WHY ARE THERE SO MANY ITALIANS IN ARGENTINA?

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to visit Buenos Aires, you might have wondered at times why it felt
as though you were stepping through the streets of Milan or Genoa. Many people comment on the
seeming lack of diversity throughout the nation, and once you notice it, it’s hard to ignore just how
much the demographic differs from the other Latin American countries. To understand the reasons for
this phenomenon, we have to go back a few centuries, specifically to start of the 16th century when
the colonisation of Latin America was in full force.

In 1502, about 10 years after the discovery of the
Americas, the Spanish set their sights on Argentina, but it wasn’t until 1516 that the mass migration to the region began. All over the continent thus far, there had been a significant prevalence of Spanish settlers, with Argentina being no exception.

Throughout the 1500s many conquistadors came and went, and Argentina was on the road to become as culturally and economically rich as its Latin neighbours; but without cohesion amongregions and a lack of support from Spain, this progress was short-lived. Fast- forward to the early
1800s; amid the Peninsular War when King Ferdinand VII was overthrown, this triggered a resistance not only in Europe, but also in the colonies around Latin America. Now without a King, the people living in the Spanish colonies decided it was best they ruled themselves, a desire that brought on the May revolution of 1810 or rather, the Argentine war of Independence. And in 1825, after years of military action and campaigns, (and help from the Chilean army) Argentina was made independent.
With their newfound independence came the opportunity for social and economic growth, and between the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th, Argentina was experiencing just that, thus generating a strong demand for immigrants. The Argentine population at the time was only 1.1 million and, with the addition of newly acquired land from the war, there was a lot of space to be filled. Because of this, in the 1870s and 80s, the government decided to offer free and subsidised land to families as an incentive to bring over new citizens. Simultaneously, in Italy, with push factors such as overpopulation, poverty, political instability, and very limited economic opportunities (particularly in the southern regions) many Italians were driven to seek a better life abroad. This was the perfect exchange for both parties, and Italian immigrants arrived in large numbers seeking new opportunities
on Argentine soil. Argentina was one of the main destinations for Italian immigrants at that time – in fact it is estimated that between 1857 and 1940, more than 6 million Italians reached Argentina. They settled mostly in urban areas as well as establishing themselves in the farmlands, where they made significant contributions to the development of the countries, now renowned, agricultural sector. Upon their arrival, Italian immigrants naturally faced many challenges, starting with language barriers, they also had difficulties adapting culturally and experienced much discrimination as a result. Despite these initial hardships, they managed to establish a sense of community; they founded Italian newspapers, language schools and cultural organisations that helped preserve
their culture and facilitated the integration of Italians into Argentine society.

Argentine Republic, from Flags of All Nations, Series 1 (N9) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
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View public domain image source hereOver time, Italian immigrants and their d

Over time, Italian immigrants and theirescen ddants blended into society, while maintaining strong ties with their geographical and cultural origins. Many Italians became entrepreneurs, artisans, and professionals, all of whom contributed to the growth of the urban middle class, legitimising their place in society. And of course, they brought their culinary traditions, art, music and even elements of the language to Argentina. Today, the Italian influence in Argentina persists; we see it in in the popularity of Italian cuisine, the architecture, the prevalence of Italian surnames and a widespread of the Mediterranean customs and values embedded in Argentine culture. Argentina is now the country with the largest Italian presence, after Italy of course, and Italian culture is so deeply rooted that it has become a huge part of Argentine Identity. The population of Italo-Argentines, according to various studies, 25 million people and it is the first ethnic group in a South American country that makes up more than 50% of the population.
It’s fair to say that Italian immigration has shaped the demographic composition, economy, and cultural identity in Argentina; Italian influence is perhaps the most prevalent within the cultural melting pot that is Argentina and has most certainly left a deep and lasting impact on the country.

Christina Usuanlele