Immigration to Uruguay began in several millennia BCE with the arrival of different populations from Asia to the Americas through Beringia, according to the most accepted theories, and were slowly populating the Americas. The most recent waves of immigrants started with the arrival of Spaniards in the 16th century, during the colonial period, to what was then known as the Banda Oriental .
Throughout its history, Uruguay has experienced massive waves of immigration from all around the world, specifically from the European continent, and today 90–95% of the Uruguayan population has European ancestry. The largest of these waves of immigration occurred between the last third of the 19th century and World War II, when the whole European continent was in turmoil. The largest groups of immigrants in Uruguay are the Spanish and Italians, both establishing the backbone of modern-day Uruguayan culture and society.
Uruguay is a multi-ethnic nation formed by the combination of different groups over five centuries. Amerindians inhabited Uruguayan territory for several millennia before the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century. Spaniards and Africans arrived in significant numbers under colonial rule, including many from a European background, some with an African background, and some Amerindians. [1]
Throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, Uruguay boasted the highest proportion of immigrant population in South America, with a majority hailing from Southern Europe. This influx significantly impacted the country's demographics, with foreign-born residents accounting for a remarkable 30% of the population in 1850 and 17% around 1910. [2]
Beginning in the second half of the 19th century, there has been gradual European immigration from several countries, which had its peak between 1870 and 1920; back then, the Villa del Cerro neighbourhood in Montevideo was characteristically populated by immigrants. [3]
In April 1831, government troops massacred most of the Amerindian population under the command of General Fructuoso Rivera; this is remembered as the Massacre of Salsipuedes.
Spaniards, Italians, and descendants of African slaves together formed the backbone of modern day Uruguayan culture and society.
Minor immigrant groups that, although are small in number, still play an important role in Uruguayan society, include:
There is a very recent inflow of Latin Americans: Peruvians, Bolivians, Paraguayans, Venezuelans. The University of the Republic is free, which means that many Chilean students come to study in Uruguay. Many people from neighboring Argentina and Brazil, who frequently travel to Uruguay to spend their holidays, have chosen it as permanent residence. In a very recent trend, North Americans and Europeans are also choosing to retire in Uruguay. There are over 12,000 foreign workers from 81 countries registered in the Uruguayan social security. [4]
Immigrants tend to integrate into mainstream society, as several scholars have shown. [5]
Based on data from the 2011 census, currently there are about 77,000 immigrants in Uruguay and 27,000 returning Uruguayans. [6]
As of October 2014, Uruguay received a new flow of immigrants from Syria as a consequence of the Syrian Civil War. [7]
With the construction works of UPM pulp mills in Fray Bentos and later near Paso de los Toros, new small waves of immigrants have entered the country, in search of jobs. [8]
In recent years Uruguay has been experiencing the drama of stateless people. [9] The Government has plans to diversify the reasons for obtaining visas to adapt to the new reality. [10]
About 1.3% of schoolchildren are foreigners, mostly from Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Venezuela, and the USA. A total of 62 countries are represented in Uruguayan schools. [11]
The culture of Uruguay is diverse since the nation's population is one of multicultural origins. Modern Uruguayan culture is known to be heavily European influenced, mostly by the contribution of its alternating conquerors, Italy, Spain and Portugal, and from the large numbers of immigrants who arrived in the country from the 19th century onwards.
Guatemalans are people connected to the country of Guatemala. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Guatemalans, several of these connections exist.
Immigration to Argentina began in several millennia BCE with the arrival of different populations from Asia to the Americas through Beringia, according to the most accepted theories, and were slowly populating the Americas. Upon arrival of the Spaniards, the native inhabitants of Argentine territory were approximately 300,000 people belonging to many Indigenous American civilizations, cultures, and tribes.
Argentina has a racially and ethnically diverse population. The territory of what today is Argentina was first inhabited by numerous indigenous peoples. The first white settlers came during the period of Spanish colonization, beginning in the 16th century. The Spaniards imported African slaves, who would go on to become the first Afro-Argentines. Following independence from Spain in the 19th century and well into the 20th century, numerous migration waves took place, with Argentina being the second most popular destination for migrants in the early 20th century, after the United States. Most of these migrants came from Europe.
Spanish Argentines are Argentine-born citizens who are predominantly or totally of Spanish descent. The arrival of Spanish emigrants in Argentina took place first in the period before Argentina's independence from Spain, and again in large numbers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, the Spanish Empire was the sole colonial power in the territories that became Argentina after the 1816 Argentine declaration of independence. Thus, before 1850, the vast majority of European settlers in Argentina were from Spain and they carried the Spanish colonial administration, including religious affairs, government, and commercial business. A substantial Spanish descended Criollo population gradually built up in the new cities, while some mixed with the amerindians (Mestizos), with the slave population sub-saharan descended (Mulattoes) or with other European immigrants. Currently, a large part of Argentines can be considered Criollos or Castizos.
White Latin Americans or European Latin Americans are Latin Americans of European descent.
Hispanic and Latin American Australians refers to Australians who are of Hispanic, and/or Latin American origin irrespective of their ancestral backgrounds, and their descendants. Brazilian Australians make up the largest proportion of Latin American Australians, while Chilean Australians make up the largest group of Hispanic Australians, followed by Salvadoran Australians. Most Hispanic and Latin American Australians speak English but many continue to use Spanish or Portuguese as well.
European emigration is the successive emigration waves from the European continent to other continents. The origins of the various European diasporas can be traced to the people who left the European nation states or stateless ethnic communities on the European continent.
Venezuelans are the citizens identified with the country of Venezuela. This connection may be through citizenship, descent or cultural. For most Venezuelans, many or all of these connections exist and are the source of their Venezuelan citizenship or their bond to Venezuela.
French Uruguayans are Uruguayan citizens of full or partial French ancestry. French Uruguayans form the third largest ancestry group after Spanish Uruguayans and Italian Uruguayans. Until 1853, France constituted the main source of immigrants to Uruguay. The country received the largest number of French immigrants to South America after Argentina (239,000) and Brazil (100,000), with almost 25,000 persons registered between 1833 and 1843.
White Colombians are the Colombian descendants of European and Middle Eastern people living in Colombia. According to the 2018 census, 87.58% of Colombians do not identify with any ethnic group, thus being either white or mestizo, which are not categorized separately.
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.
Uruguayans are people identified with the country of Uruguay, through citizenship or descent. Uruguay is home to people of different ethnic origins. As a result, many Uruguayans do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and their allegiance to Uruguay. Colloquially, primarily among other Spanish-speaking Latin American nations, Uruguayans are also referred to as "orientals [as in Easterners]".
Palermo is a barrio of Montevideo, Uruguay. It borders Barrio Sur to the west, Cordón to the north and Parque Rodó to the east, while to the south it borders the coastline.
The Southern Cone is a geographic region composed of the southernmost areas of South America, mostly south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Although geographically this includes part of Southern and Southeastern Brazil, in terms of political geography the Southern cone has traditionally comprised Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. In the narrowest sense, it only covers Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
European Argentines or White Argentines belong to several communities which trace their origins to various migrations from Europe and which have contributed to the country's cultural and demographic variety. They are the descendants of colonists from Spain during the colonial period prior to 1810, or in the majority of cases, of Spanish, Italians, French, Russians and other Europeans who arrived in the great immigration wave from the mid 19th to the mid 20th centuries, and who largely intermarried among their many nationalities during and after this wave. No recent Argentine census has included comprehensive questions on ethnicity, although numerous studies have determined that European Argentinians have been a majority in the country since 1914.
The history of the Jews in Uruguay dates back to the colonial empire. The most important influx of Jewish population occurred during the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, mainly during the World War II.
Spanish settlement in Uruguay, that is the arrival of Spanish emigrants in the country known today as Uruguay, took place firstly in the period before independence from Spain and again in large numbers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This includes that a large proportion of Uruguayans are of Spanish ancestral origin.
Historically, the migratory history of Paraguay has been ambiguous, since it has had periods of large scale emigration as well as large waves of immigrants, primarily from Europe.
White Paraguayans or European Paraguayans are Paraguayan people whose ancestry lies within the continent of Europe, most notably Spain, Italy and Germany, and to a lesser extent, Ukraine and Poland.