Argentina Emigration and Immigration: Difference between revisions

=== Immigration into Argentina ===

After independence was won and during the early formative years of the government, the government passed laws encouraging the immigration of foreigners who would be willing to come and work the land and develop an agricultural industry in the country. Free land, tools and animals were given to these new colonies if they would work on the land for five years.  

In 1824 the Commission of Immigration begin to function, advertising abroad in order to attract European immigrants to create new agriculture communities in the vast open lands outside the great Buenos Aires. One of the first groups sponsored came from the British Isles in Feb 1825 departing from Glasgow and Liverpool. This is how some of the first Irish came and populated the outskirts of the province of Buenos Aires and the south of Santa Fe. The Basque, specially the French Basque, followed in this early immigration.  

These were the early immigrants that were at the beginning of what would be the major immigration period for Argentina.  

Starting around 1853 the project to colonize took force. The immigrants that had made contracts in Europe to gain land began to arrive, settling in colonies in the provinces of Santa Fe, Chaco, and Entre Rios. In 1857 these contracts brought families from Switzerland, the Piedmont area in Italy, and the Haute–Savoie and Savoie departments in France. Russians and Germans also began coming at this time.  

Until 1876, when the laws of immigration were realigned, Santa Fe and Entre Rios were at the head of the new colonization movement. In reality most of these new colonies were brought under contract from Europe and the people stayed and began to make roots in their new soil and contribute to the development of the agriculture and industrial foundation of their new country. They worked the land, and gave of their harvest to the government as payment and as their contracts were fulfilled the land became their property.  

After this wave of contracted immigrants, other independent immigrants came. By 1875, 68,277 new immigrants had entered Argentina, the majority being Italians and Spaniards. From 1870–1890 a million and half more came. In the latter part of this period, hundreds of Russian Jewish Refugees came and settled in colonies in the province of Entre Rios. The Welsh came and settled the southern zone of the country.  

By 1913 there were three million that had found new homes in Argentina. There has been a continuous flow of immigrants through the years. The latest of the new arrivals were Koreans, Chinese, Taiwanese, and the Africans.  

What is certain is that all who came have contribute to the soul of the modern Argentinian who has in him characteristic of all the ethic groups that now form Argentina.  

**''Entradas y Salidas de Pasajeros 1821 – 1871''(Arrivals and Departures of Passengers 1821–1871). Buenos Aires: Archivo General de la Nación, 1992. (FHL film 1840670–1840684.)

The immigration records between 1870 and 1888 were lost. As the Centro de Estudio Migratorios (C.E.M.L.A.) has complete and computerized immigration records from 1888–1925. You may write to them for information.  

The Archivo General de la Nación has immigration and passport records since the early 1800s. You will need to write to them for that information. Good references at the Family History Library for more information on immigration and emigration into Argentina include:  

**Panettieri, José. ''Inmigración en la Argentina''(Immigration in Argentina). Buenos Aires: Ediciones Macchi, 1970. (FHL book 982 W2i.)  

**Margulis, Mario. ''Migración y marginalidad en la Sociedad Argentina'' (Migration in Argentina and its social implications). Buenos Aires: Paidos, 1970, 1975. (FHL book 982 W2m.)  

**Gori, Gastón. ''Inmigración y Colonización en la Argentina''(Immigration and colonization in Argentina). Buenos Aires: Editorial Universitaria de Buenos Aires, 1964. (FHL book 982 W2g.)

Some of those who emigrated from Europe emigrated through the port of Hamburg. The records of Hamburg have been microfilmed and are available in the collection of the Family History Library. These passenger lists and indexes are most fully described in the Wiki article [[Hamburg Passenger Lists|Hamburg Passenger Lists]]. Also, the Family History Library has produced a [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/RG/Guide/Hamburg_Pass_List.ASP Hamburg Passenger List Resource Guide], and the microfiche instructions ''[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=102523&disp=The+Hamburg+passenger+lists%20%20&columns=*,0,0 Hamburg Passenger Lists]''.