Argentine Americans

Historical Development

Throughout most of its history, Argentina has been a receiving nation for immigration. The earliest discernible Argentine migration to the United States, beyond a few individuals, occurred between 1910 and 1930, but being small in number, these were generally incorporated into the category “Other Hispanics” in U.S. data. Larger Argentine immigration began only in the late 1950s and 1960s, when the search for greater [Page 273]economic opportunities served as a primary motive, especially among college-educated professionals. A second phase of recent immigration began in the mid-1970s, when a larger number of Argentines began leaving their country to escape the “Dirty War” (1976–83), during which a military dictatorship began persecuting and murdering political opposition.

Hyperinflation in the 1980s contributed further to migration. The result has more than doubled the number of Argentines in the United States from 44,803, recorded by the 1970 census, to 92,563 in 1990, and 136,578 in 2000. Most of these migrants settled in urban areas, especially New York, whose 17,363 Argentines in 1990 represented 18.8 percent of the total new arrivals in the United States; Los Angeles came second with 15,115 (16.3 percent). Aside from these large metropolitan areas, the largest area of Argentine concentration is in south Florida.

Deteriorating economic conditions in Argentina, beginning in 1998, led to renewed interest in economic migration, largely to Spain, Italy, the United States, Canada, and Israel. U.S. census data from 2000 indicated the newer arrivals have settled increasingly in California (20.3 percent), Florida (20.1 percent), New York (13.8 percent), Texas (7.5 percent), and New Jersey (6.2 percent), with the communities of south Florida emerging as an Argentine American cultural center. North Miami Beach, often referred to as “Little Buenos Aires,” is home to restaurants, bakeries, cafés, travel agencies, and a variety of other Argentine American establishments. Tango music permeates the streets along with the aromas of parrillas (steakhouses), while local ethnic groups and the Argentine Arts Organization, located in Lake Worth, sponsor music, art, and other cultural events.

Cuisine

An important cultural influence is readily seen in the cuisine available in larger urban areas where Argentines have settled. Empanadas (turnovers stuffed with a meat mixture) are readily found in Argentine communities, and the cuisine is beginning to make inroads into the general population. Traditional asado (grilled meats and ribs) and parrillada (a mixed barbeque) have become popular, with some restaurants advertising meat imported directly from Argentina as a means of distinguishing themselves from other restaurants promoting themselves as Argentine or Brazilian steakhouses.

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