Paraguayan Argentines

Paraguayan Argentines (Spanish: paraguayos-argentinos; Guarani: Paraguaiguakuéra Arahentínape) 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.[1][2] 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
Paraguayo-argentinos
Total population
c.550.000
~1,37% of the Argentine population
Regions with significant populations
Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province, Misiones, Corrientes, Formosa, Santa Fe, Córdoba and Chaco
Languages
Rioplatense Spanish · Paraguayan Spanish · Guarani
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Paraguayans · Guaraní people · Argentines · Uruguayan Argentines

History

Members of the Paraguayan community in Oberá, Misiones at the "Fiesta Nacional del Inmigrante".

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[3] 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

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.[4]

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

Traditions

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

Corrientes

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

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

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

Salta

Aguaray Yariguarenda Yacuy El Aguay Acambuco Itangua Tobantirenda Capiazuti

Santa Fe

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

Santiago del Estero

Añatuya Caburé Urutaú

Tucumán

Tukumã Tapia ("wall") El Timbo

Formosa

Pirané ("smelly fish") Ibarreta Yatai Tatané

Entre Ríos

Gualeguay Paraná Mandisoví Villaguay Ubajay Gualeguaychú Chajarí Ñancay Ibicuy

Buenos Aires Province

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

Rivers

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

Notable Paraguayan Argentines

Politicians

Aníbal Ibarra, former mayor of Buenos Aires.

Arts and culture

Mariana Enríquez, journalist and writer

Sportspeople

Leandro Paredes, footballer.

See also

References

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