Racism in Argentina

In Argentina, there are and have been cases of discrimination based on ethnic characteristics or national origin. In turn, racial discrimination tends to be closely related to discriminatory behavior for socio-economic and political reasons.^[1][2]

In an effort to combat racism in Argentine society, the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) was created in 1995 by Federal Law 24515.^[3]

Different terms and behaviors have spread to discriminate against certain portions of the population, in particular against those who are referred to as negros (blacks), a group that is not particularly well-defined in Argentina but which is associated, although not exclusively, with people of dark skin or hair; members of the working class or lower class (similar to the American term redneck); the poor; and more recently with crime.

Today, words such as bolita, paragua, and boliguayo constitute derogatory terms to refer to certain immigrants of other Latin American origin, mostly from neighboring countries like Bolivia and Paraguay.

An older xenophobic slur was the use of the name godos ('Goths', in the sense of barbaric people) for Spaniards or royalists during the Argentine War of Independence.^[4]

Anti-Semitism also exists in Argentina, in a context influenced by the large population of Jewish immigrants and a relatively high level of intermarriage between these immigrants and other communities.

In many cases, "social relations have become racialized";^[5] for example, the term negro is used to describe people who are considered uneducated, lazy or poor.

There is an active debate about the depth of racist conduct in Argentina. While some groups^[6] maintain that it is only a question of inoffensive or marginal behavior that is rejected by the vast majority of the population, other groups^[7] contend that racism is a widespread phenomenon that manifests itself in many different ways. Some groups also assert that racism in Argentina is no different from that which is present in any other country in the world, while other groups^[2] claim that Argentina's brand of racism manifests itself in a number of unique ways that are related to the country's history, culture, and the different ethnic groups that interact in the country.