Greeks in Argentina
Encyclopedia
The Greek
community in Argentina
numbers between 35,000 and 60,000 people. The first immigrants arrived at the end of the 18th century, while the bulk of immigration occurred during the first half of the 20th century.
with Pedro de Mendoza
's unfortunate expedition in 1536.
Rear Admiral
Giorgos "Jorge" Kolmaniatis, who arrived to the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1811, strongly contributed in the Argentine War of Independence
by leading and training the newly formed fleet. A fellow naval officer from Hydra, Samuel Spiro
, scuttled his ship in the Uruguay River
rather than surrender it to the Spanish Armada
. Both men's names were honored with Argentine Navy
ships christened after them in 1937.
But the first true wave of mass immigration started in the late 1880s, when Argentina's governments encouraged European immigration policies under the presidency of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
. The scope was to establish a strong concentration of population in the huge extents of land where demographic vacuum was the common. These Greeks, who arrived with Ottoman Empire
passports, were either from Constantinople
or Asia Minor
, and included Phanariotes
from Romania
. Some were wealthy and prepared people who easily made their way in businesses such as tobacco importation, jewellery and maritime trade.
The second wave of Greeks arriving to Argentina, happened in the 20th. century, mainly after the Asia Minor Campaign
and disaster in 1922, with the end of the Megali Idea
. Again huge masses of refugees who were sent to Greece
by the population exchanges ordered by Kemal Ataturk, came towards these latitudes seeking for a change to re-start their lives from zero. Most of them were from Smyrna
, Ayvalik
and other Ionia
n cities. They settled in what is today known as the capital of foreign immigration in Argentina, the city of Berisso
, near La Plata
.
The third wave, taking part in the early 30's instead was the first one with a strong concentration of immigrants coming form the mainland, mostly villagers and peasants from Arcadia
, Laconia
and Messenia
in the Peloponnese
. The choosing of Argentina as a destination was due the temporary denial for immigration in the United States
, making South America
and Argentina
in particular the new Eldorado
.
The fourth and major wave occurred after the Second World War and the Greek Civil War
left Greece in a very impoverished condition. This time, Hellenes from all over the country, but mainly Macedonians and Pontians
, Cretans and other islanders
settled down far south.
The majority chose Buenos Aires
as their place to stay, but others instead made their way far in the interior such as Cordoba
and Mendoza
. Port cities like Rosario
and Necochea
are -of course- also places where Hellenic immigrants established.
The main contribution that Greeks made to Argentina's every day life is the installing of the kiosk
, very similar to those in Athens
, Piraeus
and Istanbul
. The kiosk came to be for the porteño
the place where he could buy cigarettes, or the newspaper and even play his chance in the local lottery games. During the 50's and 60's nearly all the kiosks in the Buenos Aires downtown were owned by Greeks. Besides, candy majorist distribution came to be one of the main jobs performed by Greek-Argentinians.
As long as the Greek community was getting bigger, their everyday life became more concentrated around two main institutions: The Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek Community Centers, known in Spanish as "Colectividad Helénica" or "koinotita" in Greek. The necessity of teaching the Greek language developed in an informal "Greek School" that was held in the afternoons, from Monday to Fridays. Each Greek or Greek-Argentinian child would go to the official Argentinian school in the morning and to the "unofficial" Greek school in the afternoon.
With the advent of the 60's and 70's the official Greek School in Buenos Aires was established but an informal "Saturday School" still took place in the koinotites. During this time, many teachers from motherland Greece
arrived with the sponsorship of the Greek government and the embassy. During this period the first graduations of Greek blooded professionals -mainly doctors, lawyers and business accountants- took place in the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina's main national university.
Ethnically, the Greeks of Argentina are a very "endogamic" society, maybe the most after the Jewish, although intermarriage between people from different European descent is the common throughout the country.
In terms of cultural background, the lack of using the Greek language is making third and fourth generation Greek-Argentinians to start losing it. Instead, the knowledge of Greek folk dances and music in Greek-Argentinians is extremely remarkable , being this highlighted by the Greek Government itself during the Annual Cultural Exchange Trips for Greeks Abroad, known as "Programa Filoxenias tou Apodimou Ellinismou", where Hellenic-Argentinian boys and girls show greater skills and performances than every other diaspora Greeks -and even better than those from motherland Greece.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
community in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
numbers between 35,000 and 60,000 people. The first immigrants arrived at the end of the 18th century, while the bulk of immigration occurred during the first half of the 20th century.
History
Stephanos Roditis, an explorer, is recorded to be the first Greek to arrive in what today is Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
with Pedro de Mendoza
Pedro de Mendoza
Pedro de Mendoza y Luján was a Spanish conquistador, soldier and explorer, and the first adelantado of the Río de la Plata.- Setting sail :...
's unfortunate expedition in 1536.
Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Giorgos "Jorge" Kolmaniatis, who arrived to the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1811, strongly contributed in the Argentine War of Independence
Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...
by leading and training the newly formed fleet. A fellow naval officer from Hydra, Samuel Spiro
Samuel Spiro
Miguel Samuel Spiro was born in Hydra Island, Greece. He emigrated to Buenos Aires with his two brothers in 1810, and was an early supporter of the May Revolution that year....
, scuttled his ship in the Uruguay River
Uruguay River
The Uruguay River is a river in South America. It flows from north to south and makes boundary with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of the Mesopotamia from the other two countries...
rather than surrender it to the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
. Both men's names were honored with Argentine Navy
Argentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
ships christened after them in 1937.
But the first true wave of mass immigration started in the late 1880s, when Argentina's governments encouraged European immigration policies under the presidency of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento was an Argentine activist, intellectual, writer, statesman and the seventh President of Argentina. His writing spanned a wide range of genres and topics, from journalism to autobiography, to political philosophy and history...
. The scope was to establish a strong concentration of population in the huge extents of land where demographic vacuum was the common. These Greeks, who arrived with Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
passports, were either from Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
or Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
, and included Phanariotes
Phanariotes
Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Phanariote Greeks were members of those prominent Greek families residing in Phanar , the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople, where the Ecumenical Patriarchate is situated.For all their cosmopolitanism and often Western education, the Phanariots were...
from Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. Some were wealthy and prepared people who easily made their way in businesses such as tobacco importation, jewellery and maritime trade.
The second wave of Greeks arriving to Argentina, happened in the 20th. century, mainly after the Asia Minor Campaign
Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
The Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, known as the Western Front of the Turkish War of Independence in Turkey and the Asia Minor Campaign or the Asia Minor Catastrophe in Greece, was a series of military events occurring during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire after World War I between May...
and disaster in 1922, with the end of the Megali Idea
Megali Idea
The Megali Idea was an irredentist concept of Greek nationalism that expressed the goal of establishing a Greek state that would encompass all ethnic Greek-inhabited areas, since large Greek populations after the restoration of Greek independence in 1830 still lived under Ottoman rule.The term...
. Again huge masses of refugees who were sent to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
by the population exchanges ordered by Kemal Ataturk, came towards these latitudes seeking for a change to re-start their lives from zero. Most of them were from Smyrna
Smyrna
Smyrna was an ancient city located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Thanks to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. The ancient city is located at two sites within modern İzmir, Turkey...
, Ayvalik
Ayvalik
Ayvalık is a seaside town on the northwestern Aegean coast of Turkey. It is a district of the Balıkesir Province.It was alternatively called by the town's formerly indigenous Greek population, although the use of the name Ayvalık was widespread for centuries among both the Turks and the Greeks...
and other Ionia
Ionia
Ionia is an ancient region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey, the region nearest İzmir, which was historically Smyrna. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements...
n cities. They settled in what is today known as the capital of foreign immigration in Argentina, the city of Berisso
Berisso
Berisso is the "cabecera" of the Department of Berisso of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It forms part of the Greater La Plata urban area and has a population of approximately 14.021 Inhabitants.-People:...
, near La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
.
The third wave, taking part in the early 30's instead was the first one with a strong concentration of immigrants coming form the mainland, mostly villagers and peasants from Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
, Laconia
Laconia
Laconia , also known as Lacedaemonia, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparti...
and Messenia
Messenia
Messenia is a regional unit in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, one of 13 regions into which Greece has been divided by the Kallikratis plan, implemented 1 January 2011...
in the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
. The choosing of Argentina as a destination was due the temporary denial for immigration in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, making South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in particular the new Eldorado
El Dorado
El Dorado is the name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dived into a highland lake.Later it became the name of a legendary "Lost City of Gold" that has fascinated – and so far eluded – explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors...
.
The fourth and major wave occurred after the Second World War and the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
left Greece in a very impoverished condition. This time, Hellenes from all over the country, but mainly Macedonians and Pontians
Pontic Greeks
The Pontians are an ethnic group traditionally living in the Pontus region, the shores of Turkey's Black Sea...
, Cretans and other islanders
Aegean Islands
The Aegean Islands are the group of islands in the Aegean Sea, with mainland Greece to the west and north and Turkey to the east; the island of Crete delimits the sea to the south, those of Rhodes, Karpathos and Kasos to the southeast...
settled down far south.
The majority chose Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
as their place to stay, but others instead made their way far in the interior such as Cordoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
and Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
. Port cities like Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
and Necochea
Necochea
Necochea is a port city in the southwest of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, located on the Atlantic coast, on the edge of the Quequén Grande river, from Buenos Aires City and southwest from Mar del Plata...
are -of course- also places where Hellenic immigrants established.
The main contribution that Greeks made to Argentina's every day life is the installing of the kiosk
Kiosk
Kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...
, very similar to those in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. The kiosk came to be for the porteño
Porteño
Porteño in Spanish is used to refer to a person who is from or lives in a port city, but it can also be used as an adjective for anything related to those port cities....
the place where he could buy cigarettes, or the newspaper and even play his chance in the local lottery games. During the 50's and 60's nearly all the kiosks in the Buenos Aires downtown were owned by Greeks. Besides, candy majorist distribution came to be one of the main jobs performed by Greek-Argentinians.
As long as the Greek community was getting bigger, their everyday life became more concentrated around two main institutions: The Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek Community Centers, known in Spanish as "Colectividad Helénica" or "koinotita" in Greek. The necessity of teaching the Greek language developed in an informal "Greek School" that was held in the afternoons, from Monday to Fridays. Each Greek or Greek-Argentinian child would go to the official Argentinian school in the morning and to the "unofficial" Greek school in the afternoon.
With the advent of the 60's and 70's the official Greek School in Buenos Aires was established but an informal "Saturday School" still took place in the koinotites. During this time, many teachers from motherland Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
arrived with the sponsorship of the Greek government and the embassy. During this period the first graduations of Greek blooded professionals -mainly doctors, lawyers and business accountants- took place in the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina's main national university.
Ethnically, the Greeks of Argentina are a very "endogamic" society, maybe the most after the Jewish, although intermarriage between people from different European descent is the common throughout the country.
In terms of cultural background, the lack of using the Greek language is making third and fourth generation Greek-Argentinians to start losing it. Instead, the knowledge of Greek folk dances and music in Greek-Argentinians is extremely remarkable , being this highlighted by the Greek Government itself during the Annual Cultural Exchange Trips for Greeks Abroad, known as "Programa Filoxenias tou Apodimou Ellinismou", where Hellenic-Argentinian boys and girls show greater skills and performances than every other diaspora Greeks -and even better than those from motherland Greece.
Notable Greek-Argentines
- Pablo Curatella ManesPablo Curatella ManesPablo Curatella Manes was a prolific Argentine sculptor.-Life and work:Born in La Plata in 1891 to Clara Manes, a Greek Argentine immigrant, and Antonio Curatella, from Italy, Curatella Manes first acquired an interest in sculpture during his frequent childhood visits to the newly-inaugurated La...
- sculptor and diplomat - Bartolomé MitreBartolomé MitreBartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
- President of ArgentinaPresident of ArgentinaThe President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...
from 1862 to 1868 - Emanuel MoriatisEmanuel MoriatisEmanuel Alexis Moriatis is an Argentine racing driver. He won the Turismo Carretera championship in 2009.-External links:*...
- race car driver - Aristotle OnassisAristotle OnassisAristotle Sokratis Onassis , commonly called Ari or Aristo Onassis, was a prominent Greek shipping magnate.- Early life :Onassis was born in Karatass, a suburb of Smyrna to Socrates and Penelope Onassis...
- lived in Argentina during the 1920s and '30s, becoming the leading local cigarette importer - Oscar PannoOscar PannoOscar R. Panno is an Argentine chess Grandmaster.Panno won the World Junior Chess Championship in 1953, and also won the championship of Argentina the same year....
- chess grandmaster - Samuel SpiroSamuel SpiroMiguel Samuel Spiro was born in Hydra Island, Greece. He emigrated to Buenos Aires with his two brothers in 1810, and was an early supporter of the May Revolution that year....
- naval officer and patriot - Constantino TsallisConstantino TsallisConstantino Tsallis is a naturalized Brazilian physicist working in Rio de Janeiro at CBPF, Brazil. He was born in Greece, and grew up in Argentina, where he studied physics at Instituto Balseiro, in Bariloche. In 1974 he received a Doctorat d'Etat et Sciences Physiques degree from the University...
- physics researcher - Adriana XenidesAdriana XenidesAdriana Xenides was an Australian television personality. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to a Greek father and a Spanish mother,...
- actress
See also
- GreeksGreeksThe Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
- Greek diasporaGreek diasporaThe Greek diaspora, also known as Hellenic Diaspora or Diaspora of Hellenism, is a term used to refer to the communities of Greek people living outside the traditional Greek homelands, but more commonly in southeast Europe and Asia Minor...
- Argentine-Greek relationsArgentine-Greek relationsArgentine-Greek relations are foreign relations between Argentina and Greece. Both countries are represented by an embassy in the other one's capital. At least 30,000 persons of Greek descent live in Argentina with about 5,000 with Greek passports...
- ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
- GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
- Ashes of ParadiseAshes of ParadiseAshes of Paradise is a 1997 Argentine film from director Marcelo Piñeyro. It tells in cutbacks how the untroubled private happiness of a family – a judge and his three grown-up sons – crumbles between loyalty and betrayal, blind trust and suspicions.The film won several awards, among...