Arab Argentines

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Arab Argentines
عرب الأرجنتين (Arabic)
Árabe-argentinos (Spanish)
Flag of Argentina.svg Flag of the Arab League.svg
Dia del inmigrante 034 (6238128264).jpg
Arab-Argentines during the Day of the immigrants in Buenos Aires.
Total population
+ 3,500,000 (by ancestry) [1]
7.6% of Argentina's population
(+ 2,000,000 Lebanese)
(+ 1,510,000 Syrians)
(+ 30,000 Palestinians) [2]
Regions with significant populations
Predominantly in the Argentine Northwest, the Greater Buenos Aires and Córdoba
Languages
Spanish   Arabic
Religion
Majority: Catholicism  · Eastern Orthodoxy
Minority: Sunnism  · Shiism  · Druze
Related ethnic groups
Arabs  · Arab Brazilians  · Arab Americans  · Arab Canadians  · Arab Australians  · Arab Spaniards  · Arab Colombians

Arab Argentine refers to Argentine citizens or residents whose ancestry traces back to various waves of immigrants, largely of Arab ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage and/or identity originating mainly from what is now Lebanon and Syria, [3] but also some individuals from the twenty-two countries which comprise the Arab world such as Palestine, Egypt and Morocco. Arab Argentines are one of the largest Arab diaspora groups in the world.

Contents

Although a highly diverse group of Argentines — in ancestral origins, religion and historic identities — Arab Argentines hold a common identity in the Argentine consciousness, being universally known as "turcos" ("Turks"), [4] [5] like in the rest of Latin American countries. [6] [7]

The majority of the Arab Argentines are from either Lebanese or Syrian background with a smaller amount of Palestinian, Egyptian and Moroccan background. [8] The interethnic marriage in the Arab community, regardless of religious affiliation, is very high; most community members have only one parent who has Arab ethnicity. As a result of this, the Arab community in Argentina shows marked language shift away from Arabic. Only a few speak any Arabic and such knowledge is often limited to a few basic words. Instead the majority, especially those of younger generations, speak Spanish as a first language, and have thoroughly assimilated in the local culture, [9] Arab Argentines have been a regular presence and distinguished themselves in all walks of national life on a par with the rest of the country's melting pot population.

History

Rocio Chalup, Queen of the Arab community in the Fiesta Nacional del Inmigrante in Obera, Misiones. Arabianqueen.JPG
Rocío Chalup, Queen of the Arab community in the Fiesta Nacional del Inmigrante in Oberá, Misiones.

There are some indications that the Arab Muslim presence within present day Argentine territory dates back to the time of the Spanish exploration and conquest. The first mentioned Arab settlers were the 15th century's Moorish (Morisco) Muslims of the Iberian peninsula that were people of Arab North African descent who explored the Americas with Spanish explorers, many of them settling in Argentina who were fleeing from persecution such as the Spanish Inquisition. [10] [ page needed ]

However, in the 19th century Argentina saw the first real wave of Arabs to settle within its territory. Most of the Arabs who came during this time period were from Lebanon and Syria as a result of the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war (During that time, Lebanon and Syria were Ottoman provinces). While Arab communities existed by 1864, systematic records did not appear before 1868. From 1891 to 1920, 367,348 people of Arabic heritage immigrated into Argentina. [8] When they were first processed in the ports of Argentina, they were classified as Turks (Spanish Turcos) because what is modern day Lebanon and Syria was a territory of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, hence the popular (and erroneous) demonym [11] (comparable to others applied in the majority immigrant country to other groups, such as "tano" (Italian) "gallego" (Spaniard) "ruso" (Jew) etc.

The causes for Arabs to leave their homeland were an accelerated increase in demographics in Lebanon, the persecution by the Ottoman Turks and the Italo-Turkish War. [8] The Arab immigrants settled in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, La Rioja, San Juan, Mendoza, Santiago del Estero, Misiones, Chaco, and the Patagonia. A large percentage on Arabs settled in the Cuyo region (which is made up of the provinces of San Juan, San Luis, Mendoza, and La Rioja) whose landscape and crops (olive, vineyards) resemble at time the Middle East's.

Notable people

Notable Argentines of Arab descent. Arabe-argentinos.jpg
Notable Argentines of Arab descent.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab Brazilians</span> Brazilians of Arab ancestry

Arab Brazilians are Brazilian citizens of Arab ethnic, cultural, linguistic heritage and identity. The majority of Arab Brazilians trace their origin to the Levantine region of the Arab World, known in Arabic as Bilad al-Sham, primarily from Lebanon and Syria, as well as Palestine. Arab Brazilians are Christians in the great majority. The first Syrians and Lebanese arrived in São Paulo around 1880. It is not known exactly when, although the Syrians and Lebanese say that in 1885 there was a small core of peddlers working in the market square. By 1920, the census listed 50,246 Syrians and Lebanese in Brazil, 38.4% (2/5) of these in the state of São Paulo. The 1940 census enumerated 48,614 Syrians, Lebanese and other related groups with a decrease of approximately 1647 people. As immigration almost ceased after 1929 and the colony aged, it is surprising that the decline was not even greater. The trend of the period between 1920 and 1940 was the continuous concentration of Syrians and Lebanese in São Paulo. Almost half (49.3%) of Syrians and Lebanese residents in Brazil lived in São Paulo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam in Argentina</span>

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Arab Colombians refers to Arab immigrants and their descendants in the Republic of Colombia. Most of the migrants came from Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Palestine. When they were first processed in the ports of Colombia, they were classified as Turks because what is now Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine were then territories of the Ottoman Empire. It is estimated that Colombia has a Lebanese population of 3.2 million. Meanwhile the Palestine population is estimated between 100,000-120,000.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebanese Brazilians</span> Brazilians of Lebanese ancestry

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Arab Chileans are Chileans from predominantly Arab ancestry. People from the Arab world arrived in Chile as early as the mid-19th century. Historically, the Arabs of Chile were called Turks, Moors, Syrians, Lebanese, or Palestinians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argentina–Lebanon relations</span> Bilateral relations

Diplomatic relations between the countries Argentina and Lebanon, have existed for over a century. Both nations enjoy friendly relations, the importance of which centers on the history of Lebanese immigration to Argentina. There are approximately 1.5 million Argentines of Lebanese descent. The Lebanese community in Argentina is the third largest immigrant community in the country and Argentina is host to the second largest community in Latin America. Both nations are members of the Group of 24 and the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebanese Uruguayans</span> Ethnic group

There are about 53,000 to 75,000 Lebanese Uruguayans, or Uruguayans of Lebanese origin. The Lebanese are one of the larger non-European communities, though still not as large a group as most European groups. Relations between Uruguay and Lebanon have always been close.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argentines</span> People of the country of Argentina or who identify as culturally Argentine

Argentines are the people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, several of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being Argentine. In the past the National Gentilic for Citizens of Argentina was mistakenly translated as Argentinians, a term that is no longer considered accurate.

Lebanese Colombians are Colombians of Lebanese descent. Most of the Lebanese community's forebears immigrated to Colombia from the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for economic, political and religious reasons. The first Lebanese moved to Colombia in the late nineteenth century. There was another wave in the early twentieth century. It is estimated that over 10,000 Lebanese immigrated to Colombia from 1900 to 1930.

Lebanese Argentine refers to Argentine citizens of Lebanese descent or Lebanon-born people who reside in Argentina. Many of the Lebanese Argentines are descendants of immigrants cultural and linguistic heritage and/or identity, originating from what is now Lebanon.

A Lebanese Venezuelan is a Venezuelan citizen of Lebanese origin or descent. There are around 340,000 to 500,000 people of Lebanese ancestry.

Syrian Argentines are Argentine citizens of Syrian descent or Syrian-born people who reside in Argentina. Argentina has the second highest number of Syrians in South America after Brazil. Syrian immigration to Argentina has been and is currently, one of the most important Arab migration flows into Argentina. Immigration waves peaked in the 20th century, although in recent years due to the constant wars in the Middle East, immigration from Syria has been increasing over time. Like other Arab Argentines, they are universally known as "turcos" ("Turks"), like in the rest of Latin American countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turks in Mexico</span> Ethnic group in Mexico

Turks in Mexico comprise Turkish people living in Mexico and their Mexico-born descendants. The Turkish community is largely made up of immigrants or the descendants of immigrants, born in the Ottoman Empire before 1923, in the Republic of Turkey since then or in neighbouring countries once part of the Ottoman Empire that still have some Turkish population.

References

  1. "Inmigración sirio-libanesa en Argentina" (in Spanish). Fearab.org.ar. Archived from the original on 20 June 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  2. Data vary widely among sources: 1,300,000 https://web.archive.org/web/20100606073714/http://www.islamhoy.org/principal/Latinoamerica/argentina/ciarla.htm Islamhoy] (c. 2001); 3,500,000 Inmigración sirio-libanesa en Argentina Archived 20 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine (uncertain, but more recent date)
  3. Barros, Carolina (23 August 2012). "Argentina's Syrians". www.buenosairesherald.com. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  4. Klich, Ignacio; Lesser, Jeffrey (1996). "Introduction: "Turco" Immigrants in Latin America". The Americas. 53 (1): 1–14. doi: 10.2307/1007471 . ISSN   0003-1615. JSTOR   1007471.
  5. Victoria (16 December 2018). "11 Essential Argentina Slang Expressions You Can Start Using". Spanishland School. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  6. Moore, Aaron; Mathewson, Kent (1 January 2013). "Latin America's Los Turcos: geographic aspects of Levantine and Maghreb diasporas". Noesis. Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades. (in Spanish). 22 (43).
  7. Civantos, Christina (5 February 2016). "The Surprisingly Deep Centuries-Old Ties Between the Middle East and Latin America". Americas Quarterly. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 "Sirios, turcos y libaneses" [Syrians, Turks and Lebanese] (in Spanish). oni.escuelas.edu.ar. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008.
  9. Civantos, Christina (3 July 2019). "On Becoming an Arab Argentine Writer: Juan José Saer's La grande". Review: Literature and Arts of the Americas. 52 (2): 177–184. doi:10.1080/08905762.2019.1681768. ISSN   0890-5762. S2CID   213820380.
  10. Dirks, Jerald (2006). Muslims in American History: A Forgotten Legacy. Amana Publications. ISBN   978-1-59008-044-3.
  11. "Recopilaron casi 200 años de los sirio libaneses en Argentina" [Records of almost 200 years of the Syrian Lebanese in Argentina have been compiled] (in Spanish). elindependiente.com.ar. 2003. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014.