Italian Immigration to Argentina

The story of Italian Immigration to Argentina is fascinating!  I had no idea when I started my research that Argentina had one of the largest Italian populations.   It is estimated today that there is at least 25 million Argentines with some Italian descent or roughly 62.% of the entire population.  Italians began arriving in Argentina in great numbers from 1857 to 1940, totaling 44.9% of the entire post-colonial immigrant population; more than from any other country (including Spain at 31.5%). In 1996, the population of Argentines with partial or full Italian descent numbered 15.8 million[3]when Argentina’s population was approximately 34.5 million, meaning they consisted of 45.5% of the population. Today, the country has 25 million Italian Argentines in a total population of 40 million. Wikipedia Argentines.

According to an article in Argentina Excepcion, there is no equivalent of a little Italy in Argentina, as the cultural influence is so strong.  Almost 3 million Italians arrived from 1857 through 1940, 45% of all aliens to arrive!  They were called “tanos” from Neapolitan.     The first wave of Italian Immigration to Argentina, like most other countries, was made up of mostly poor people.     And, as in America, Canada and Australia they worked hard , saved money and sent it back to Italy to bring over more family.  They shared rooms in big houses or tenements.  La Boca was a port neighborhood, initially for slaves, but was modified by Italian Immigrants, using mostly ship parts.  Today it is one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in Buenos Aires.

La Boca

Video By Eugenia Varas

For anyone researching Italian/Argentine records, Italian Genealogy.com has a board.  There is also a site for Argentine Records, but they charge a fee.

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