When trying to characterize the Argentine people; for many it is a mixture of Spanish and Italian. There is some reason in this; but it is too simple an explanation that leaves out numerous currents of population and facts that shaped the Argentine of today. The idea of this video is to explore these sources of Argentinity and also to answer some of the classic statements and questions on the Internet about Argentine demography and idiosyncrasies. Why are there so few Afro-descendants? Do they really think they are European? Do Argentines have their own culture? For that and much more; Keep watching this video. Let us begin ! During the conquest and much of the Spanish rule, the territory that is now Argentina was not as interesting to the Spanish as Mexico and Peru. There were no large deposits of gold and silver and the tribes that inhabited this part of the continent; although many times they collaborated with newcomers at the beginning; when they were mistreated they reacted violently against the Europeans. So; the Sancti Spiritus fort; the first Spanish establishment in Argentina had to be abandoned and Buenos Aires had to be founded twice. Although what is now Argentina did not have gold and silver in the quantity that other places could offer; his great wealth was also on the ground waiting to be exploited. In fact when the Spanish tried to settle in the area and could not; many times they left horses and bovine cattle that were feral abandoned and after a few years they became thousands of head of cattle. During colonial times, obtaining meat and leather was a matter of going to the Pampas and hunting as many cattle as desired. Later; agricultural wealth was one of the attractions that led millions of Europeans to settle in Argentina. But before that great immigration; the local population did not differ so much from the rest of the continent controlled by Spain. The bulk of the population was made up of mestizos, meek Indians, whites, blacks, and mixtures between these groups. One of the most important demographic changes was the near disappearance of the black population in the country. It is estimated that Afros were numerous in many cities. In 1810 they were a third of the population of Buenos Aires; although in some other cities they came to represent almost 40%. According to the 2010 census, only 0.4% of the population identified as Afro-descendant . What happened in the interim? Theories tend to be many but it is interesting to note that the general population was small for such a vast territory and wars and diseases plagued the entire society; though especially blacks. After the war for independence, other armed conflicts were added, such as that of the unitaries against the federals, the war against the Empire of Brazil, the Triple Alliance and diseases such as yellow fever. Regarding the mestizo population, before and during the great immigration it was common for single men from Europe to have offspring with local mestizo women; so over the generations their descendants lost any identifiable characteristics of that native ancestry. A study estimates that the aboriginal contribution to the Argentine genome would be around 17%; although in a large country where the origins of the inhabitants can vary from one municipality or department to another, it is difficult to specify. After its independence; Argentina was effectively expanding by gaining territory over the indigenous domain. Something similar to what the United States did with the westward expansion. Territorial growth had as its counterpart a scarce population to develop the territories. The first census of 1869 estimated that there were only 1,877,480 inhabitants in the country. The solution? Attract settlers and European immigration just as countries like Canada Australia and the United States did. European immigration existed in a limited but important way since the days of independence but became massive after the sanction of the National Constitution. Between 1857 and 1940 it is estimated that 6,600,000 Europeans entered Argentina; of which it is estimated that more than half were permanently established. In the 1914 census, Argentina already had 7,900,000 inhabitants, of which 43% were foreigners. Of that percentage, half were Italian, 20% Spanish and 9.6% French. It is interesting to note that although the bulk of the immigrants came from Spain and Italy, there was also a significant flow of people from other countries; which often formed colonies in the interior of the country. Many times they arrived with just what they were wearing and had to build the villages in the middle of nowhere or next to a train station. They were true pioneers. Leaving aside Spanish Italians, the Volga Germans stand out in the province of Buenos Aires and Entre Ríos, the Welsh in Patagonia, the Ukrainians and Germans in Misiones or the Americans in Santa Fe. Numerous other colonies also had a local impact on the culture and the demographics where they settled. This immigration and colonization was concentrated in the Pampas region, Cuyo, the coast and the big cities in the center of the country. In other regions such as the Northwest of Argentina, the migratory impact was much less and the ethnic composition had a comparatively negligible variation. Due to the fact that a good part of the Argentines have origins in that immigration, it is often said that they do not have their own culture or that they feel European . What is true in this? I personally think this is totally pejorative and wrong. Many of the local customs, especially those related to the gaucho culture, were transmitted between Europeans and their descendants and continue to this day, such as the consumption of mate, barbecues, music and typical dances. The duck; declared as a national sport; It originated during the time of the viceroyalty and continues in force. Except that a special ball is used instead of a live duck as was used in those days. Even many European recipes had local adjustments: an Argentine pizza is not the same as an Italian one and the pesto that is made with basil in Argentina also has its version with parsley. While in much of Latin America, corn and legumes are the mainstay of food; in Argentina, the place is occupied by wheat and beef. Despite the prolonged economic crisis; Argentina continues to be the country with the highest per capita consumption of beef on the planet with more than 50 kilos per inhabitant per year. A staple of the national diet and famous throughout the world. Even in the musical field there was a kind of syncretism. The tango combined local elements and European contributions. Also interesting is the case of the Cordovan Quartet, which unites elements of the Spanish pasodoble and the Italian tarantella. I don't think that in general Argentines believe they are Europeans; given that the vast majority know how to locate their country on the map; but it would be ridiculous if a good part of the population does not feel in some way identified with that part of the national family tree . The most recent immigration wave is the one that comes from Latin America; which began to grow quite strongly from the 60s of the last century. Despite the cyclical economic crises ; Argentina continued to be an interesting destination for millions of Latin Americans; especially from neighboring countries such as Bolivia and Paraguay but also from more distant ones such as Peru, Colombia and Venezuela, among others. This new wave has also had an impact on the ethnic composition of the country, although in a slightly more limited way. especially in large urban centers and their outskirts. In short, we can understand the demographic history and recent culture of the country as a cake in which a new layer was superimposed on another, adding features to those it already had before. Although for many the golden age of Argentina is over; I really wouldn't be so sure about that. The country still continues to possess valuable natural and human resources in addition to being in a region of the world far from the great powers and also from the great political and armed conflicts; something very interesting in a turbulent world like today. I hope you found the video interesting; If you have anything else to add, there is a comment box for that. Don't forget to like, share and subscribe to help me grow on this platform. We meet in another video; Cheers !
