Afro-Argentine
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Afro-Argentines are people in
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
of primarily Sub-Saharan African descent. The Afro-Argentine population is the result of people being brought over during the
transatlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and i ...
during the centuries of Spanish domination in the region and immigration from Africa. During the 18th and 19th centuries they accounted for up to fifty percent of the population in certain cities, and had a deep impact on
Argentine culture The culture of Argentina is as varied as the country's geography and is composed of a mix of ethnic groups. Modern Argentinian culture has been influenced largely by Italian, Spanish, and other European immigration, while there is still a less ...
. Some old theories held it that in the 19th century the Afro-Argentine population declined sharply due to several factors, such as the Argentine War of Independence (c. 1810–1818), high infant mortality rates, low numbers of married couples who were both Afro-Argentine, the War of the Triple Alliance, cholera epidemics in 1861 and 1864 and a yellow fever epidemic in 1871. Research in recent decades cites a strong racial intermixing with whites and amerindians in the 18th and 19th centuries as the main reason for the decline of the black population in Argentina. That mixing was promoted by governments of those times as a method to, in a first era, make non-whites (amerindians and blacks) racially closer to whites to construct what was seen by the elite as a modern society; and in a second era, make them decline gradually through their "dilution" into a white majority that it was to become as such with the promotion of a mass immigration from
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and
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
that started to arrive since then (mid-19th century) until the 1940s. At the same time, non-whites frequently sought to have offspring with whites as a way to make their racially mixed child escape from slavery in the colonial period, and later, from discrimination.


Importation of African slaves during colonial period

As part of the process of
conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...
, the economic regimes of the European colonies in the Americas developed various forms of forced labor exploitation of the
indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
. However, the relatively low population density of some of the South American territories, resistance by some aboriginal groups to
acculturation Acculturation is a process of social, psychological, and cultural change that stems from the balancing of two cultures while adapting to the prevailing culture of the society. Acculturation is a process in which an individual adopts, acquires and ...
, and especially the high rate of mortality caused by the diseases introduced by Europeans caused the decline of the native population. Studies have shown that owing to their immunological isolation from the peoples of the Old World prior to the first contacts with Europeans from 1492 onwards, some 50-90% of the indigenous population throughout the Americas died from epidemic diseases, exacerbated by the stresses brought on by violent conquest, dispossession and exploitation. This led the Spaniards to supplement aboriginal manpower with slaves from West and Central Africa. Well into the 19th century, mining and agriculture accounted for the bulk of economic activity in the Americas. African slave labor held the advantage of having already been exposed to European diseases through geographical proximity, and African laborers readily adapted to the tropical climate of the colonies. In the case of Argentina, the influx of African slaves began in the colonies of the Rio de la Plata in 1588. European slave traders purchased African slaves, who were then shipped from West Africa across the Atlantic to the Americas and the Caribbean. The slave trade flourished through the port of Buenos Aires, where thousands of African slaves arrived to be sold. To provide slaves to the East Indies, the Spanish crown granted contracts known as ''
Asiento The () was a monopoly contract between the Spanish Crown and various merchants for the right to provide African slaves to colonies in the Spanish Americas. The Spanish Empire rarely engaged in the trans-Atlantic slave trade directly from Afri ...
s'' to various slave trading companies, both from Spain and other European nations. Before the 16th century slaves had arrived in relatively small numbers from the Cape Verde islands. Thereafter the majority of Africans brought to Argentina were from ethnic groups speaking Bantu languages, from the territories now comprising
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
, the
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and the Republic of the Congo. Relatively few
Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
and Ewe were taken to Argentina; larger numbers of these groups were taken to
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. It is estimated that 12 million African slaves reached Latin America, with many transported via
slave ship Slave ships were large cargo ships specially built or converted from the 17th to the 19th century for transporting slaves. Such ships were also known as "Guineamen" because the trade involved human trafficking to and from the Guinea coast ...
s to other regions through
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and
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
. An estimated 10-15% of slaves died during passage across the Atlantic. However, many more died during the process of enslavement, travel through the interior of Africa, and while awaiting shipment, with an estimated 40 deaths for every 100 slaves who reached the New World. The slaves were forced to work in agriculture, livestock, domestic work and to a lesser extent crafts. In urban areas, many slaves made handicrafts for sale, while revenues went to their masters. The Buenos Aires neighborhood of
San Telmo San Telmo ("Saint Pedro González Telmo") is the oldest ''barrio'' (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a well-preserved area of the Argentine metropolis and is characterized by its colonial buildings. Cafes, tango parlors and antiqu ...
and Monserrat housed a large quantity of slaves, although most were sent to the interior provinces. The 1778 census conducted by Juan José Salcedo of Vértiz showed very high concentration of blacks (though largely the product of varying degrees of racial mixing with whites and amerindians) in cities located in regions where agricultural production was greatest: 54% in Santiago del Estero, 52% in
San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca () is the capital and largest city in Catamarca Province in northwestern Argentina, on the Río Valle River, at the feet of the Cerro Ambato. The city name is normally shortened as Catamarca. The city of , ...
, 46% in
Salta Salta () is the capital and largest city in the Argentine province of the same name. With a population of 618,375 according to the 2010 census, it is also the 7th most-populous city in Argentina. The city serves as the cultural and economic ce ...
, 44% in Córdoba, 44% in
San Miguel de Tucumán San Miguel de Tucumán (; usually called simply Tucumán) is the capital and largest city of Tucumán Province, located in northern Argentina from Buenos Aires. It is the fifth-largest city of Argentina after Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Argentina, ...
, 24% in Mendoza, 20% in
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, 16% in San Juan, 13% in
San Salvador de Jujuy San Salvador de Jujuy (), commonly known as Jujuy and locally often referred to as San Salvador, is the capital and largest city of Jujuy Province in northwest Argentina. Also, it is the seat of the Doctor Manuel Belgrano Department. It lies near ...
and 9% in San Luis, although there were some more in other cities and towns that were small percentages there. For example, one of the currently rich neighbourhoods of the city of
Corrientes Corrientes (; Guaraní: Taragüí, literally: "Currents") is the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about from Buenos Aires and from Posadas, on National Route 12. It ha ...
is still known as "Camba Cuá", from the Guarani ''kamba kua'', meaning "cave of the blacks".


Black persons in the independence and early history of Argentina

In 1801 the first Afro-Argentine militias were organised, under the auspices of the Compañía de Granaderos de Pardos libres de Buenos Aires and Compañía de Granaderos de Morenos libres de Buenos Aires. The
pardo ''Pardos'' (feminine ''pardas'') is a term used in the former Portuguese and Spanish colonies in the Americas to refer to the triracial descendants of Southern Europeans, Amerindians and West Africans. In some places they were defined as ne ...
s were free people of mixed European, African, and Native American, particularly
Guaraní Guarani, Guaraní or Guarany may refer to Ethnography * Guaraní people, an indigenous people from South America's interior (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia) * Guaraní language, or Paraguayan Guarani, an official language of Paraguay * ...
, descent, whereas the "morenos" seem to have been composed of soldiers of largely African ancestry. These forces were unified into the Batallón de Pardos y Morenos, also known as the ''Batallón Castas'', at a strength of 9 companies, plus 4 auxiliary slave companies, at the time of the first British invasion of the River Plate. Regimental status was gained in 1810, and the new ''Regimento de Pardos y Morenos'' participated in the Argentine War of Independence. In 1812, Argentine politician Bernardo de Monteagudo was not allowed as a member of the
First Triumvirate The First Triumvirate was an informal political alliance among three prominent politicians in the late Roman Republic: Gaius Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus. The constitution of the Roman republic had many ve ...
, due to his "questionable mother"—i.e., African ancestry.
Bernardino Rivadavia Bernardino de la Trinidad González Rivadavia (May 20, 1780 – September 2, 1845) was the first President of Argentina, then called the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, from February 8, 1826 to June 27, 1827. He was educated at t ...
, also of African descent, was one of the politicians who were barred from joining the triumvirate. The
Assembly of the Year XIII The Assembly of Year XIII ( es, Asamblea del Año XIII) was a meeting called by the Second Triumvirate governing the young republic of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (modern-day Argentina, Uruguay, part of Bolivia) on October 181 ...
, called to establish the new independent state of Argentina, passed the law of
freedom of wombs Freedom of wombs ( es, Libertad de vientres, pt, Lei do Ventre Livre), also referred to as free birth or the law of wombs, was a 19th century judicial concept in several Latin American countries, that declared that all wombs bore free children. A ...
, whereby children born to slaves thenceforth were automatically free citizens, but did not free those who were already slaves. Many blacks were part of
militias A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
and irregular troops that eventually became part of the
Argentine Army The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander- ...
, but mostly in segregated squadrons. Black slaves could, however, ask to be sold and even find a buyer if they were unhappy with their owners. After the abolition of slavery, many blacks faced widespread discrimination. The fourteen schools in Buenos Aires in 1857, only admitted two black children, although 15% of students that year were of color. In Córdoba in 1829, black children were entitled to only two years' secondary schooling, while white Argentine children studied for four years. Universities did not admit blacks until 1853. Blacks began to publish newspapers and to organize for their rights. One paper, ''The Unionist'', published in 1877 a statement of equal rights and justice for all people regardless of skin color was published. One of its statements read: Other newspapers were ''The African Race'', the ''Black Democrat'' and ''The Proletarian'', all published in 1858. By the 1880s there were about twenty such Argentine blacks published newspapers in Buenos Aires; and some researchers consider these social movements integral to the introduction of
socialism Socialism is a left-wing Economic ideology, economic philosophy and Political movement, movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to Private prop ...
and the idea of social justice in Argentine culture. Some blacks entered politics. José María Morales and Domingo Sosa were in action as senior military officers and held significant political posts.


Decline of the Afro-Argentine population

In the last decades, theories have been disputed over the causation of their decline. Older theories supported a
genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Lat ...
as the main factor in the reduction of their population. Among the causes expressed are the supposed high mortality of black soldiers in the wars of the 19th century (since theoretically, they were a disproportionately high number within the armed forces, which would have been intentionally planned by the governments of the time) and in a yellow fever epidemic in 1871 that affected the south of the city of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, as well as a large emigration to
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
(due to the fact that there would have been a larger black population and a more favorable political climate). Research in recent decades has ruled out such theories. Although it is true that blacks made up an important part of the armies and militias of the 19th century, they were not the majority nor did their number differ much from that of Amerindians and whites, even in the lower ranks (the so-called
cannon fodder Cannon fodder is an informal, derogatory term for combatants who are regarded or treated by government or military command as expendable in the face of enemy fire. The term is generally used in situations where combatants are forced to deliberatel ...
). Nor did the yellow fever epidemics that affected Buenos Aires (especially the most lethal, which was that of 1871) have a big effect, since demographic studies do not support that view (on the contrary, they show that the most affected were recent European immigrants living in poverty) and, furthermore, this theory does not explain the decline of the black population in the rest of
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. The most widely accepted theory today is that the black population gradually decreased over the generations due to its mixture with whites and, to a lesser extent, Amerindians, which occurred frequently since the 18th century in the colonial period, and that it accelerated even more in the late 19th century (in the already independent Argentina) with the arrival of the massive immigration wave from
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
and
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
, which was promoted by the Argentine governments of the time precisely so that the non-white population becomes "diluted" within the white majority through racial mixture. This process was similar to that of the rest of the continent (with different results depending on the volume of immigration and the particular demographic characteristics of each region) and is known as '' whitening''. This was based on the falsehood that whites (especially those belonging to
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
an cultures) were the only ones capable of carrying on a civilization, while most non-whites (such as Amerindians and Blacks) were inevitably related to '' barbarism''. However, unlike other regions of the Americas where there was a strong violent segregation of non-whites in an attempt to prevent racial mixing, Argentine elite thought that non-white offspring could be improved if were the result of a mix with whites. The exception, since mid-19h century, were those non-whites that still lived in tribal societies that were not part of the Argentine culture and weren't under the control of the government, in this case, Amerindians from several local indigenous peoples that usually had conflicts with it (other ones, on the other hand, were becoming assimilated to the country's society), thus seen as incorrigible savages that were a block to the progress and a threat to the nation. This led to wars against them (like the
Conquest of the Desert The Conquest of the Desert ( es, Conquista del desierto) was an Argentine military campaign directed mainly by General Julio Argentino Roca in the 1870s with the intention of establishing dominance over the Patagonian Desert, inhabited primar ...
) that in some cases ended with genocides or mass murders, also taking their lands. In late colonial times the racial mixture was common because, despite the racism prevailing at the time, the level of segregation and violence towards non-whites who were part of colonial society in the territories that are currently part of Argentina, was less than that which existed in other European colonies in the
Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...
and other Spanish colonial regions where a greater intensity of slave labor was required (such as mining enclaves or agricultural large estates in tropical regions). For this reason, there was less mistreatment towards slaves, who also had greater freedom to circulate, especially those who worked in the fields, where labor associated with
livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...
and
extensive farming Extensive farming or extensive agriculture (as opposed to intensive farming) is an Agriculture production system that uses small inputs of labour, fertilizers, and capital, relative to the land area being farmed. Systems Extensive farming is ...
was fundamentally required. It was also more common for them to be able to buy their freedom, so even several decades before the abolition of slavery, it was in clear decline. On the other hand, due to the association of blackness with barbarism, already at the last decades of the 18th century, blacks (who by then normally had a certain level of racial mixture and therefore lighter skin than most of slaves recently arrived from
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, as well as less typical features of the race), according to their degree of freedom or good relationship with their masters or white social environment, gradually came to be considered in censuses and legal documents in ambiguous pseudo-racial categories (but beneficial for them) such as those of ''pardos'' and ''trigueños'' (which also included amerindians who were part of colonial society and even whites with a high level of racial mixture) in an attempt to detach them from their slave past and, theorically, make them more functional to the modern society that the authorities intended to conform (according to their eurocentrist vision), and this allowed those already mixed blacks a better social position and a greater degree of freedom by moving away from their original racial category. In other cases, also due to their ambiguous phenotype, several tried to be recorded as ''Indians'' (if they could explain their indigenous ancestry) because this would allow them to obtain freedom, since from the 16th century, in Spanish colonies it was prohibited the slavery of
indigenous peoples of the Americas The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...
through the New Laws and the
Laws of the Indies The Laws of the Indies ( es, Leyes de las Indias) are the entire body of laws issued by the Spanish Crown for the American and the Asian possessions of its empire. They regulated social, political, religious, and economic life in these areas. T ...
(despite this, it happened illegally, but much less frequently than the slavery of black Africans and their descendants, which was permitted). There were even cases of black women with a high degree of racial mixture who managed to be noted as ''señoras'' or ''doñas'' (categories reserved only for white women) with the help of white people from their environment (for example, couples). These situations made blacks prefer to form families with whites and Amerindians in order to have children who had lighter skin and features more distant from the natives of Sub-Saharan Africa, which increased their level of racial mixture and, therefore, decline, which lasted strongly even after the abolition of slavery, since people with lighter skin continued to rule society and make up the majority of the elite, thus leaving dark skin associated with poverty in the Argentine idiosyncrasy. The classification of an increasing number of non-whites (especially those who had at least some racial mixture) into new ambiguous pseudo-racial categories was devised by authorities since the last years of the colonial period as a method to move them from their original racial identities (''negros'' and ''indios'') in an attempt to make them more assimilable within the modern society that was sought to create. This was a first part of the ''whitening'', known as the ''lightening'', in which non-whites were put gradually into categories that were closer to the white one, that was the more desirable. Also, the white elite, which was a minority in most places until the mid-19th century, used this as a way to make a difference between "us" and "them", allowing many people to "leave" their undesirable original categories, but at the same time preventing them to become labeled as whites (since in certain cases they presented an aspect closer to the white than that of the Amerindian or Black) to deny them the access to the power and privileges reserved for a minority. In this way, terms such as ''morochos'' or ''criollos'' (which expanded its original colonial meaning, that was referred only to Spanish-descent whites born in the Americas) came to be used to catalog the vast majority of the population that was not clearly white (or whites descendants of Spanish from the colonial period in the case of ''criollos''), helping later the narrative of the disappearance of Amerindians and Blacks in the country. The very people belonging to these races (which were already heavily racially mixed, especially in the case of blacks) actively sought to identify with the new categories since they were symbolically closer to whiteness, which made possible more benefits and less discrimination. Only blacks with dark skin were considered as such, and being a minority even within the Argentine black population itself, they were considered as isolated cases or foreigners (since, from the late 19th century, several of them were free African immigrants who arrived recently mainly from Cape Verde). In the case of Amerindians, only those who were part of the indigenous peoples that still survived (who represented a small minority) came to be considered as such, but not those who were part of the majoritarian ''non-indigenous'' Argentine society. In 1887 the official percentage of the black population was computed at 1.8% of the total. From that moment on, racial categories were not registered in the censuses. The position of the State became explicit again when the National Census of 1895 was carried out when those responsible stated: In reference to the racial mixture that had occurred with blacks for several generations, in 1905 the journalist Juan José de Soiza Reilly stated in his article ''Gente de color'' (published in the magazine '' Caras y Caretas'') that: From then on, and for almost a century, in Argentina practically no studies were carried out on black Argentines.


Present

Today in Argentina, the Afro-Argentine community is beginning to emerge from the shadows. There have been black organizations such as "Grupo Cultural Afro," "SOS Racismo," and perhaps the most important group "Africa Vive", founded by Pocha Lamadrid, that help to rekindle interest into the African heritage of Argentina. There are also Afro-Uruguayan and Afro-Brazilian migrants who have helped to expand the African culture. Afro-Uruguayan migrants have brought candombe to Argentina, while Afro-Brazilians teach capoeira, orisha, and other African derived secula. It has been well over a century since Argentina has reflected the African racial ancestry in its census count. Therefore, calculating the exact number of Afro-descendants is very difficult; however, Africa Vive calculates that there are about 1,000,000 partially Afro-descendants in Argentina. The last census, carried on 27 October 2010, introduced the African ancestry survey. Still, as in other Latin American nations, Argentines of Black African background may not always identify as Afro-Argentine, due to the pervasive negative connotations associated to blackness and the lack of historical records for black bloodlines in Argentina. The Forum of African Descent and Africans in Argentina was created on 9 October 2006, with the aim of promoting social and cultural pluralism and the fight against discrimination of a population in the country to reach the two million inhabitants. Since 2013, November 8 has been celebrated as the National Day of Afro-Argentines and African Culture. The date was chosen to commemorate the recorded date for the death of María Remedios del Valle, a ''
rabona In association football, the rabona is the technique of kicking the football where the kicking leg is crossed behind the back of the standing leg. There are several reasons why a player might opt to strike the ball this way: for example, a right ...
'' and guerrilla fighter, who served with the
Army of the North The Army of the North ( es, link=no, Ejército del Norte), contemporaneously called Army of Peru, was one of the armies deployed by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in the Spanish American wars of independence. Its objective was fre ...
in the
war of Independence This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence. List See also * Lists of active separatist movements * List of civil wars * List o ...
. The National Institute Against Discrimination (INADI) is the public body responsible for combating discrimination and racism. In 2021, the Argentine government announced the establishment of a "Afro-Argentine Community Federal Advisor Council", made up of prominent Afro-Argentine activists and scholars.


African influence in Argentine culture


Music


Candombe

The seeds of
candombe ''Candombe'' is a style of music and dance that originated in Uruguay among the descendants of liberated African slaves. In 2009, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed ''candombe'' in its Repres ...
originated in present-day
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
, where it was taken to South America during the 17th and 18th centuries by people who had been sold as slaves in the kingdom of Kongo, Anziqua, Nyong, Quang and others, mainly by Portuguese slave traders. The same cultural carriers of candombe colonized Brazil (especially in the area of Salvador de Bahia), Cuba, and the Río de la Plata with its capital Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The different histories and experiences in these regions branched out from the common origin, giving rise to different rhythms. In Buenos Aires, during the two governments of Juan Manuel de Rosas, it was common that “afroporteños” (black people of Buenos Aires) practiced the candombe in public, even encouraged and visited by Rosas and his daughter, Manuela. Following Rosas's defeat in the
battle of Caseros The Battle of Caseros ( es, Batalla de Caseros) was fought near the town of El Palomar, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, on 3 February 1852, between the Army of Buenos Aires commanded by Juan Manuel de Rosas and the Grand Army (''Ejército ...
in 1852, Buenos Aires began a profound and rapid cultural change which emphasized European culture. In this context, the afroporteños replicated their ancestral cultural patterns increasingly into their private life. For this reason since 1862, the press, intellectuals and politicians began to assert the misconception of Afro-Argentine disappearance that has remained virtually until now in the Argentine social imaginary. Many researchers agree that the candombe, through the development of the milonga, is an essential component in the genesis of tango.


Tango

Perhaps the most lasting effect of Black influence in Argentina was the
tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
, which contains and continues some of the features of the ''tangos'', meetings in which slaves assembled to sing and dance. The modern term for a tango ball, ''milonga'', has its roots in the
Quimbanda Quimbanda () is an Afro-Brazilian religion practiced primarily in the urban city centers of Brazil. Quimbanda practices are typically associated with magic, rituals with Exus, and Pombagiras spirits. Quimbanda was originally contained under the ...
language of Angola, and a large Afro-Argentine and
Afro-Uruguayan Afro-Uruguayans are Uruguayans of predominantly African descent. The majority of Afro-Uruguayans are in Montevideo. History For most of the colonial period, the port of Buenos Aires (see Afro-Argentines) served as the exclusive entry point fo ...
contribution is also evident in the development of milonga and chacarera music. The song tradition of the ''payadores'' was also associated with Afro-Argentines, with some scholars, for example George Reid Andrews, arguing that it originated among the Afro-Argentine community, while others, such as Sylvain B. Poosson, view it as a continuation of the
Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...
n traditions like the trovo. Whatever their origin, payadas provided an opportunity for Black singers like
Gabino Ezeiza Gabino Ezeiza, nicknamed ''Negro''El negro Gabino Ez ...
to use music to articulate political consciousness and defend their right to exist within Argentina's increasingly white-dominated society.


Demographics

According to the Argentine national census of 2010, the total population of Argentines was 40,117,096, of whom 149,493 (0.37%) identified as Afro-Argentine, although according to
gene pools studies, the Argentine population with some degree of Sub-Saharan African descent would be around 7.5%. Despite the fact that in the 1960s it was calculated that Argentina owed two thirds of the volume of its population to European immigration, over 5% of Argentines state they have at least one black ancestor, and a further 20% state they do not know whether or not they have any black ancestors. Genetic studies carried out in 2005 showed that the average level of African genetic contribution in the population of Buenos Aires is 2.2%, but that this component is concentrated in 10% of the population who display notably higher levels of African ancestry. Today there is still a notable Afro-Argentine community in the
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
districts of
San Telmo San Telmo ("Saint Pedro González Telmo") is the oldest ''barrio'' (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a well-preserved area of the Argentine metropolis and is characterized by its colonial buildings. Cafes, tango parlors and antiqu ...
and
La Boca La Boca (; "the Mouth", probably of the Matanza River) is a neighborhood (''barrio'') of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. It retains a strong Italian flavour, many of its early settlers having originated in the city of Genoa. Geography L ...
. There are also quite a few African-descended Argentines in Merlo and
Ciudad Evita Ciudad Evita is a city in the '' partido'' of La Matanza in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, located 20 kilometers (13 mi) from Downtown Buenos Aires within the Greater Buenos Aires metro area. Ciudad Evita has a population of 68,650 (2001). ...
cities, in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.


Immigrants from Cape Verde

Between 12,000 and 15,000 descendants of immigrants from Cape Verde living in Argentina, of whom about 300 are native to the African continent. This immigration began in the late 19th century and became important from the 1920s. The busiest periods were between 1927 and 1933 and the third, after 1946. These migrations were mainly due to droughts in the African country that originated famine and death. They were expert sailors and fishermen, which is why most places settled in ports such as Rosario, Buenos Aires, San Nicolás, Bahía Blanca, Ensenada and Dock Sud. 95% of them got jobs in the Military Navy, in the Merchant Navy in the Fluvial Fleet of Argentina and in YPF dockyards or the ELMA.


Other immigrants from Africa


In Buenos Aires

In the popularly called Barrio del Once there are Africans who have come to escape the conditions of their countries, particularly
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
. According to the Agency for Refugees in Buenos Aires, they came by seeking asylum or getting a visa to travel to Brazil and then Argentina, sometimes traveling as stowaways on ships. When denied a residence permit, the African refugees remain in the country without status and become lawful targets of human trafficking network. On Sunday some of the Senegalese community comes together to eat traditional dishes of their country. Some places already have African food recipes.


In Rosario

Since 2004 some Africans emigrated from their home countries and stowed away to Argentina, particularly the port of Rosario, Santa Fe. Although figures are inadequate the numbers increase every year: in 2008 70 refugees arrived, after some 40 the previous year; only 10 remained, the rest were repatriated. Many were children. They usually get on ships without knowing where they go, or believing they are going to a developed country in the northern hemisphere. They come from Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea.


Racism in Argentina related to skin tone

In Argentina, as in other countries of the Americas, racism related to skin tone dates back to the days of colonial rule. In the caste system imposed by
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
, the descendants of people from Black Africa occupied a place still lower than the descendants of persons belonging to aboriginal peoples. Colonial racism passed into Argentine culture to a certain extent, as shown by certain phrases included in the national literature. Disputes with a racist tinge were depicted in a famous passage from José Hernández's book, Martín Fierro (La ida), published in 1870, in which the main character duels with a black gaucho after insulting his girlfriend and insulting him with the following verse:


Notable Afro-Argentines


Military

* María Remedios del Valle (ca. 1768–1847), senior master sergeant in the
War of Independence This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence. List See also * Lists of active separatist movements * List of civil wars * List o ...
and "Mother of the Homeland" * Domingo Sosa (1788–1866), colonel in the War of Independence and the Civil Wars *
Juan Bautista Cabral Juan Bautista Cabral (24 June 1789 – 3 February 1813) was an Argentine soldier, of Zambo origin, of the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers who died in the Battle of San Lorenzo, while he was aiding then Colonel Don José de San Martín, whose hor ...
(1789–1813), private in the War of Independence and national hero * Antonio Ruiz (died 1810), soldier in the War of Independence and national hero * Lorenzo Barcala (1793–1835), lieutenant colonel in the
Civil Wars A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
* Celestino Barcala (died 1867), major in the Argentine Civil Wars * José María Morales (1818–1894), colonel in the Civil Wars and the War of the Triple Alliance and legislator * Manuel G. Posadas (1841–1897), musician, journalist, and sergeant in the War of the Triple Alliance


Politics

*
Bernardino Rivadavia Bernardino de la Trinidad González Rivadavia (May 20, 1780 – September 2, 1845) was the first President of Argentina, then called the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, from February 8, 1826 to June 27, 1827. He was educated at t ...
(1780–1845), first president of Argentina * Bernardo de Monteagudo (1789–1825), independence leader and deputy of the
Assembly of the Year XIII The Assembly of Year XIII ( es, Asamblea del Año XIII) was a meeting called by the Second Triumvirate governing the young republic of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (modern-day Argentina, Uruguay, part of Bolivia) on October 181 ...
* Tomás Platero IV (1857–1925), writer, poet and co-founder of the Radical Civic Union *
Ramón Carrillo Ramón Carrillo (7 March 1906 – 20 December 1956) was an Argentine neurosurgeon, neurobiologist, physician, academic, public health advocate, and from 1949 to 1954 the nation's first Minister of Public Health. Early life and education Car ...
(1906–1956), neurosurgeon and first
Health Minister A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...
of Argentina * Pocha Lamadrid (1945–2021), activist and founder of África Vive * María Fernanda Silva (born 1965), diplomat and ambassador


Music and literature

* Casimiro Alcorta (1840–1913), tango violinist, dancer and songwriter * Zenón Rolón (1856–1902), composer *
Gabino Ezeiza Gabino Ezeiza, nicknamed ''Negro''El negro Gabino Ez ...
(1858–1916), ''
payador The ''payada'' is a folk music tradition native to Argentina, Uruguay, southern Brasil, and south Paraguay as part of the ''Gaucho'' culture and literature. In Chile it is called ''paya'' and performed by '' huasos''. It is a performance of imp ...
'', singer-songwriter, and pioneer of the tango *
Manuel Posadas Manuel L. Posadas was a leading Afro-Argentine musician from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Biography Manuel L. Posadas was born in Buenos Aires in 1860, the son of a musician, journalist and soldier Manuel G. Posadas and Em ...
(1860–1916), tango composer *
Higinio Cazón Higinio D. Cazón (1866–1914) was an Argentine musician, songwriter and ''payador''. His he toured throughout the country, but the preferred center of his performances was in Buenos Aires and the people of this province. He published a booklet c ...
(1866–1914), ''payador'' and tango composer * Rosendo Mendizábal (1868–1913), tango composer * Carlos Posadas (1874–1918), tango composer * Cayetano Alberto Silva (1868–1920), composer of the March of San Lorenzo * Enrique Maciel (1867–1952), guitarist, bandoneonist and composer *
Oscar Alemán Oscar Marcelo Alemán (20 February 1909 – 14 October 1980) was an Argentine jazz multi instrumentalist, guitarist, singer, and dancer. Career Alemán was born in Machagai, Chaco Province, in northern Argentina. He was the fourth child of seve ...
(1909–1980), jazz composer and dancer *
Horacio Salgán Horacio Adolfo Salgán (June 15, 1916 – August 19, 2016) was an Argentine tango musician. He was born in Buenos Aires to an established Afro-Argentine family. Some of Salgán's most well-known compositions include ''Del 1 al 5 (Días de pago)'' ...
(1916–2016), tango singer-songwriter *
Fidel Nadal Fidel Nadal (; born Fidel Ernesto Nadal on October 4, 1965) is an Afro-Argentinian Reggae musician, songwriter and pioneer of Argentine Reggae and the underground punk/hardcore movement of Argentina. Life and work Nadal was born into an acade ...
(born 1965), reggae singer-songwriter


TV and film

* José A. Ferreyra (1889–1943), director, screenwriter and producer * Rita Montero (1928–2013), stage, TV and film actress and singer * Diego Alonso Gómez (born 1972), TV and film actor


Sports

*
Alejandro de los Santos Alejandro Nicolás de los Santos (17 May 1902 — 16 February 1982) was an Argentinian footballer who played as a forward for San Lorenzo, Dock Sud, El Porvenir, Huracán and Argentina. Early life De los Santos was born in Paraná on 17 M ...
(1902–1982), footballer * Arturo Rodríguez (1907–1982), boxer * Guillermo Lovell (1912–1966), boxer *
Santiago Lovell Alberto Santiago Lovell (23 April 1912–17 March 1966), known as Alberto Lovell, was an Argentine heavyweight boxer, who won the gold medal in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 1932. In his career as a professional boxer he had 88 fights winnin ...
(1918–1967), boxer * Miguel Montuori (1932–1998) footballer * José Ramos Delgado (1935–2010), footballer *
Héctor Baley Héctor Rodolfo Baley (born 16 November 1950 in Bahía Blanca) is an Argentine former professional football goalkeeper. Baley was a goalkeeper in Argentina's 1978 FIFA World Cup winning squad and also in the 1982 tournament. Given goalkeeper Uba ...
(born 1950), footballer * Wilson Severino (born 1980), footballer *
Clemente Rodríguez Clemente Juan Rodríguez (born 31 July 1981) is an Argentine professional footballer. He is a right-footed player and can play on either flank, especially as a left back. Career Club Born in Buenos Aires, Rodríguez made his league debut for ...
(born 1981), footballer * Fernando Tissone (born 1986), footballer * Cristian Tissone (born 1988), footballer * Sthefany Thomas (born 1989), basketball player * Matías Presentado (born 1992), footballer * James Parker (born 1994), handball player * Joana Bolling (born 1995), handball player * Erik Thomas (born 1995), basketball player * Cristian Medina (born 2002), footballer


Other

* Felipa Larrea (1810–1910), last surviving former slave


Gallery

File:Central market, Buenos Aires 1818.jpg, Main market in Buenos Aires. In the centre foreground a black fisherman brings a ''dorado''. File:Quinta (smallholding) outside Buenos Aires c.1818.jpg, ''Quinta'' on the west bank of the
Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...
. Black workers perform tasks in the foreground (1818). File:Buenos Aires - San Telmo - La Casa Mínima.jpg, The ''Casa Mínima'', built by
freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom a ...
following the 1812 abolition of slavery in Argentina. File:Afro-Argentines of Buenos Aires, 1800-1900 - from page 35.png, An Afro-Argentine pastry vendor circa 1830. File:Afro-Argentines of Buenos Aires, 1800-1900 - from page 192.png, Upper-class black ''
porteño In Spanish, the term (feminine: ''Porteña'') means "port city person". It is used to refer to residents of port cities such as Buenos Aires, Argentina; El Puerto de Santa María, Spain; Valparaíso, Chile; Mazatlán, Veracruz, Acapulco and Tam ...
s'' at a dance in 1902. File:Militar afroargentino.jpg, An Afro Argentine soldier from the turn of the 19th century. File:Afro-Argentines of Buenos Aires, 1800-1900 - from page 126.png, Juan Martínez Moreira, a survivor of the War of the Triple Alliance, photographed for ''Caras y Caretas''. File:Afro-Argentines of Buenos Aires, 1800-1900 - from page 195.png, An advertisement for collars and cuffs in the magazine Caras y Caretas (1902). File:Pedro Figari - Candombe o Candombe bajo la luna - Google Art Project.jpg, An oil canvas painting depicting candombe (1922). File:Afroargentinos tocando candombe en una fogata de San Juan – 1938.jpg, Black Argentines playing
candombe ''Candombe'' is a style of music and dance that originated in Uruguay among the descendants of liberated African slaves. In 2009, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed ''candombe'' in its Repres ...
in 1938, San Juan. File:17. TC 74 03. Quisanche.jpg, Afro-Argentine man playing a quisanche for candombe File:Masacalla actual.jpg, Masacalla, with three parts, belonging to the "Comparsa Negros Argentinos" of "Misibamba Association", Buenos Aires.


See also

*
Candombe ''Candombe'' is a style of music and dance that originated in Uruguay among the descendants of liberated African slaves. In 2009, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed ''candombe'' in its Repres ...
*
Tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
*
Milonga (music) Precursor to tango, milonga is a musical genre that originated in the Río de la Plata areas of Argentina, Uruguay and the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. "Milonga is an excited habanera." The original habanera divided into four pulses, i ...
* Chacarera * Afro-Latin American *
Argentine people Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
* African immigration to Latin America *
Demographics of Argentina This is a demography of Argentina including population density, ethnicity, economic status and other aspects of the population. In the , Argentina had a population of 40,117,096 inhabitants, and preliminary results from the counted 47,327,407 ...
*
Immigration to Argentina Immigration to Argentina began in several millennia BCE with the arrival of different populations from Asia to the Americas through Beringia, according to the most accepted theories, and were slowly populating the Americas. Upon arrival of ...
* Angolan Argentine * Cape Verdean Argentines * Ethnic groups of Argentina


Further reading

* Andrews, George Reid. 1980. ''The Afro-Argentines of Buenos Aires, 1800-1900'', Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. * Edwards, Erika Denise. 2020. ''Hiding in Plain Sight: Black Women, the Law and the Making of a White Argentine Republic,'' Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.


References


External links


ARGENTINA: Drumming Up Black Awareness
* ttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/27/MNGH0FU3UG1.DTL Blacks in Argentina -- officially a few, but maybe a million {{African diaspora Ethnic groups in Argentina People of African descent