Argentina
Africans began to arrive to Argentina because of the transatlantic slave trade. Many of them arrived in the Rio de Plata to work in the plantations. Slowly, Afro-Argentines began to spread throughout Argentina in cities, such as Salta and Córdoba.
In the 19th century, Afro-Argentines served in the army in instances such as helping Chile achieve independence from Spain in 1818 or fighting in the Paraguayan War in 1865. They were exchanged for freedom due to their participation in representing the country. This resulted in a major decrease in the Afro-Argentine population because of the massive deaths that they faced. The Afro-Argentine population continued to decline especially when the cholera pandemic took place in 1870.
While Afro-Argentines received independence, they were facing the problems of discrimination. Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, the president of Argentina from 1868-1874, criticized Afro-Argentines based on their appearance and ordered mass killings of them. He also passed policies that resulted in segregation between the European and Afro-Argentine populations. Since the 1870s, the government has failed to recognize Afro-Argentines. In 2010, the government introduced a question in survey in the census for Argentinians to note if they have African ancestry.
Culture-wise, Afro-Argentines developed tango, a famous dance in Latin America. Singing and dancing were important cultural practices that brought Afro-Argentines together. Tango is said to influence going back to West Africa and the Congo. As a result, the fusion of European and African cultures created the tango. Gauchos were cowboys with African origin and eventually gained popularity in movies. However, gauchos in movies were portrayed as light skinned individuals, which was not the reality.
In the 19th century, Afro-Argentines served in the army in instances such as helping Chile achieve independence from Spain in 1818 or fighting in the Paraguayan War in 1865. They were exchanged for freedom due to their participation in representing the country. This resulted in a major decrease in the Afro-Argentine population because of the massive deaths that they faced. The Afro-Argentine population continued to decline especially when the cholera pandemic took place in 1870.
While Afro-Argentines received independence, they were facing the problems of discrimination. Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, the president of Argentina from 1868-1874, criticized Afro-Argentines based on their appearance and ordered mass killings of them. He also passed policies that resulted in segregation between the European and Afro-Argentine populations. Since the 1870s, the government has failed to recognize Afro-Argentines. In 2010, the government introduced a question in survey in the census for Argentinians to note if they have African ancestry.
Culture-wise, Afro-Argentines developed tango, a famous dance in Latin America. Singing and dancing were important cultural practices that brought Afro-Argentines together. Tango is said to influence going back to West Africa and the Congo. As a result, the fusion of European and African cultures created the tango. Gauchos were cowboys with African origin and eventually gained popularity in movies. However, gauchos in movies were portrayed as light skinned individuals, which was not the reality.