Europeans Neither official census data nor statistically significant studies exist on the precise amount or percentage of Argentines of European descent today. The Argentine government recognizes the different communities, but Argentina's National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (
INDEC) does not conduct ethnic/racial censuses, nor includes questions about ethnicity. The Census conducted on 27 October 2010, did include questions on
Indigenous peoples (complementing the survey performed in 2005) and on
Afro-descendants. Over 80% of the Argentine population, per the 1914 Census, were immigrants, their children or grandchildren. 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.
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, in terms of language, customs and traditions. Italians became firmly established throughout Argentina, with the greatest concentrations in the city of
Buenos Aires,
Buenos Aires Province,
Santa Fe Province,
Entre Ríos Province,
Córdoba Province,
Tucumán Province,
La Pampa Province, and the nearby country of
Uruguay. There are many reasons for 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 were overpopulated, 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 third largest in the world, and the second largest (after Brazil) outside of Italy, More than 20 million people (47% of Argentina's population according to Argentine government websites). Italians form a majority of the population of Argentina and neighboring
Uruguay: up to two-thirds have some Italian background. Among Latin American countries, only Brazil has more people of Italian descent (28 million, approximately 15 percent of Brazil's total population).
Croats Croatian immigration to Argentina occurred mainly between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most migrants originated from Dalmatia and the Croatian Littoral, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and later Yugoslavia. Croatian Argentines are primarily concentrated in Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Chaco and parts of Patagonia, where many worked in maritime industries, agriculture and commerce. The development of shipping enterprises, including those associated with Nikola Mihanovich, is often linked to early Croatian economic activity in Argentina. Estimates of Argentines of Croatian descent generally range in the hundreds of thousands, with figures commonly placed around 300,000–350,000, though exact numbers are uncertain due to assimilation over generations.
Germans German immigration to Argentina occurred in several distinct waves: early individual migration prior to 1870; mass European immigration between 1870 and 1914; smaller inflows during the interwar period (1918–1933); politically driven migration during the era of National Socialism (1933–1945); and limited post-Second World War arrivals. Argentina and Germany developed close economic ties during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Following German unification in 1871, bilateral trade expanded significantly, and German firms established a presence in sectors such as banking, manufacturing, and import–export trade. By the early 20th century, Germany had become one of Argentina’s principal trading partners, alongside the United Kingdom. German-speaking immigrants included not only settlers from the German Empire, but also ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe, particularly the Volga Germans (
Wolgadeutsche), who began arriving in significant numbers from the 1870s after leaving the Russian Empire. These groups often established rural colonies in provinces such as Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, and La Pampa, contributing to agricultural development. One of the earliest organised agricultural settlements was the Colony of Esperanza (founded 1856 in Santa Fe Province), established by a mix of German-speaking Swiss, Germans, and other Central European settlers, marking the beginning of systematic agricultural colonisation in Argentina’s interior. German-Argentine communities developed a network of cultural institutions, including schools, clubs, churches, and newspapers, particularly in Buenos Aires and provincial towns. By the early 20th century, Buenos Aires hosted a significant German-speaking population with active cultural and commercial associations. German cultural influence is visible in aspects of Argentine cuisine, especially in processed meats and fermented foods. Items such as
chucrut (sauerkraut) and various sausages became integrated into local diets, while pastries such as
berlinesas (from Berliner doughnuts) reflect Central European origins. However, many commonly cited links—particularly regarding
facturas—are debated and reflect a broader mix of Central European and Mediterranean baking traditions rather than exclusively German influence. Estimates of Argentines of German descent vary widely. While figures in the millions are sometimes cited, these often include broadly defined “German-speaking” or Central European ancestry and are not based on census data. More conservative scholarly estimates suggest several hundred thousand to over one million Argentines have some degree of German ancestry, including descendants of Volga Germans. Precise figures remain difficult to establish due to high levels of assimilation and the historical classification of immigrants by nationality rather than ethnicity, particularly in the case of German-speaking populations from outside Germany.
French French immigration to Argentina, while smaller in scale than that from Italy or Spain, had a significant cultural and intellectual influence, particularly during the 19th and early 20th centuries. France served as an important model for Argentine elites, shaping developments in architecture, education, urban planning and the arts. Between approximately 1850 and 1930, tens of thousands of French immigrants settled in Argentina, with many originating from southwestern regions such as the Basque Country and Béarn. Although precise figures vary, French nationals constituted one of the larger non-Iberian European groups in Argentina during the peak immigration period. French cultural influence was particularly visible in architecture and urban design. Many prominent buildings in cities such as Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba were inspired by Beaux-Arts and neoclassical styles associated with French academic traditions. Notable examples include the Argentine National Congress and numerous public and private buildings constructed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. French professionals also played a direct role in shaping the urban landscape. The landscape architect Carlos Thays, appointed Director of Parks and Walkways of Buenos Aires in 1891, was instrumental in designing and expanding many of the city’s parks, including the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden, and contributed to the planting of extensive tree-lined avenues inspired by European models. In addition to architecture and urbanism, French influence extended into education, science and intellectual life, reflecting the broader prestige of French culture among Argentine elites during this period. Estimates of Argentines of French descent vary, but are generally placed in the range of several hundred thousand to over one million. Despite this, French Argentines have historically been less institutionally visible than some other immigrant groups, due to high levels of assimilation and the relative absence of tightly knit, language-preserving colonies.
Spaniards Spanish immigration was the largest European inflow to Argentina, forming a major component of the country’s population during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Although Argentina became politically independent in the early 19th century, Spanish cultural influence remained significant and was gradually reshaped rather than replaced during the formation of Argentine national identity. Between the mid-19th century and the Second World War, Argentina received well over 2 million Spanish immigrants, with some estimates placing the total closer to 2.5–3 million over the broader migration period. The largest regional sources included Galicia, the Basque Country, Asturias, Cantabria, Catalonia, and Andalusia. Spanish immigrants and their descendants became deeply integrated into urban and rural society, contributing significantly to labour markets, commerce, and cultural life, particularly in Buenos Aires and other major cities.
Scandinavians Scandinavian migration to Argentina began in the early 20th century, mainly involving small numbers of Swedes, Norwegians and Finns arriving during the broader European immigration period. One of the earliest settlements was founded in 1909 in Misiones Province, where Swedish immigrants established Villa Svea (later renamed Oberá) as part of Argentina’s rural colonisation programmes. Scandinavian immigrants remained a relatively small group and were generally integrated into wider multi-ethnic rural communities rather than forming large, distinct urban enclaves.
Austrians Austrian immigration to Argentina formed part of broader Central European migration during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with settlers often arriving alongside German and Swiss immigrants. They settled mainly in Buenos Aires and rural colonies in the interior, but remained a relatively small and largely assimilated group.
Swiss Around 40,000–50,000 Swiss emigrated to Argentina up to the mid-20th century, particularly during the main European migration period between the mid-19th century and 1940. They settled mainly in the provinces of Santa Fe and Córdoba, with smaller communities in Buenos Aires and other regions. Swiss immigrants played a notable role in agricultural colonisation, often founding or joining rural farming settlements alongside other Central European groups such as Germans and Italians.
British British migration to Argentina formed a small but economically influential European diaspora. It expanded following the 1825 Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation with the United Kingdom, which facilitated trade and investment. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, British capital was central to Argentina’s export economy, particularly in railways, banking, shipping and meat processing. Britain became Argentina’s principal foreign investor by the early 20th century. British migration itself was relatively limited, with fewer than 100,000 arrivals from England, Scotland and Wales between the mid-19th century and 1940, and a peak British-born population of around 40,000. The wider British cultural footprint included institutions such as the British Hospital (Buenos Aires), English-language press, and social clubs like the Hurlingham Club. British influence on sport was significant, particularly in the introduction of football, rugby, cricket and polo through schools and railway communities. A distinct Welsh settlement developed in Patagonia from 1865, most notably in Chubut Province, where settlers established Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony), which remains culturally visible today as Welsh-Argentine communities. Estimates of Argentines with British ancestry (English, Scottish and Welsh) are generally placed between 100,000 and 300,000.
Greeks There are about 50,000 to 80,000 Argentines of Greek descent. The first immigrants arrived at the end of the 18th century, while the bulk of immigration occurred during the first half of the 20th century. Many were Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians immigrating from Greece, who became adjusted to Argentine society because of the linguistic similarities between Eastern Romance and Spanish, as well as the Latin identity of Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians.
Albanians During the great immigration from Italians towards Argentina, there were also a lot of Arbereshe people. They became part of the great European immigration towards South America in the 19th century. Most Albanians who migrated to Argentina were Arbëreshë from Southern Italy.
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 settled in the province of Chaco.
Serbs Serbian immigration to Argentina began in the mid-19th century, with smaller waves continuing into the early 20th century as part of broader South Slavic migration from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and neighbouring Balkan regions. Today, the Serbian-Argentine community is largely composed of descendants of earlier immigrants, many of whom are third- or fourth-generation and have largely assimilated into the wider population, while maintaining some cultural and religious associations, particularly through the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Czechs The Czechs were also part of the great immigration of the early 20th century. Most of their descendants live in the provinces of Chaco and Mendoza, in the country.
Irish Irish migration to Argentina occurred primarily between the early and late 19th century, particularly from the 1830s to the 1870s. Most Irish immigrants settled in rural areas of the Pampas, especially in Buenos Aires Province, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, where they were often employed in sheep farming and agricultural work. Unlike many other European immigrant groups, Irish settlers tended to form dispersed rural communities rather than large urban enclaves, although Buenos Aires also developed a significant Irish-Argentine population over time. Estimates of the number of Argentines of Irish descent vary widely, generally ranging from around 500,000 to over 1 million, reflecting differing definitions of ancestry and assimilation over generations. Argentina is widely regarded as having one of the largest Irish-descended populations outside the English-speaking world, though exact global rankings vary depending on methodology and census definitions.
Lithuanians Lithuanian immigration to Argentina occurred mainly after the First World War, with a significant wave between 1925 and 1930. Most Lithuanian migrants settled in Buenos Aires, Berisso and Rosario, where they integrated into industrial and urban working-class communities alongside other European immigrant groups.
Luxembourgers A small wave of migration from Luxembourg to Argentina occurred between 1888 and 1890 during what was contemporaneously described as the
Argentinienfieber (“Argentine fever”), a broader European emigration boom to South America. During this period, more than 1,000 Luxembourgers—approximately 0.5% of the country’s population at the time—emigrated to Argentina. Most settled in urban centres and agricultural regions, though the community remained small and was largely assimilated into the broader European immigrant population in Argentina.
Dutch Organized Dutch immigration to Argentina began in the late 19th century, with a notable group arriving in 1889, primarily from Friesland. A second smaller wave followed around the 1920s, including migrants seeking agricultural and urban opportunities. Dutch immigrants settled mainly in coastal and southern regions, including Mar del Plata, Bahía Blanca, Comodoro Rivadavia and parts of Chubut, though they remained a relatively small and highly assimilated community within the broader European immigrant population.
Polish Polish immigration to Argentina began in the late 19th century, with increased arrivals from the 1890s and a larger wave during the interwar period (1918–1939), when many Poles emigrated for economic and political reasons. Polish immigrants mainly settled in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, including Llavallol, San Justo, Valentín Alsina, San Martín and Quilmes, often integrating into industrial and working-class districts alongside other European migrant groups. A smaller post-Second World War wave also arrived between 1946 and 1950, though estimates of its size vary and are not consistently documented in official statistics.
Russians Russian migration to Argentina occurred in distinct waves. The largest historical influx took place between 1880 and 1921, when settlers from the Russian Empire, including ethnic Russians and other groups, established small rural colonies, particularly in the northeast. A smaller wave arrived after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, mainly settling in urban areas such as Buenos Aires. Since 2022, arrivals have increased again, largely driven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent economic and political conditions, with many new migrants seeking residence, business opportunities, or visa-free entry pathways.
Ukrainians . Ukrainian migration to Argentina began in the late 19th century, with the first organised settlement established in 1897. Early immigrants primarily settled in agricultural colonies in provinces such as Misiones, Chaco, Corrientes, Formosa, Entre Ríos and Buenos Aires. Further waves of migration occurred during the 20th century, particularly after the First World War and following displacement from Eastern Europe. A smaller but notable increase in Ukrainian immigration has occurred since 2022, linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and resulting displacement and migration flows. Estimates of the number of Argentines of Ukrainian descent vary widely, generally ranging from several hundred thousand to around one million, depending on definitions of ancestry and generational assimilation.
Welsh The Welsh settlement in Argentina, known in Welsh as
Y Wladfa, began in 1865 in the Chubut Valley in Patagonia. It was part of a broader Argentine policy encouraging European immigration to sparsely populated regions outside Buenos Aires during the 19th century. Additional Welsh migration followed during the late 19th century, with smaller secondary settlements established in Santa Fe and later in parts of Buenos Aires Province, including Coronel Suárez. The main centres of Welsh-Argentine life remain in Chubut, particularly Gaiman, Trelew and Trevelin. Welsh cultural and linguistic traditions have persisted in Patagonia, including continued use of the Welsh language in community and cultural settings. A distinctive regional variety known as Patagonian Welsh has also developed.
Jewish The majority of Argentina’s Jewish population derives from immigrants of Ashkenazi origin from Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, particularly those arriving between the late 19th century and mid-20th century. There is also a smaller Sephardic community, with origins in the Middle East, North Africa and the Balkans. Argentina has one of the largest Jewish populations in Latin America, and one of the largest in the world outside Israel and the United States, though exact rankings vary depending on definitions of religious, cultural or ethnic identification. Buenos Aires contains the largest concentration of Jews in the country and one of the largest urban Jewish populations globally, with a wide network of synagogues, schools and cultural institutions. See also:
History of the Jews in Argentina.
Romani Estimates of the Romani population in Argentina vary, with figures commonly placed at around 300,000, although precise numbers are uncertain due to the absence of official ethnic classification in national census data. Romani communities in Argentina are primarily concentrated in urban areas, particularly in Buenos Aires and other major cities, and are largely integrated into wider Argentine society while maintaining distinct cultural traditions.
West Asians Arabs and Levantines Argentines of Levantine origin form one of the largest West Asian-descended communities in the country, primarily tracing their ancestry to migration from the territories of the former Ottoman Empire, particularly present-day Syria and Lebanon. Most early migrants arrived between the late 19th century and early 20th century, during which time they were commonly recorded as “Turks” in immigration records due to Ottoman nationality. The majority were Christians, particularly from Eastern Orthodox and Maronite communities. Estimates of Argentines of Arab or Levantine descent vary widely, generally ranging from around 1.3 million to over 3 million, depending on definitions of ancestry and assimilation across generations. ,
Misiones. , of Syrian descent.
Armenians Armenian immigration to Argentina occurred in several waves: late 19th-century arrivals linked to violence in the Ottoman Empire, a larger wave following the Armenian genocide (1915–1923), and smaller later migrations including post-Soviet arrivals in the late 20th century. The Armenian-Argentine population is concentrated mainly in Buenos Aires, with smaller communities in other urban centres. Estimates of the population vary, generally placed between 100,000 and 160,000 descendants.
Amerindians , an activist for the
Qom people Argentina's National Institute of Indigenous Affairs (INAI) identifies 38 indigenous peoples throughout the country. There are Amerindian groups like the
Tobas,
Aymaras,
Guaraníes and
Mapuches, among others, who still maintain their cultural roots, but are under continuous pressure for religious and idiomatic integration. The local natives who speak
Quechua adopted that language either after they were conquered by the
Inca Empire (that reached Tucumán) or by the teachings of the Spanish religious missionaries who came from
Peru to today's
Santiago del Estero Province; the language is quickly losing importance. The 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 Argentina's population. According to a recent study of 246 individuals, up to 30% of this population could have varying degrees of Native American ancestry, but other studies such as those carried by Norma Pérez Martín (2007) suggest at least 56% of Argentines would have indigenous ancestry Regarding the indigenous peoples of Argentina, the Constitution of the Argentine nation in its article 17 says: Some provinces in Argentina have indigenous languages as official languages, for example the
Corrientes Province has
Guarani as an official language and the
Jujuy Province has
Quechua and
Aymara as official languages. Some of the fathers of Argentina's independence wanted that the new independent state to be governed by indigenous monarchy. The
Inca plan of 1816 proposed that
United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (Present Argentina) should be a monarchy, led by a descendant of the
Inca. Juan Bautista Túpac Amaru (half-brother of
Túpac Amaru II) was proposed as monarch. This proposal was supported by notable figures such as
Manuel Belgrano,
José de San Martín and
Martín Miguel de Güemes. The
Congress of Tucumán finally decided to reject the Inca's plan, creating instead a republican, centralist state.
Mapuche The Mapuche (from the Mapudungún Mapuche autonym) are the largest indigenous people in the Southern Cone, inhabiting central and southern Chile and part of Argentina.
Mapuche languages are spoken in Chile and Argentina. The two living branches are Huilliche and Mapudungun. Although not genetically related, lexical influence has been discerned from Quechua. Linguists estimate that only about 200,000 full-fluency speakers remain in Chile. The language receives only token support in the educational system. In recent years, it has started to be taught in rural schools of Bío-Bío, Araucanía and Los Lagos Regions. The Mapuche traditional economy is based on agriculture; their traditional social organization consists of extended families, under the direction of a lonko or chief. In times of war, the Mapuche would unite in larger groupings and elect a toki (meaning "axe" or "axe-bearer") to lead them. Mapuche material culture is known for its textiles and silverwork.
Toba The Toba, also known as the Qom, are an ethnic group of the Pampido people who live in the Central Chaco. Around the 16th century, they began to inhabit a large part of northern Argentina in what are now the provinces of Salta, Chaco, Santiago del Estero and Formosa.
Guarani Guarani People are distinguished from the related
Tupi by their use of the
Guarani language. The traditional area of distribution of the Guaraní people is found in several countries (Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina), within Argentina they mostly inhabit the
Misiones and
Corrientes Provinces of
Argentina. In the Corrientes Province, Guaraní is a co-official language. The Guarani had a great impact on Argentine culture, for example
mate was consumed by the Guarani and Tupi peoples in pre-colonial times. Other influences could be in the famous Argentine expression "
che", which could come from the
Guarani language, where "che irú" means "my companion". infusion, in Posadas, Misiones, Argentina.
Ava Guarani Ava guaraní is the denomination currently adopted for a mixogenized
indigenous culture
guaraní-
arahuaca formerly better known as
chiriguana', which is settled mainly in southern
Bolivia, from where it expanded into western
Paraguay and northwestern
Argentina.
Mbyá Guaraní The Mbyá Guaraní, are a branch of the
Guaraní people who live in
Paraguay,
Brazil,
Argentina, and
Uruguay. In the Argentine region of
Misiones, Mbyá coexist, in the same familial communities, with members of the Xiripá Guaraní and Pai Tavytera groups. There are 120 such communities, known as
tekoás, in the region, and there are approximately 11,000 Mbyá in Argentina as a whole. Two large communities in Misiones near
Iguazu Falls, Fortin Mborore and Yriapú, are home to more than 2,000 people.
Diaguita The Diaguita are a group of South American Indians from Chile's Norte Chico and northwestern Argentina. According to the 2010 census there are 67,410
self-identified Diaguita descendants in Argentina.
Qulla They are a people who live in countries such as Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. In Argentina they are mostly located in the
Corrientes,
Jujuy and
Catamarca provinces.
Quechua The Quechua people have historically inhabited from Ecuador to Argentina. The
Quechua languages have and had a great impact on the Spanish dialects of the region. Words like "Cancha" (Stadium) or "Palta" (avocado) have their origin in Quechuan languages. According to the 2010 census, the Quecha People would be composed of 55,493 people only in Argentina. The 2010 National Population Census in Argentina also revealed that there are self-identified Quechua people all over the country.
Wichí They are a people who have historically inhabited Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. In Argentina approximately fifty thousand people have identified themselves as Whichís.
Comechingón Comechingón is the common name for a group of people indigenous to the Argentine provinces of Córdoba and San Luis. They were thoroughly displaced or exterminated by the Spanish conquistadores by the end of the 17th century. According to the 2010 census there are 34,546
self-identified Comechingón descendants in Argentina.
Tehuelche The Aónikenk people, also referred to by the exonym Tehuelche, are an indigenous people from Patagonia in South America, with existing members of the group currently residing in the southern Argentina-Chile borders. The 2010 National Population Census in Argentina revealed the existence of 27,813 people who considered themselves Tehuelche throughout the country, 7924 in the Chubut Province, 4570 in the interior of the Buenos Aires Province, 2615 in the Santa Cruz Province, 2269 in the Río Negro Province, 1702 in the city of Buenos Aires, 844 in the Mendoza Province, 738 in the Neuquén Province and 625 in the La Pampa Province.
Mocoví The
Mocoví are an indigenous tribe of the
Gran Chaco region of South America. They speak the
Mocoví language and are one of the ethnic groups belonging to the
Guaycuru peoples. In the 2010 Argentine census, 22,439 people self-identified as Mocoví.
Aymara In the 2010 Argentine census, 20,822 people self-identified as Aymara. The
Aymara people are an
indigenous people in the
Andes and
Altiplano regions of
South America; about 2.3 million live in
Bolivia,
Peru,
Chile and
Argentina. Their ancestors lived in the region for many centuries before becoming a subject people of the
Inca in the late 15th or early 16th century, and later of the
Spanish in the 16th century. (present-day Argentina) in Spanish and Aymara Beginning with Spanish missionary efforts, there have been many attempts to create a writing system for Aymara. The colonial sources employed a variety of writing systems heavily influenced by Spanish, the most widespread one being that of
Bertonio.
Querandí According to the 2010 census there are 3,658 self-identified Querandí in Argentina.
Mbayá According to the 2010 census there are 7,379 self-identified Mbayá in Argentina.
Rankülche The Ranquel or Rankülche are an indigenous tribe from the northern part of
La Pampa Province,
Argentina, in
South America. According to the 2010 census there are 14,860 self-identified Ranquel in Argentina.
Selkʼnam The Selkʼnam, also known as the Onawo or Ona people, are an
indigenous people in the
Patagonian region of southern
Argentina and
Chile. They were one of the last native groups in
South America to be encountered by Europeans in the late 19th century. In the mid-19th century, there were about 4000 Selkʼnam; by 1919 there were 297, and by 1930 just over 100. The exploration of gold and the introduction of farming in the region of
Tierra del Fuego led to
genocide of the Selkʼnam perpetrated by the regimes of both states (Argentina and Chile). Joubert Yanten Gomez, a Chilean
mestizo, has taught himself the language and is considered the only speaker; he uses the name
Keyuk. According to Argentina's 2010 census, 696 people recognise themselves as descendants of the Selkʼnam people, but they are mestizos and do not speak the Selkʼnam language.
Charrúa The Charrúa were an Indigenous
Southern Cone people in present-day
Argentina (
Entre Ríos),
Uruguay and
Brazil (
Rio Grande do Sul). They were a semi-nomadic people who sustained themselves mainly through hunting and gathering. Since resources were not permanent in every region, they would constantly be on the move. Rain, drought, and other environmental factors determined their movement. For this reason they are often classified as seasonal nomads. (According to the 2010 national census, the tonocotés village had 4,853 inhabitants)
Atacama The Atacama people, also called Atacameño, are indigenous people from the Atacama Desert and altiplano region in the north of Chile and Argentina and southern Bolivia. According to the Argentine Census in 2010, 13,936 people identified as first-generation Atacameño in Argentina. In the past they spoke a language known as
Kunza, to day the Kunza language is an isolate extinct language once spoken Chile, Argentina and Bolivia who have since shifted to Spanish and Quechua, to a lesser extent. The last speaker was documented in 1949. However, there are elderly people who can remember the meaning of many words and a dictionary has been created with the intention of recovering them. Julio Vilte, a native of Toconao, was able to compile a vocabulary and publish a dictionary in 2004.
Huarpes The Huarpes or Warpes are an indigenous people of Argentina, living in the
Cuyo region. According to the 2010 Argentine census, 34,279 people identified themselves as Huarpes. They were divided into four large groups, each corresponding to their geographic location and also to differences in language: • Huarpes Allentiac (San Juan) • Huarpes Millcayac (North of the province of Mendoza) • Huarpes Chiquillanes (South of the province of Mendoza) • Huarpes Guanacaches (Northeast of Mendoza, North of San Luis and in the southeast of San Juan)
Africans in
Corrientes, Argentina. Cabral was a
zambo (of mixed black and indigenous descent). , Argentina's first black ambassador. Since the 15th century, groups of African slaves were exported to Argentina. From the 16th century, most Africans brought to Argentina belonged to ethnic groups who speak Bantu languages, coming from the territories now comprising the
Republic of Congo, the
Democratic Republic of Congo,
Angola and
Mozambique. Many slaves of these countries were bought in
Brazil, a country where most of the slaves were from these countries, especially from Angola. In 1680–1777 came at least 40,000 slaves in the region, while among the latter date and 1812, when traffic was halted, some 70,000 were landed in
Buenos Aires and
Montevideo (that figure must be added another, unknown, admitted slave overland from
Rio Grande do Sul). 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 decreed the
Freedom of Wombs Law of 1813, which automatically freed slaves' children at birth, forty years later, in 1853, the
abolition of slavery became law. Many Afro-Argentines contributed to the independence of Argentina such as
María Remedios del Valle who is known as "La Madre de la Patria" (mother of the fatherland in English) and Sgt.
Juan Bautista Cabral. Also there is a debate, among the historians, as to whether or not
Bernardino Rivadavia, the first president of the
United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, was of African descent. A number of myths have surged to explain the apparent disappearance of Argentina's black population. One popular myth claims that during the
Paraguayan War, thousands of black citizens were forcibly conscripted and used as front-line soldiers, leading to large casualties that decreased the number of Afro-Argentines. Historian George Reid Andrews retorts that composition of the Argentine Army in 1853 meant that only two battalions of blacks served in the war, and thus this could not have been the cause of the reduction of the Afro-Argentine population. Recent historical studies suggest that that state-led
blanqueamiento policies and
miscegenation with an increasingly white population and with indigenous people could be the real causes of this reduction in the Afro-Argentine population. Censuses were used as a way of making black populations invisible, for example by creating new categories. Of the population of 40,117,096 in the 2010 national census, 149,493 (0.37%) self-identified as Afro-Argentine. According to genetic studies, Sub-Saharan African admixture in Argentines is around 4%. have been attracted by Argentina's flexible migration policies. November 8 has been celebrated as the National Day of Afro-Argentines and African Culture. The date was chosen to commemorate the recorded date for the death of
María Remedios del Valle.
Asians . The first Asian Argentines were of Japanese descent, arriving in the 1900s. For most of the 20th century they 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 South Korea, and during the 1990s from
Taiwan 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.
Japanese The Japanese-Argentine population assimilated well into Argentine society, and nearly 78% of the fourth 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% • Nisei (children): 9% • Sansei (grandchildren): 66% • Yonsei (great-grandchildren): 78%
Koreans Argentine Koreans are the second-largest
Korean diaspora community in
South America and the 16th largest in the world, according to the statistics of
South Korea's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Their population declined by more than 50% between 1997 and 2003. Despite the small rebound in their numbers since then, they have been surpassed in size by the rapidly growing
Chinese Argentine community (which since the 1990s has been increasing non-stop and is expected to become one of the biggest immigrant groups in Argentina, together with
Paraguayan,
Bolivian and
Peruvian immigrants). In the 2010s decade, the Korean community in Argentina has fallen behind Korean communities in
Australia,
New Zealand, the
United Kingdom, the
United States,
Brazil,
Canada,
Singapore,
The United Arab Emirates and
Southeast Asia.
Chinese Chinese Argentines are
Argentine citizens of Chinese ancestry or Chinese-born immigrants. The Chinese Argentine community is one of the fastest-growing communities in Argentina. As of 2018, the community was made up of 200,000 people, the 0.45% of the Argentine population. == Estimated Argentine ancestry ==