Ethnic groups of Argentina

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Argentina has a racially and ethnically diverse population.^[1] The territory of what today is Argentina was first inhabited by numerous indigenous peoples. The first white settlers came during the period of Spanish colonization, beginning in the 16th century. The Spaniards imported African slaves, who would go on to become the first Afro-Argentines. Following independence from Spain in the 19th century and well into the 20th century, numerous migration waves took place, with Argentina being the second most popular destination for migrants in the early 20th century, after the United States. Most of these migrants came from Europe.^[2][3]

Most modern-day Argentines are descendants of these 19th and 20th century immigrants, with about 97% of the population being of full or partial European ancestry,^[4][5] while an estimated 56% have some indigenous or mestizo ancestry,^[6][7] and 4-5% have some African or mulatto ancestry.^[8][9] In the 2010 census [INDEC], some 955,032 Argentines (2.38% of the population) identified as indigenous or first-generation descendants of indigenous peoples, while 149,493 (0.37% of the population) identified as Afro-Argentine.^[10][11]

In addition, Argentines of Arab (mostly Syrian and Lebanese) descent constitute a significant minority, and the Jewish population is the largest in all Latin America and the seventh largest in the world.^[12] In the formative years of the Argentine Republic, a period marked by efforts to foster national unity and identity, assimilation played a significant role in shaping the cultural landscape. This phenomenon particularly influenced immigrant groups, including the Syro-Lebanese, encouraging them to ideologically self-identify as "Argentine." The term "Argentine" during this period predominantly connoted a Spanish-speaking, Catholic, and fair-skinned national identity. Author Ibrahim Hallar, a Lebanese-Argentine, delves into this complex interplay of assimilation and identity in his 1963 work, "El gaucho." Hallar notes that, during this era, the pressure to assimilate was evident, with certain immigrant groups being more encouraged to blend in than others. According to Hallar, only Spaniards, Italians, and Lebanese were perceived as having mixed with the native population. Civantos (2006) provides a critical analysis of Hallar's assertions, pointing out that grouping Lebanese together with the Spanish and Italians who intermarried and had offspring implies Hallar's Lebanese community's claims to European-ness, and perhaps more explicitly, to whiteness. The assimilation process, as observed by Civantos, becomes a nuanced journey wherein the Syro-Lebanese community strategically positions itself within the broader Argentine identity spectrum.^[13]

Indigenous peoples continue to have significant populations in the country's north-west (Quechua, Diaguita, Kolla, Aymara); north-east (Guaraní, Mocoví, Toba, Wichí); and in the south or Patagonia (Mapuche, Tehuelche). Asian peoples have increasing minorities in some Buenos Aires neighborhoods and are expanding to other large Argentine cities. More recent migratory flows have come from other Latin American countries, with Paraguayans, Bolivians, Peruvians and Venezuelans making up the bulk of Argentina's modern-day immigrant communities.^[14][15]