Argentine immigrants
Argentine immigrants represent a distinct group within the broader Hispanic community in the United States, characterized by their diverse European heritage, including significant Italian and Spanish influences. Many of these immigrants sought refuge from political and economic turmoil in Argentina, particularly during periods of dictatorship and crisis, such as the military junta during the 1970s. Notably, the early waves of immigration included a notable "brain drain" where skilled professionals, especially in the medical and scientific fields, left Argentina for better opportunities abroad.
By 1990, there were approximately 92,563 Argentines in the U.S., with significant populations in metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, where vibrant Argentine communities continue to thrive today. The 2000 U.S. Census indicated a growth in the Argentine population to around 100,000, influenced by continued economic challenges in Argentina. Recent estimates suggest that by 2021, this number had risen to approximately 290,000, with many immigrants settling in states such as Florida and California.
Argentine immigrants are often noted for their rapid assimilation into American society, contributing to a rich cultural tapestry that includes business ventures, scientific endeavors, and cultural expressions like tango. The ongoing immigration patterns reflect a combination of family reunification and economic necessity, illustrating the enduring connection between Argentina and its diaspora in the United States.
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Argentine immigrants
SIGNIFICANCE: Reflecting significant Italian and Spanish influence, Argentines constitute a small immigration population of mostly easily assimilated professionals, scientists, artists, and craftsmen, mainly of European descent (British, French, German, Jewish, Italian, Polish), escaping political and economic trouble in Argentina.
Before the 1970s, the US government had classified Argentine immigrants within the larger category of “Other Hispanics.” Consequently, Argentine-focused statistics before that decade are absent. Anglo-Argentines, in particular, had fled dictator Juan Perón’s regime during the 1950s. During the 1960s, Argentine professionals (predominantly medical doctors and scientists) sought improved economic conditions, resulting in a “brain drain” to Australia, Canada, and the United States (US), with more women than men entering the US. In 1970, there were 44,803 Argentine immigrants nationwide, with 20 percent living in the New York metropolitan area. These numbers soared during the mid-to-late 1970s because of political persecution during Argentina’s “dirty war.” Jorge Rafael Videla’s military junta snatched off the streets college students, protesters, trade unionists, and rights activists, who “disappeared” forever.
The 1970s political refugees were less educated and more diverse than the 1960s immigrants, though more highly educated than the general Argentine population. The Argentine debt crisis of the 1980s brought another wave of immigration. The 1990 U.S. Census shows the 1970 figure more than doubled over the intervening twenty years to 92,563 Argentines nationwide. There were 15,115 Argentine immigrants in Los Angeles. By comparison, there were only fifteen in North Dakota and Montana combined. Argentine American business and scientific associations, tango dance clubs, and the Italian community made New York City so attractive that the 1990 US Census reported 17,363 Argentine Americans. These figures may be low because they exclude more than half the population of Argentine immigrants who fall into other categories, such as Anglo-Argentines, Korean Argentines, Japanese Argentines, Arab Argentines, and especially Italian Argentines. Figures may also be skewed because the “Hispanic” or “Latino” category does not accurately apply and because Argentines tend to assimilate quickly.
From 1995 to 1999, 9,086 Argentines entered the US as permanent residents, and the 2000 US Census recorded 100,000 Argentine Americans overall. In 2002, South Florida claimed more than 21,000 in Miami’s Little Buenos Aires alone. San Francisco claimed 6,000. In the twenty-first century's first decade, poor employment opportunities, especially after the 2001-2002 economic collapse in Argentina, strong foreign-labor demands, and the possibility of entry under family reunification provisions, created a new wave of Argentine immigrants. Between 2000 and 2004, 17,306 Argentines entered the US as permanent residents, leading the US Justice Department to tighten rules for temporary visas to discourage illegal residence. Argentines continued immigrating to the US through the first two decades of the twenty-first century. In 2019, there were 211,000 Argentine immigrants living in the US, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Argentinians' destinations in the US remained in large metro areas, such as New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, and Chicago. According to the Pew Research Institute, the number of Argentine immigrants in the US in 2021 rose to 290,000. Almost half resided in Florida and California, with the remaining settling in New York, Texas, and New Jersey. These states contained vibrant Argentinian communities and offered immigrants increased access to social and economic opportunities.
Bibliography
Marshall, Adriana. "Emigration of Argentines to the United States." In When Borders Don’t Divide: Labor Migration and Refugee Movements in the Americas, edited by Patricia R. Pessar. New York: Center for Migration Studies, 1988.
Montalvo, Julian, and Jeanne Batalova. "South American Immigrants in the United States." Migration Policy Institute, 16 Feb. 2022, www.migrationpolicy.org/article/south-american-immigrants-united-states. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.
Moslimani, Mohamad, et al. "Argentines in the U.S. - Data on Latinos." Pew Research Center, 16 Aug. 2023, www.pewresearch.org/fact-sheet/us-hispanics-facts-on-argentine-origin-latinos. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.
"Tango Immigrants in New York City." Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, vol. 34, no. 5, Oct. 2005, pp. 533-559.
Viladrich, Anahí. "From 'Shrinks' to 'Urban Shamans:' Argentine Immigrants' Therapeutic Eclecticism in New York City." Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, vol. 31, no. 3, Sept. 2007, pp. 307-328.