Paraguayan Argentines

Summary

Paraguayan Argentines (Guarani: Paraguaiguakuéra Arahentínape, Spanish: Paraguayo-argentinos) are Argentine citizens of full or partial Paraguayan descent or Paraguay-born people who reside in Argentina. Paraguayan people comprise an important ethnic group in the country due to the sustained immigration that gained importance in the 1970s. The number of people born in Paraguay living in Argentina has been estimated to be about 550,000.[2][3] Therefore, it is the largest foreign community in the country outnumbering individuals from Italy and Spain (countries which have been historically regarded as the origin of the backbone of Argentine society). It is also one of the fastest growing foreign nationalities. Despite all this, its numbers have been undercounted so it is believed that the real amount is even much higher.

Paraguayan Argentines
Paraguaiguakuéra Arahentínape (Guarani)
Paraguayo-argentinos (Spanish)
Members of the Paraguayan community at the Immigrant's Festival in Oberá, Misiones
Total population
916,136 (by birth, 2023)[1]
2.0% of the Argentine population
Regions with significant populations
Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province, Misiones, Corrientes, Formosa, Santa Fe, Córdoba and Chaco
Languages
Spanish · Guarani
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Paraguayans · Paraguayan Americans

History edit

 
Paraguayans in the inaugural parade of the Immigrant's Festival.

The North-Eastern provinces of Argentina were originally inhabited by Guarani tribes conforming with what is now Paraguay and several regions of Brazil the area of influence of Guarani culture. This influence can be seen nowadays in many common cultural features. However, the earliest presence of Paraguayans as an ethnic group can be traced back much later, to the second foundation (and the real permanent settlement) of the city of Buenos Aires by Juan de Garay who sailed down Parana River from Asuncion accompanied by local Mestizo and Guarani families. In addition, there have always been certain connections between the two countries during later periods of the Spanish rule, especially when the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata was created in 1776 which included several Intendencias, among them the Intendencia of Paraguay and Intendencia of Buenos Aires.

There has been Paraguayan presence in Argentine soil during and after the Paraguayan War and after the Revolution of 1947[4] in Paraguay but it did not acquire importance before 1970. For many economic reasons (Paraguay being an impoverished country) and political reasons (Stroessner dictatorship), Paraguayans started to settle in larger amounts throughout the wealthier neighbouring territory. Another fact was the porosity of Argentine borders and that the population density has always been disproportionally higher in the Eastern region (Argentine-Brazilian border) rather than the Western region or Chaco (Bolivian border).

Very different from other immigrant communities in Argentina (European and Middle-Eastern), Paraguayan entrance has been large (with insignificant return rate) and constant even to these days which makes up to 40 years of sustained immigration that does not seem to stop or decline in the future.

Distribution edit

Paraguayan Argentines
 
 
The maps of Paraguay and Argentina (left), the distribution of Paraguayan Argentines by Argentine provinces (2010) (right).

According to the 2010 census [INDEC], the distribution of Paraguayan-born residents in Argentina is not evenly spread throughout Argentina's territory: Buenos Aires and the Buenos Aires Province are the top destinations for Paraguayans. In addition, due to geographical proximity facilitating movement and cultural exchange, 40% of the Paraguayan-born community is settled in provinces of the Northeastern region of Argentina, namely Misiones, Corrientes, Formosa, Santa Fe, Córdoba and Chaco, which are near the Argentina–Paraguay border. The 10% left is spread throughout the rest of the provinces.[5]

# Province Paraguayan-born people
# %
1   Buenos Aires Province 392,697 71.31 %
2   City of Buenos Aires 80,325 15.00 %
3   Misiones 26,799 4.87 %
4   Formosa 20,280 3.68 %
5   Santa Fe 8,154 1.48 %
6   Chaco 4,089 0.74 %
7   Córdoba 4,064 0.73 %
8   Corrientes 3,397 0.62 %
9   Chubut 1,911 0.35 %
10   Entre Ríos 1,420 0.26 %
11   Santa Cruz 1,368 0.25 %
12   1,123 0.20 %
13   Neuquén 1,122 0.20 %
14   Salta 651 0.12 %
15   Mendoza 587 0.11 %
16   Tierra del Fuego 532 0.10 %
17   Tucumán 439 0.08 %
18   La Pampa 406 0.07 %
19   San Luis 397 0.07 %
20   Santiago del Estero 316 0.05 %
21   Jujuy 311 0.05 %
22   Catamarca 123 0.02 %
23   La Rioja 114 0.02 %
24   San Juan 88 0.01 %
Total   Argentina 550,713 100%


Paraguayans in Argentina according to INDEC and RENAPER
Source: The National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC)[6] and the National Register of persons (RENAPER)[1]
Graphic prepared by: Wikipedia

Traditions edit

 
 
 
 
 
 
Some elements of the Paraguayan cuisine that are not only appreciated by Paraguayan Argentines but also by all residents of Argentina; Mbeju, Reviro, Bori-Bori, Paraguayan Empanadas, Tereré, Chipa.

Some cultural elements shared by Argentina and Paraguay include the consumption of Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguayensis) in the form of mate, a traditional infused drink with hot water claimed by Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay as the national drink, as well as Tereré, a traditional infused drink with cold water and Mate cocido, a traditional infused drink with hot water, both originally from Paraguay; Chamame, folk music genre with its origins in Guarani Jesuit Missions mixed with European styles, and the use of the Guaraní Language, which is the official language of Paraguay and second official language of the Argentine Corrientes Province since 24 September 2004.

Guarani placenames in Argentina edit

Corrientes edit

Ituzaingó Curuzú Cuatiá Caá Catí Cerro Corá Mburucuyá ("Passion flower" the National flower of Paraguay) Mocoretá Tabay ("small town") Tapebicua Tatacuá ("the hole of the fire") Taragui Yahapé Yataytí Calle Yapeyú Itatí Itá Ibaté ("tall stone") Guaviraví Vaca Cuá Ita Corá Aguay

Misiones edit

Oberá ("shiny") Caa Yarí Capiobí Caraguatay Garuhapé Garuhapé-Mi Garupá Guaraní Itacaruaré Mbopicuá ("hole of the bat") Panambí ("butterfly") Pindapoy Piray Kilómetro 18 Puerto Iguazú (Iguazú meaning "large water") Puerto Piray (Piray meaning "small fish") Tarumá Tacuaruzú Cuña-Pirú

Chaco edit

Samuhú ("Chorisia" a kind of subtropical tree) Colonia Tacuarí El Paranacito

Salta edit

Aguaray Yariguarenda Yacuy El Aguay Acambuco Itangua Tobantirenda Capiazuti

Santa Fe edit

Tacuarendí ("sugarcane fields") El Arazá Caraguatay Aguará Grande Ñanducita ("small spider") Tacural ("anthills") Vera ("shiny") Carcarañá ("mean caracara")

Santiago del Estero edit

Añatuya Caburé Urutaú

Tucumán edit

Tukumã Tapia ("wall") El Timbo

Formosa edit

Pirané ("smelly fish") Ibarreta Yatai Tatané

Entre Ríos edit

Gualeguay Paraná Mandisoví Villaguay Ubajay Gualeguaychú Chajarí Ñancay Ibicuy

Buenos Aires Province edit

Pehuajó, Reta "retã" ("country or nation"), Mar de Ajó, Mar del Tuyú, San Bernardo del Tuyú, Ituzaingó ("waterfall")

Rivers edit

Paraná Paraguay ("colorful water") Uruguay ("water of the birds") Carapari Gualeguay Gualeguaychú Guayquiraró Rivers of the Paraná Delta Ibicuy

Notable Paraguayan Argentines edit

Politicians edit

 
Aníbal Ibarra, former mayor of Buenos Aires.

Arts and culture edit

 
Mariana Enríquez, journalist and writer

Sportspeople edit

 
Leandro Paredes, footballer.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Datos sociodemográficos por país de nacimiento". RENAPER - Dirección Nacional de Población. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Creciente número de paraguayos y bolivianos en Argentina :: Noticias de Bolivia de último momento". Fmbolivia.com.bo. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
  3. ^ "Casi 300.000 paraguayos se radicaron en Argentina en 3 años". UltimaHora.com. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
  4. ^ "Marco Teórico". Telpin.com.ar. 2001-01-14. Archived from the original on 2010-04-26. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
  5. ^ "Censo 2010 - Población total nacida en el extranjero por lugar de nacimiento, según sexo y grupo de edad (ver por provincias)". National Institute of Statistics and Census (in Spanish). 2010. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  6. ^ Censo Nacional de Argentina del año 2010Archived 2016-04-09 at the Wayback Machine

External links edit