Argentina	Asians in the Americas
General Overview  Brief Description  Demographic Resources  Sources Official Census  Foreign Affairs/Immigration  Municipal Registries  Parochial Records  Information/Research Resources, Dissertations and Scholars  Societies and Associations  Embassies  Miscellaneous

General Overview

ETHNIC GROUPS: white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%; mestizo, Amerindian, or other nonwhite groups 3% RELIGIONS: nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4% LANGUAGE: Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French

Visit the CIA World Factbook for more information on this country http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ar.html

Brief Description

Arrival of Asian Peoples:

South Koreans in Argentina Sources: Calvin Sims, "South Korean emigrants fulfilling dreams of prosperity in Argentina," Dallas Morning News, December 3, 1995. Web Source: Immigration Laws: January, 1996 - Number #6 (http://www.migrationint.com.au/news/croatia/jan_1996-06mn.html) Last Update & Copyright 1990-2001. South Korean emigrants fulfilling dreams of prosperity in Argentina South Korean immigrants are a prosperous community of about 35,000 in Argentina. South Koreans operate more about [sic] 1,000 businesses in Argentina, many in the garment districts of Once and Flores. There are about 300 Korean cultural, athletic and business associations, and some 30 Protestant churches with predominantly Korean congregations. Some Jewish shop owners said that the South Koreans were "taking over." The South Koreans work 12 to 14 hours per day, sell merchandise at low prices, and hire cheap labor from Bolivia. The first wave of South Korean immigrants to South America went to Brazil in 1961. The South Korean government persuaded Brazil to accept the immigrants, and allowed each to take $40,000 to South America. The second wave of South Koreans came four years later to Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile. From 1965 to 1985, about 6,000 South Koreans emigrated to Argentina and, by 1985, there were 50,000 South Koreans in the Southern Cone nation. Sociologists say that the South Koreans were successful in Argentina because they shared credit and employment inside large families and because they brought in cheap labor from neighboring countries. A series of newspaper articles published several years ago tarnished the image of South Korean entrepreneurs, who were accused of operating sweatshops with undocumented Bolivians. The South Koreans charge that their success has led to discrimination against them, aggravated by recession. Top of Page

Geographic and Labor Concentration:

See above section. Top of Page

Demographic and Historical Information:

Demographic information not available. Historical information, see above section. Top of Page

Demographic Resources

Official Census:

Statistical agency and contact: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) http://www.indec.mecon.ar/ (Last Updated October 2001) English and Spanish version. Censo 2000: http://www.indec.mecon.ar/censo/censo.htm Contact Info: Dr. Héctor Eduardo Montero, Director Avda. Presidente Julio A. Roca 609, Piso 2, Ofic. 202, 1067 Buenos Aires phone: +54 1 349 96 09/13/14 fax: +54 1 349 96 01 Email: hmont@indec.mecon.ar Census categories and definitions relevant to Race and/or Ethnicity: [1] Census taken in Argentina (1914-1970)   1914 Place of Birth, Nationality   1920 Nationality, Race, Place of Birth   1947 Place of Birth (Foreign Born: Continent of Birth. The Place of Birth of Parents was also recorded)   1960 Place of Birth (Aliens reported country of birth). Citizenship (If naturalized, year and place or arrival. Place of Residence (Previous residence)   1970 Place of Birth, Place of Residence National repository and contact: Archivo General de la Nación Avenida Leandro N. Alem 246 1003 Buenos Aires Argentina Top of Page

Foreign Affairs/Immigration:

Dirección Nacional de Migraciones at http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/ Listing of Migrations Offices at http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/infodelegaciones2.html Museum of the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones at http://www.migraciones.gov.ar/museo/_inicio.htm Top of Page

Municipal Registries:

Archivo del Registro Nacional del Estado Civil y Capacidad de Las Personas (Vital Records) Jean Jaures 970 1215 Capital Federal Argentina Top of Page

Parochial Records:

Catholic Church in Argentina at http://www.cea.org.ar/ (Spanish) Catholic Church in Argentina (Bishops) at http://www.cea.org.ar/obispados/comun_obispados.htm Top of Page

Information/Research Resources, Dissertations and Scholars:

Centro de Estudios Migratorios Latinoamericanos Avenida Independencia 20 1099 Capital Federal Argentina Top of Page

Societies and Associations:

Information not available. Top of Page

Embassies:

Embassy of Popular Republic of China Address: Crisólogo Larralde 5349 1431 Buenos Aires Tel: (11) 4543-8862, 4542-0054 Fax: (11) 4953-4208 Tlx: 22871 Embassy and Consulate of the Republic of Korea (Spanish) at http://www.embcorea.int.ar/emain.html Address of Embassy: Av. Libertador 2397 1425 Buenos Aires Tel: (11) 4802-8865, 4802-1029 Address of Consulate: San Martín de Tours 2845 Cap. Fed. Bs. As. Phone numbers: Embassy #: (54-11) 4802-8062 / 8865 / 9665 / 0923. Embassy Fax #: (54-11) 4803-6993 Consulate #: (54-11) 4806-6796 Consulate Fax #: (54-11) 4801-1443 Embassy of Japan Address: Av. Paseo Colón 275, Piso 9 1063 Buenos Aires Tel: (11) 4334-5203 Email: japan.org.ar@sinectis.com.ar Taiwan's Office of Commercial and Culture at http://ar.roc-taiwan.org.pa/home.htm (Spanish) Address: Av. De Mayo 654 4° - (C1084) Buenos Aires - Argentina Phone #: (54 11) 4334-0653, 4345-3866/68 Fax: (5411) 43345581, 43433681 Top of Page

Miscellaneous:

Argentina Government Website  http://www.info.gov.ar/ Top of Page

Sources

[1] Ed. Doreen S. Goyer and Elaine Domschke. The Handbook of National Population Censuses. Westpost: Conn, Greenwood Press, 1983. Top of Page