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Great European immigration wave to Argentina

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Further information: Immigration to Argentina

Immigrants arriving to Argentina
European Immigration to Argentina (1869-1947)
Immigrants' Hotel, Buenos Aires. Built in 1906, it could accommodate up to 4,000.

The Great European Immigration Wave to Argentina was the period of greatest immigration in Argentine history, which occurred approximately from the 1860s to the 1960s, when more than six million Europeans arrived in Argentina.[1] The wave consisted largely of Italian and Spanish immigrants.[2] With other significant groups that arrived including the French, Jews, Arabs, Germans, and others.[3]

In 1895, in the city of Buenos Aires, foreigners outnumbered natives, and in Santa Fe province, almost 42% of its population was foreign. This rapid influx of European migrants led to immense population growth in Argentina. This was reflected in the national censuses: in 1869 the population amounted to around one million seven hundred and forty thousand inhabitants; in 1895 it had more than doubled, with nearly four million, and in 1914 it doubled again, with almost eight million.[1]

The migrants have been incredibly influential in the demographic makeup of Argentina, drastically changing the ethnic structure and increasing the urban population (from 28% in 1869 to 57% in 1930). Also, they introduced political concepts like labor unions, socialism and anarchism into the country's political zeitgeist.[4] The remnants of the Immigration Wave of migrants are still visible in Argentina today, not only as a result of their influence on the country's economic and political history, but as cultural cornerstones in both urban and rural communities alike.[5]

Causes

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Context in Europe

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The main factor behind the great wave of immigration to Argentina was the rise of steamship technologies. It greatly facilitated inter-oceanic migration, and made Europe much more vulnerable to mass emigration from any event affecting society. By the end of the 19th century, sea passages became relatively accessible, and the travel time between European ports and Buenos Aires had significantly shortened. In the 1830s, crossing the Atlantic from Italian ports like Genoa or Livorno in sailboats took more than fifty days. But with steamships, the journey was cut to between 18 and 24 days.[6]

Also, Europe was undergoing a period of turmoil which caused mass emigration. Key events included the outbreak of World War I and World War II along with their consequences, the Spanish Civil War, the Armenian Genocide, the pogroms in the Russian Empire and other acts of antisemitism.[5]

Economically, the instability caused by the Long Depression (1873-1899) was one of the main reasons for so many to migrate. The crises had a huge impact in the agricultural sector, as the price of grain in 1894 was only a third what it had been in 1867.[7] In Spain, the commercial break with France at the beginning of the 1890s was fundamental as well, since it closed the market to which most of its agricultural production was directed. This caused the ruin of a large part of the Spanish peasantry, with many being forced to emigrate.[6]

Italy is a notable example of the economic difficulties faced during that time, with many Italian agricultural laborers living close to starvation. Since the cost of transoceanic transport had significantly decreased, wheat from the United States reached the Italian market at prices much more competitive than domestic production. The effect of this wave of early globalization in Italy, as in other countries, was economic stagnation and increasing social conflicts. About a quarter of the population relied on charity in one form or another.[8][9] Also, the unification of Italy in 1861–70 broke down the feudal land system that had survived in the south since the Middle Ages (especially where land had been the inalienable property of aristocrats, religious bodies or the king). However the breakdown of feudalism and redistribution of land resulted in many remaining landless and plots being too small, and in turn more unproductive when land was subdivided among heirs.[10][11] Moreover, Francesco Crispi launched a trade war against France from 1888 to 1898, and it resulted in an economic disaster for Italy.[12]

The Second Industrial Revolution also had a negative impact on some parts of the European population. Technological innovation ruined the traditional activities of many rural laborers and artisans, who chose emigration as an alternative to proletarianization and sought to practice their activities in their destination countries. In Northern Italy the spread of the mechanical loom harmed peasants who carried out work at home with hand looms.[6]

Context in Argentina

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While Europe was going through this instability, Argentina experienced its period of greatest economic growth up to that time, due to the huge influx of money caused by the rise of the agroexport model. Argentina possessed an untapped wealth of natural resources that created high demand for both skilled and unskilled labor. In comparison to many other Latin American countries at that time, Argentina offered significantly higher wage opportunities for immigrants, which were also higher than those in some of the main source countries like Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Therefore, many Europeans went to Argentina in search of better living conditions.[13]

In addition, Argentina was going through a process of political pacification and consolidation of its institutions, giving an end to an era marked by several civil wars.[14]

Policies promoting immigration

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From the 1850s into the early 1900s, Argentina's national policy was one of maximizing immigration:

The idea of attracting European immigration to Argentina was one of the central themes in Juan Bautista Alberdi's book "Bases and points of departure for the Political Organization of the Argentine Republic", from which the Argentine Constitution of 1853 would adopt several ideas. Alberdi wrote in his work the famous phrase "To govern is to populate" because he saw immigration as "a means of progress and culture for South America".[15] The first edition was published in May 1852, a few months after Rosas' defeat at Caseros.[16][17]

According to Alberdi, Argentina should have received, through immigrants, "the vivifying spirit of European civilization". Viewing immigration as one of the keys to Argentina's potential development, as the inhabitants of the most industrialized countries, by settling in Argentina could have made it possible to transform it into an advanced nation. Alberdi believed in what he called "the education of things," which consisted of educating by example and by teaching concrete skills, rather than by humanistic and formal teaching.[18][3]

Thus, inspired by Alberdi's work, the 1853 Constitution in its article 20 and 25 said the following:

Article 20.- Foreigners enjoy all the civil rights of citizens in the territory of the Confederation: they may exercise their industry, commerce and profession; own real estate, purchase and transfer it; navigate the rivers and coasts; freely practice their religion; make wills and marry according to the law. They are not obliged to accept citizenship, nor to pay extraordinary compulsory contributions. They obtain naturalization by residing two continuous years in the Confederation; but the authority may shorten this period in favor of the person who requests it, alleging and proving service to the Republic.

Article 25.- The Federal Government shall encourage European immigration; and may not restrict, limit or impose any tax on the entry into Argentine territory of foreigners who bring the purpose of working the land, improving industries and introducing and teaching science and the arts.

Former president and thinker Domingo Faustino Sarmiento also believed that European immigration would develop Argentina. He argued that Argentina's great dilemma was between civilization and barbarism. Like many thinkers of his time, he understood that civilization was identified with Europe, which he saw as the source of progress for Argentina in his famous essay "Facundo". While barbarism was related to the rural, the indigenous and the gaucho. This dilemma, according to him, could only be resolved with the triumph of "civilization" over barbarism.[19]

On October 1, 1869, during the presidency of Sarmiento, Law No. 346 on “Citizenship and Naturalization” was passed, the spirit of this law was to facilitate the naturalization of foreigners into Argentina. The novelty was that it did not establish a distinction between Argentines and citizens for the exercise of political rights, it defined as Argentines as “all individuals born or to be born in the territory of the Republic, no matter the nationality of their parents” and also as "children of native Argentines who, having been born in a foreign country, opt for Argentine citizenship". Therefore, a strong Jus Soli and a Jus sanguinis were both established. [20]

During the presidency of Nicolás Avellaneda, in 1876, the Immigration and Colonization Act of 1876 was passed and promulgated. The law consists of 121 chapters, half of them dedicated to immigration, and the other half to colonization. Article 45 of the law stated that every immigrant, provided that he "sufficiently demonstrated his good conduct and his aptitude for any industry, art or useful trade", had the right to be housed and maintained at the expense of the State for five days following his disembarkation. In addition, the Public Authority was also responsible for his transfer to the place in the country he chose as residence. On the other hand, when the immigrant so desired, he could obtain employment through the Labor Office. Also, if the immigrant was going to the interior of the country and there was an Immigration Commission at the destination, it had to provide the immigrant with accommodation and food for a period of up to ten days.[21]

Percentage of Argentines —by provinces and territories— that were born in Europe (1914)

Favorable geography and culture

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Geographically, Argentina has easy access to the Atlantic Ocean, its Pampa region is one of the most fertile and extensive areas for cultivation on the planet and its temperature is temperate such as that in most of Europe. Culturally, Argentina, having been part of the Spanish Empire, maintained a culture somewhat similar to that of Europeans. These favorable conditions would encourage foreigners to emigrate to Argentina

Effect of European immigration

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See also: European immigration to the Americas

Demographic

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Italian immigrants in a conventillo in Buenos Aires. Italian is the largest single ethnic origin of European immigrants in the country, and became a major part of modern Argentine society. [22][23]

As a result of the immigration wave, Argentina's population was roughly four times larger in 1914 than it was in 1870. Roughly 6.6 million Europeans immigrated to Argentina within this timeframe.[24] While immigrants came from all over Europe, the three most represented countries of origin were Italy, Spain, and France.[25] Collectively, immigrants from these three countries accounted for over 5 million immigrants.[25] While the population increased, Argentine citizenship did not. Legal citizens made up 2.2% of the entire immigrant population by 1914.[24] However, Argentina's Citizenship Law gave citizenship to all persons born in Argentina.[26] The immigrants themselves did not become citizens, but their children did, which would create a new middle class.[26]

Origin of immigrants up to 1940

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Gross immigration by nationality (1857–1940)
Nationality Amount Percentage of total
 Italy 2,970,000 44.9%
 Spain 2,080,000 31.5%
 France 239 000 3.6%
 Poland[Note 1] 180 000 2.7%
Flag of Russia Russia[Note 2] 177 000 2.7%
Flag of Turkey Ottoman Empire[Note 3] 174 000 2.6%
 Germany 152 000 2.3%
Austria-Hungary 111 000 1.7%
 United Kingdom[Note 4] 75 000 1.1%
 Portugal[Note 5] 65 000 1.0%
Yugoslavia[Note 6] 48 000 0.7%
  Switzerland 44,000 0.7%
 Belgium 26 000 0.4%
 Denmark 18 000 0.3%
 United States 12 000 0.2%
 Netherlands 10,000 0.2%
 Sweden 7000 0.1%
Other nationalities 223 000 3.4%
Total[Note 7] 6 611 000

Source: National Directorate of Migrations (DNM).

Economic

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Economically, Argentina benefited from European immigration. During the wave of European immigration, Argentina’s percentage of world GDP grew from 0.99% to 2.42% as a result of immigrant labor.[27] Immigration helped connect Argentina to the global economy, as a 10% increase in immigrants from a particular origin country was roughly equal to an 8% increase in exports to that country.[27] With the influx of laborers, Argentina was able to expand its agricultural production and exportation.[28] The agricultural sector was equipped to handle the increase in laborers, as many rural property owners had uncultivated farm land.[28] By renting their land to immigrants, many rural towns were able to flourish with the cultivation of large land worked by European immigrant families.[28]

Beyond production, immigrants also aided Argentina's industrialization efforts. 70% of immigrants lived in urban areas in 1914, which was a ten percent increase over a twenty year period.[29] The increase in production additionally created a need for increased transportation networks.[3] To build these networks, Argentina again sought and supported immigrant labor.[3] In 1905, Argentine railroad companies sponsored the immigration of more than 20,000 Italians.[24]

Social

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The population of Argentina grew four-fold over the Great European Immigration Wave causing a change to the social structure of Argentina.[30] The Constitution of 1853 explicitly encouraged European immigrants as a tool to civilize and whiten the Argentine population.[30] The elites (the descendants of the Spanish colonial ruling class, along with a small group of wealthy European immigrants) believed that American Indians should be part of the Argentine society culturally and identically and that European immigrants could industrialise the primitive country of Argentina in order to provide socioeconomic opportunities and foment the Argentine national identity. "[28] This belief created a national identity where Europeans,along with the Indians and Blacks,could adapt the cultural traditions and values of the Argentine Nation [3] The early waves of immigration did not experience such greater numbers. This was caused by the ongoing Argentine civil wars(after the unification of the Argentine state by Buenos Aires in 1861) and,the most notable one,The War of the Triple Alliance (where Paraguay fought to preserve its sovereignty from Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay from 1864 to 1870), the population of Argentina(Criollo,Mestizos Insians and Black people) declined in Argentina because of higher mortality rates,warfare(war of independence and Argentine civil wars) and diseases. [30]

The new middle class emerged from this influx of European immigrants.[28] The European immigrants provided labor to the untapped Argentine land. In addition to developing agricultural production these immigrants caused an increase in middle-class development.[28] Prior to the 1870s, Argentina exhibited a three-tiered class structure consisting of an elite, a ruling class, and a peasant class. Between 1870 and 1914, the once small middle class grew by 30%.[28] 46% of this emerging socio-economic group were European-born immigrants, according to a 1914 census.[31]

The higher pay in Argentina compared to Europe for manual labor attracted many immigrants causing crowded cities and higher crime.[3] Between 1887 and 1912 Buenos Aires's population tripled while the number of crimes reported increased seven times.[32] In Buenos Aires, it was estimated that an average immigrant family contained five people in a one-room house that was twelve by twelve feet.[3] The crowded cities were also a central point in crime. There was a rapid increase in thieves, pickpockets, racketeers, and prostitution making large cities like Buenos Aires infamous by 1914.[3] Argentina's unemployment also rose, further increasing poverty rates. It is estimated that 73% of the inmates in the Buenos Aires beggars' asylum were foreigners.[32]

Cultural

The mass amount of immigration in Argentina created a melting pot for many different cultures. The mix of European and Indian cultures led to a new mestizo culture and a "formation of an identity that was not European nor indigenous."[30] The Italian immigrants brought new cultural touchstones such as the Italian language, hand gestures, and different foods to Argentina. In addition, many communities like the Jewish, German, and Welsh communities also kept some traditional cultural elements while mixing in with the Indian population along with the Spanish and Italian cultures.[30]

Political

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While political elites had favored and fostered European immigration, these immigrants created new political demands among the polity that were not so aligned with the ideas of those in power.[28] A diversity of cultural ideals, a growing middle class, and activism of immigrants who had fled their home country because of their political beliefs created a rich union, socialist, and anarchist presence in Argentina, particularly in Buenos Aires.[33] By 1901, movements fueled by Spanish, Italian, and French immigrants had organized and were enacting labor strikes and protests against the government.[34] In response, the government began deporting immigrants that they felt threatened their institutions, whether they were criminals or political agitators, via a new Residency Law.[33] Italians, Spaniards, and Jewish Argentines in particular were targets of prejudice and back lash, being targeted by policing in urban areas due to assumed criminality.[29] The turn of the century saw increased regulation of immigration, a political response to racial and social questions posed by an influx of Europeans.[29]

End of the European Immigration Wave

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One reason European immigration slowed during the early 20th century was because Argentine elites began to criticize the nation's unrestricted European migration.[31] Elitist-owned newspapers created anti-immigration propaganda to discourage migration with the hopes of also decreasing crime and unemployment.[31] Newspapers often contained descriptions that "stereotyped the typical anarchist as a fat, swarthy, and ugly Italian or Spaniard bristling with knives, bombs, and other lethal weapons."[31] Increased deportations began in conjunction to shifting attitudes.[31] These measures, coupled with the onset of World War I, made it more difficult for European immigrants to find a home in Argentina.[5]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Includes Ukrainians, Jews and Belarusians in the eastern region of Poland. The Slavic settlers of Northeast Argentina Archived September 24, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Includes Ukrainians, Volga Germans, Belarusians, Poles, Lithuanians etc. who, because they were then subjects of the Russian Empire, entered with a Russian passport.
  3. ^ The distinction between Turkish, Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese, and Arabs only became official after 1920. Until that period, all emigrated with a Turkish passport —which generalized the use of the adjective until today— because they were legally residing within the Ottoman Empire. In fact, each of them identified with their village or town of origin.
  4. ^ The United Kingdom until 1922 included all of Ireland. For this reason, a large part of the British immigrants —commonly called "English" at the time— were of Irish origin, added to the population of origin English, Welsh, and Scottish.
  5. ^ Portugal until 1974 had the following dependencies Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Timor Leste.
  6. ^ The state known generically as Yugoslavia grouped, between 1918 and 1992, the present independent states of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.
  7. ^ About 52% of immigrants from the period 1857–1939 settled permanently.

References

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  1. ^ a b Benencia, Cohen, Djenderedjian, Gurrieri, Guzmán, Massé, Mera, Moreno, Roberto, Néstor, Julio, Jorge, Florencia, Gladys, Carolina, José Luis. "LOS INMIGRANTES EN LA CONSTRUCCIÓN DE LA ARGENTINA" (PDF). IMMIGRANTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ARGENTINA.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Bryce, Benjamin (May 5, 2023). "A Brief History of Italian Immigration in Argentina". Bridge To Argentina. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Solberg, Carl (1970). Immigration and Nationalism: Argentina and Chile, 1890–1914. Austin, TX: The University of Texas Press.
  4. ^ Devoto, F.J. (April 1989). "Argentine migration policy and movements of the European population (1876–1925)". Estud Migr Latinoam. 4 (11): 135–58. PMID 12282850.
  5. ^ a b c Schuler, Friedrich E. (March 29, 2017). "Latin America in World War I". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.013.37. ISBN 978-0-19-936643-9. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "El contexto Internacional". Argentina.gob.ar (in Spanish). March 12, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  7. ^ Hobsbawm, E. J. (1989). The age of empire, 1875-1914 (1st Vintage Books ed.). New York: Vintage. ISBN 978-0-679-72175-8.
  8. ^ Gherlone, Enrico Felice; Ferrini, Francesco; Crespi, Roberto; Gastaldi, Giorgio; Capparé, Paolo (February 2015). "Digital Impressions for Fabrication of Definitive "All-on-Four" Restorations". Implant Dentistry. 24 (1): 125–129. doi:10.1097/ID.0000000000000206. ISSN 1056-6163. PMID 25621560.
  9. ^ Quine, M. P.; Quine, S. (1993). "Estimation of Infant Mortality Rates Categorized by Social Class for an Australian Population". Applied Statistics. 42 (2): 333. doi:10.2307/2986236. JSTOR 2986236. PMID 12344662.
  10. ^ McDonald, J. S. (October 1958). "Some Socio-Economic Emigration Differentials in Rural Italy, 1902-1913". Economic Development and Cultural Change. 7 (1): 55–72. doi:10.1086/449779. ISSN 0013-0079.
  11. ^ Abbott, Edith (August 1920). "Italian Emigration of our Times. By Robert F. Foerster. (Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 1919. Pp. xv, 556.)". American Political Science Review. 14 (3): 523–524. doi:10.2307/1946285. ISSN 0003-0554. JSTOR 1946285.
  12. ^ Mack Smith, Denis (1989). Italy and its monarchy. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-04661-8.
  13. ^ Alonso, Blanca Sánchez (2007). "The Other Europeans: Immigration into Latin America and the International Labour Market (1870–1930)". Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History. 25 (3): 395–426. doi:10.1017/S0212610900000185. hdl:10637/11784. ISSN 0212-6109.
  14. ^ "La Pacificación Política y la Organización del Estado". Argentina.gob.ar (in Spanish). March 13, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  15. ^ Gross, Herbert Micheal; Becker, Charles H. (February 1953). "A Study of Suppository Bases". Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association (Scientific Ed.). 42 (2): 96–100. doi:10.1002/jps.3030420212. ISSN 0095-9553.
  16. ^ "La Inmigración en el Proyecto de Organización Nacional". Argentina.gob.ar (in Spanish). March 13, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  17. ^ La inmigración europea, según Sarmiento y Alberdi (in Spanish)
  18. ^ Haro, Ricardo (May 1, 2011). "Juan Bautista Alberdi : ideas fundamentales de su obra«Bases y puntos de partida para la organización política de la República Argentina»". Revista de Derecho Político (81). doi:10.5944/rdp.81.2011.9160 (inactive November 15, 2024). ISSN 2174-5625.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  19. ^ Stern, Claudia (January 9, 2011). "EZEQUIEL ADAMOVSKY: Historia de la clase media en Argentina. Auge y decadencia de una ilusión, 1919-2003. Buenos Aires: Planeta, 2009". EIAL - Estudios Interdisciplinarios de América Latina y el Caribe. 22 (1): 155–158. doi:10.61490/eial.v22i1.271. ISSN 0792-7061.
  20. ^ "InfoLEG - Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas Públicas - Argentina". servicios.infoleg.gob.ar. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  21. ^ "La Legislación Migratoria". Argentina.gob.ar (in Spanish). March 13, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  22. ^ "Colectividad Italiana" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  23. ^ "Diaspora italiana in cifre" (PDF) (in Italian). p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2006. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
  24. ^ a b c Solberg, Carl E. (1982). "Peopling the Prairies and the Pampas: The Impact of Immigration on Argentine and Canadian Agrarian Development, 1870–1930". Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs. 24 (2): 131–161. doi:10.2307/165557. ISSN 0022-1937. JSTOR 165557.
  25. ^ a b "Argentina in the Era of Mass Immigration". obo. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Habib, Javier (2016). "Report on Citizenship Law: Argentina" (PDF). European University Institute.
  27. ^ a b De Arcangelis, Giuseppe; Mariani, Rama Dasi; Nastasi, Federico (2022). "Trade and Migration: Some New Evidence from the European Mass Migration to Argentina (1870–1913)". World Trade Review. 21 (4): 432–454. doi:10.1017/S1474745622000027. hdl:11573/1627989. ISSN 1474-7456. S2CID 248012323.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h Germani, Gino (November 1, 1966). "Mass immigration and modernization in Argentina". Studies in Comparative International Development. 2 (11): 165–182. doi:10.1007/BF02800543. ISSN 1936-6167. S2CID 154734456.
  29. ^ a b c Zimmermann, Eduardo A. (1992). "Racial Ideas and Social Reform: Argentina, 1890–1916". The Hispanic American Historical Review. 72 (1): 23–46. doi:10.2307/2515946. ISSN 0018-2168. JSTOR 2515946.
  30. ^ a b c d e Eller, Andrew (2010). "Argentina's Embedded Migrants". Council on Hemispheric Affairs.
  31. ^ a b c d e Solberg, Carl (1969). "Immigration and Urban Social Problems in Argentina and Chile, 1890–1914". Hispanic American Historical Review. 49 (2): 215–232. doi:10.1215/00182168-49.2.215.
  32. ^ a b Alonso, Blanca Sánchez (2007). "The Other Europeans: Immigration into Latin America and the International Labour Market (1870–1930)*". Revista de Historia Economica – Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History. 25 (3): 395–426. doi:10.1017/S0212610900000185. hdl:10637/11784. ISSN 2041-3335. S2CID 154606310.
  33. ^ a b BAER, JAMES A. (2015). Anarchist Immigrants in Spain and Argentina. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-03899-0. JSTOR 10.5406/j.ctt13x1kv5.
  34. ^ Baily, Samuel L. (1967). "The Italians and Organized Labor in the United States and Argentina: 1880– 1910". The International Migration Review. 1 (3): 56–66. doi:10.2307/3002740. ISSN 0197-9183. JSTOR 3002740.
[edit]
  • Devoto, F.J. (April 1989). "Argentine migration policy and movements of the European population (1876–1925)". Estud Migr Latinoam. 4 (11): 135–58. PMID 12282850.
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