are german-descendants in Argentina, I don't think they are "one of the largest" ethnic groups, considering that they are only 7,5% of the population, nor that they had made a great impact on our culture, with the exception of the stuff that had been mentioned and other contributions. Also, apart from the ones that live in the urban areas and neighborhoods, germans tend to live in "colonies" in small towns. [Edit: Well, they might the second largest ethnic group after italians, apparently.]Germans
Germans are one of the largest ethnic groups of Argentina and they had one of the biggest impacts in the Argentine culture. The influence of German culture has also impacted Argentinian cuisine; this trend is especially apparent in the field of desserts. The pastries known as facturas are Germanic in origin: croissants, known as medialunas ("half-moons", from German "Halbmond"), are the most popular of these, and can be found in two varieties: butter- and lard-based. Also German in origin are the "Berliner" known as bolas de Fraile ("friar's balls"), and the rolls called piononos.
The facturas were re-christened with local names given the difficult phonology of German, and usually Argentinized by the addition of a dulce de leche filling. That was also the case of the "Kreppel", which are called torta fritas in Argentina, and were introduced by German immigrants, and similar case with the "Achtzig Schlag" cake, which was translated as Torta Ochenta Golpes in the country. In addition, dishes like chucrut (sauerkraut) and many different kinds of sausage like bratwurst and others have also made it into mainstream Argentine cuisine. German immigration to Argentina occurred during 5 main time periods: pre–1870, 1870–1914, 1918–1933, 1933–1940 and post–1945.
During the first period until 1870. Argentina and Germany had close ties to each other since the immigration of Germans to Argentina to this day. A flourishing trade developed between Germany and Argentina as early as the German Unification, Germany had a privileged position in the Argentine economy. Later on, Argentina maintained a strong economic relationship with both Germany and Great Britain and supported them with supplies during World War I. There are around 50,000 German descendents living in Buenos Aires. Argentina, United States, Canada and Brasil have the largest number of German descendents in the world. They arrived in the 19th century and then before and after World War II. Their arrival continued over an extended period, from mid to end of the 19th century until 1960 of the 20th century. Germans, Swiss, Belgian, Luxembourg and French people founded the Colony of Esperanza, establishing the first agricultural colony and kept founding others.
Welsh
The Welsh settlement in Argentina – known in Welsh as "Y Wladfa" – began in 1865 and occurred mainly along the coast of Chubut Province in the far southern region of Patagonia. In the 19th and early 20th century the Argentine government encouraged the immigration of Europeans to populate the country outside the Buenos Aires region; between 1856 and 1875 no fewer than 34 settlements of immigrants of various nationalities were established between Santa Fe and Entre Ríos. In addition to the main colony in Chubut, a smaller colony was set up in Santa Fe by 44 Welsh people who left Chubut, and another group settled at Coronel Suárez in southern Buenos Aires Province. In the early 21st century, around 50,000 Patagonians are of Welsh descent. The Welsh-Argentine community is centered around Gaiman, Trelew and Trevelin. From Chubut's own estimate, the number of Welsh speakers is about 25,000.Irish
They emigrated to Argentina in the 19th century, between 1830 and 1875. They extended throughout the country especially in the provinces of Santa Fe, Entre Rios and Cordoba. The modern Irish-Argentine community is estimated at 500,000-1,000,000. Argentina is the home of the fifth largest Irish community in the world.Scandinavians
Scandinavians arrived in Argentina around 1909. The first ones settled in the northeastern area and founded a city called Villa Svea (now called Oberá). It was composed of Swedes, Norwegians and Finns. Russians Germans, English and Danish joined them before and after World War I and spread throughout the country.Austrians
Austrians settled throughout the country in the late 19th century.Swiss
Approximately 44,000 Swiss emigrated to Argentina until 1940, who settled mainly in the provinces of Córdoba and Santa Fe and, to a lesser extent, in Buenos Aires.British
Around 100,000 British immigrants arrived between 1857 and 1940. The British community founded solid institutions like the British Hospital in Buenos Aires, the Herald newspaper, prestigious bilingual schools and clubs as the Lawn Tennis Club, Hurlingham Club, etc. British immigrants had a strong impact on the taste of Argentine sports through the development of football, polo, hockey, rugby, among others.
Today, there are over 350.000 Argentinians with ancestry from the British Isles.Bulgarians
Bulgarian immigration in Argentina began intensively in the 1920s and had a second boom period between 1937 and 1938. Most of them were farmers from the northern regions of Bulgaria. Most of them settled in the province of Chaco.Czechs
The Czechs were also part of the great immigration of the early 20th century. Most of the descendants of Czechs live in the provinces of Chaco and Mendoza, in the country.Lithuanians
Arrived mostly after the First World War, between 1925 and 1930. They settled mainly in Buenos Aires, Berisso and Rosario.Dutch
The first organized immigration from the Netherlands occurred in 1889, when immigrants came from the area of Friesland. A second immigration took place around 1924. Most of them settled in Mar del Plata, Bahía Blanca, Comodoro Rivadavia, and Chubut.Polish
Organized Polish immigration began in 1897 and had a decisive influence in the Argentine population. Between the two world wars (1918–1939) large numbers of Poles emigrated, they settled in Llavallol, San Justo, Valentín Alsina, San Martin, Quilmes, and so on. Between 1946 and 1950 around one hundred thousand Poles settled in the country.Russians
There are a significant amount of Russians in Argentina. Most reside in the city of Buenos Aires and northeastern areas. The majority of Russian immigrants arrived between 1880 and 1921. A small wave arrived in the country in early 1990.Ukrainians
Ukrainian regular immigration to Argentina began in the 19th century. The first Ukrainian settlement in the country was in 1897. Subsequently, groups of immigrants settled in the City of Buenos Aires, Misiones, Chaco, Corrientes, Formosa, Mendoza, Río Negro, Entre Ríos and so on. Although the Argentine census does not provide data on ethnic origins, estimates of the Ukrainian population range from 305,000 to 500,000 people (the latter figure making Ukrainians up to 1% of the total Argentine population).[14]Arabs and Levantines
There are 1,300,000–3,500,000 Argentines whose ancestry traces back to any of various waves of immigrants, largely of Arab cultural and linguistic heritage and/or identity. Arabs are usually considered part of the White population in Argentina. Most Arab Argentines are from either Lebanese or Syrian background, being originating mainly from what is now Lebanon and Syria, but also there are some individuals from the twenty-two countries which comprise the Arab world. The first Arabs settled in Argentina in the 19th century, and most of the Arabs who came during this time period were Sirio-Lebanese Arabs (During that time, Syria and Lebanon were one territory). From 1891 to 1920, 367,348 people of Arabic heritage immigrated into Argentina.[10] When they were first processed in the ports of Argentina, they were classified as Turks because what is modern day Lebanon and Syria was a territory of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Among Arab Argentines, 784,000 are Muslims. The interethnic marriage in the Arab Argentine community, regardless of religious affiliation, is very high; most community members have only one parent who has Arab ethnicity. As a result of this, the Arab community in Argentina shows marked language shift away from Arabic. Only a few speak any Arabic, and such knowledge is often limited to a few basic words. Instead the majority, especially those of younger generations, speak Spanish as a first language.Asians
The first Asian-Argentines were of Japanese descent, arriving in the 1900s and for most of the 20th century were the only Asians in Argentina. Japanese immigrants were primarily from the island of Okinawa; the majority of dry cleaning establishments in Buenos Aires were, by the mid-20th century, Japanese businesses. During the 1970s the main Asian influx was from China, and during the 1990s from South Korea and Laos. Unlike most immigrants who arrived earlier in the century, they tended to remain in close social circles and not mix with other local ethnicities. This excluded the Japanese who were the first to arrive and therefore the first to produce a native generation of mixed race Japanese-Argentines, thus integrating more so than the other Asian groups.
The Japanese-Argentine population assimilated well into Argentine society, and nearly 78% of the 4th Generation of Japanese-Argentines (Yonsei) are of mixed European and Japanese descent, mostly intermixed with immigrants from Italy and Spain, and in lesser number from the United Kingdom, France (mainly Occitania), Germany and Switzerland. The use of Japanese language has declined in Argentina and the Japanese-Argentine citizens speak the nation's national language, Spanish, although a minority of them only speak Japanese when living with a Japanese-born relative at home, but when they are living with Argentine-born relatives they only speak Spanish.
Intermarriage in the Japanese-Argentine community. Proportion of mixed-race in each generation (%):
Issei (immigrants): 0%
Nissei (Children): 9%
Sansei (Grandchildren): 66%
Yonsei (Great-grandchildren): 78%Africans
The black population in Argentina declined since the middle 19th century from 15% of the total population in 1857 (Blacks and Mulatto people), to 1% at present (mainly mulattoes, and immigrants from Cape Verde).
Afro-Argentines were up to a third of the population during colonial times, most of them slaves brought from Africa to work for the criollos. The 1813 Assembly abolished slavery, and led to the Freedom of Wombs Law of 1813, which automatically freed slaves' children at birth. During the wars of independence (1810–21) and the War of the Triple Alliance (1865–70), the male cohort within this ethnic group was reduced when thousands of black citizens were forcefully recruited and used as front-line soldiers.Jewish
The overwhelming majority of Argentina's Jewish community derives from immigrants of Northern, Central, and Eastern European origin (Ashkenazi Jews). Argentina's Jewish population is, by far, the largest in all of Latin America and is the fifth largest in the world. Buenos Aires itself is said to have over 100,000 practicing Jews, making it one of the largest Jewish urban centers in the world (see also History of the Jews in Argentina).
Note: Relationship between ethnicities and social class, as in most countries, is also present in Argentina. After the settlement of spanish colonists, the Casta system was implemented. For obvious reasons, procolumbian ethnicities had a hard time trying to adapt to this social system. So, even if the casta system was abolished (three years before our independence), people of predominant precolumbian ancestry tend to be at the lower and marginal classes, something that is still current nowadays. However, altought this is common isn't an strict rule, so there might be people from different ancestry in different classes.
Note 2: These videos are mostly from Buenos Aires. Maybe later on I will try to find from other provinces, too.
Note 3: In the first videos used the song Happy by P. Williams, so it might get repetitive.
Videos:
[Recommended: Describes very well the average culture and society of Argentina.]
[Classes: middle-low, middle, middle-high]
[Classes: middle, middle-high]
[Classes: middle-low, middle, middle-high]
[Classes: middle, middle-high]
[Classes: middle, middle-high]
[Classes: middle-low, middle, middle-high]
[Classes: middle-low, middle, ¿middle-high?]
[Classes: middle, middle-high, probably high] [This is my favorite ]
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Originally Posted by Fedex
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