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European Immigration. 1880 - 1914
Immigration was one of the main factors
that gave place to the transition from traditional Argentina
to modern Argentina. And without it, it is not possible to understand
contemporary Argentina. There has not been any other period where
the adult foreigners proportion has been so significant; for
more than seventy years, the seventy percent of the population
of the Capital city and almost thirty percent of the population
of the provinces of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santa Fe
were immigrants. The “Europisation” of Argentina and
the modification of the national character, so yearned for by
the political elite of that moment, the 80’s generation,
were translated into an open immigration policy.
Immigration stages
Until 1880 agriculture, cattle raising
and transportation were fostered through population policies
for the later country industrialisation. Among an heterogeneous
immigration current, almost half of the immigrants were coming
from Italy, mainly the south, and a third part from Spain.
Until 1880 agriculture, cattle raising
and transportation were fostered through population policies
for the later country industrialisation. Among an heterogeneous
immigration current, almost half of the immigrants were coming
from Italy, mainly the south, and a third part from Spain.
The second stage started after 1880. At
this time skilled labour was demanded for a massive agricultural
production, but only a few immigrants could be landlords. In
view of the unsuccessful plan to allocate land under ownership,
immigrants chose to be renters or agricultural labourers, and
looked for urban centres to live in.For this reason the population
policies failed. Besides, as immigrants were mostly males, they
sought for rural jobs, what favoured the development of agricultural
economy that allowed the country to turn into the main wheat
exporter in the world, while until the end of 1870 Argentina
had to import it.
Social structure
As a consequence of the immigration process,
Argentina social structure turned to be more complex and at the
same time changed the political culture due to the increase in
popular strata and middle class sectors. Though the number of
industrialists and traders increased, the high class did not
give place to immigrants and kept their wealth and prestige for
themselves (based on “seniority and ancestors”) as
well as the political and economic power associated with land
ownership.
Class structure can be divided into four
segments. The first one was the high or aristocratic class which,
until 1914, represented one per cent of the population. Second
was the upper middle class that, though prosperous, had little
social prestige. The lower middle class had neither economic
strength nor social power but had some possibility to improve.
At the end, the low class that represented two thirds of the
total population, was at the pyramid’s base.
The Argentinean style suffered many changes.
The dominant class composed by cattle breeders, agriculturists,
traders and politicians, shows the contradictions of one generation
which values and defects mingle: wealth, wisdom, arrogance, superficiality,
prudence and optimism. The middle classes turned to got mixed
with immigrants through participation in the economic field and
in the modernising culturing process. The lower classes, spread
all across Argentina, kept the country duality. To govern modern
Argentina it was necessary to integrate immigrants without putting
at risk the national integrity.
Between 1902 and 1910, big changes took
place in the social structure what brought about strong cracks
in the system, both, political and social. Util the war in Europe
there was a pronounced arrival of immigrants that sought for
new places for well-being. The 1914 war not only interrupted
the immigration flow but also called their compatriots back what
resulted in a negative immigration balance in the 1914-1918 period.
But Argentina was able to keep the offspring of the first immigrants,
inclined to social promotion as well as political participation.
Most of them had obtained college degrees, who added to the activity
of anarchist unionists, generated the tension that characterised
the country at the beginning of the 20th. Century.
Urban population duplicated. And it was
the middle class the most developed strata thanks to the contribution
of foreigners; in it, the independent sectors grew (employees,
officials, technicians). At the same time, in the urban centres
social rise from the popular strata was more pronounced. This
favoured the integration of the different strata in the social
order of that time.
Chart of immigration
projection in the 1895-1946 period
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Italians |
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Spaniards |
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Polish |
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Russians |
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French |
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German |
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Portuguese |
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Yugoslav |
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Checks |
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English |
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Other |
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Domestic migrations in the 40’s
The Argentine society by 1945 showed a
novel reality. Foreign immigration had ceased to occupy a central
role in Argentine configuration and its placed was occupied by
domestic migration. The same as with foreign immigration, domestic
migration started to settle in cities, but it got inserted in
the popular strata rather than the middle class. Social mobilisation
steadily increased, particularly in Buenos Aires.
The urbanisation process grew. One fourth
of the population of the metropolitan area was foreign and one
third came from the interior of the country, but the latter increased
more than any other social sector. Due to this process, industry
took the place agriculture had had, and half the population was
working in industrial facilities while only twenty percent was
employed in agricultural activities by 1948.
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The Immigrants data base by surname of immigrants that arrived
in Buenos Aires between 1882 and 1929 can be checked.
Avda. Independencia 20 – Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos
Aires . Tel. (011) 4342-6749 / 4334-7717- Horario: Martes y jueves
de 10 a 14 hs.
Web: http://www.cemla.com/
E-mail: mailto:base@cemla.com |
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Evolution
of total population, as per national census |
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Country Totals.
1869-2001 Census |
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Year |
Total Population in Millions |
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1869 |
1,8 |
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1895 |
4,0 |
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1914 |
7,9 |
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1947 |
15,8 |
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1960 |
20,0 |
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1970 |
23,3 |
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1980 |
27,8 |
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1991 |
32,6 |
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2001 |
36,2 |
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Source: INDEC, National Population
Census |
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