Some people are unaware of Argentina’s dark history—the disappearance of the Black and Afro-Argentinian populace.
According to research by McNair Scholar Erika Denise Edwards, Argentina’s 1836 census showed that of the city’s 63,035 inhabitants, 14,906 or 26% were Black. The 1810 census revealed that in the age range of 10-29, whites amounted to 38% of the total population, and Blacks amounted to 56%. Therefore, there were Black people in Argentina (Buenos Aires) due to the slave trade.
However, the country’s race makeup today shows that about 97% of the population is of European descent, and only 0.4% are of African descent.
What the hell happened to all the Blacks and Afro-Argentinians?
The Argentinian government viewed Blacks as inferior to whites and, therefore, enacted “whitening” tactics to erase Blacks from their history.
One thing to note is that “whitening” was not much about skin color but mainly about attitude and cultural behavior.
Some of the “whitening” tactics used to decrease the Black population were the Afro-Argentines and the Argentine Wars.
Afro-Argentinos were forced into the war and suffered from the highest casualty rates because they were placed on the front lines.
Furthermore, the infant mortality rate was higher among Black children than whites. Additionally, the condition Blacks lived in increased their chances of dying from diseases like salmonella and cholera.
Another factor in the disappearance of Black people or Afro-Argentines in Argentina was the great European immigration wave. Argentina opened its borders to millions of Europeans (Spain and Italy) who migrated to Buenos Aires to whiten the country. Additionally, the majority of the European migrants were men.
The influx of European men cost many Blacks their jobs. For example, the 8th Infantry Battalion comprised Blacks in the 1820s but disbanded. In 1871, it was “reconstituted and renamed the Italian Legion.”
Since there were barely any European women who migrated to Argentina, European men didn’t have many options in the marriage department, leading to interracial relationships. The sex-ratio imbalance forced Black women to marry white men, presenting opportunities for social advancement and children of lighter complexion.
While some disagreed with interracial relationships because they believed in the United States’ ways of segregating, others in Argentina saw it as a way to whiten the country. As the Black population decreased, many moved out of Buenos Aires.
With the steady decrease in the Black population, the remaining Black people, especially women, were cornered and forced to choose between adopting the “whiter ways” and having access to more rights or continue identifying as Black and enduring discrimination.
Ultimately, many relinquished their African heritage to be accepted as equals by the white middle class.
Some doubt the accuracy of Argentina’s 1810 and 1827 censuses because Blacks were reportedly undercounted. Census takers likely avoided Black neighborhoods in the country because they were stereotypically described as “dark and dirty, plagued with thieves, prostitutes, and evil people.”
