Immigration in Buenos Aires

In my mind, when someone talks about Buenos Aires, there are a few features they will without a doubt mention like the European-influenced architecture, the elegant tango dancing, and the huge quantities of delicious beef. Another characteristic that may not be mentioned in all guidebooks, but is still well known is the Italian influence due to immigration waves in the late 19th and early 20th century. The legacy of Italian immigration is perhaps most obvious when looking at restaurants where it seems every corner abounds with offerings of pizza, pasta, and ice cream. Many Argentines I´ve met here have told me their grandparent or great-grandparent were Italian, and these Italian roots are a defining feature of the population. However, without disputing the rich cultural heritage brought from Italy (and other countries), I have always thought of Argentina as a relatively homogenous region. Whether my preconception was justified or not, I never really considered Argentina, and by proxy Buenos Aires, to be an ethnically diverse country. So, when my supervisor invited me to sit in on a session about immigration, I didn’t really know what to expect, and by the end of the talk, I was pleasantly surprised about what I had learned.

At first, I wondered why the Housing Institute decided to hold a workshop about immigration in the first place, but upon further reflection, I realized it made a lot of sense. Many of the projects currently being implemented by the Housing Institute take place in areas that have large immigrant populations, and there are project teams that work in these neighborhoods on a day-to-day basis. For these teams, this workshop was an opportunity to learn information that could improve their interactions with community members. During the session, I was surprised to learn that Argentina has a very open immigration policy that views a person without documents as an administrative problem instead of an illegal act; therefore, there are no penal punishments. Additionally, the migration law has a significant focus on equality and guarantees migrants’ rights to education, health, and equal treatment.

Throughout the session, I noticed how many of the same issues that plague the US also exist in Argentina. One of the employees who works on the communication team shared their struggles with online comments that accused the government of giving handouts to people who committed crimes and asked for advice on how to explain to people the government’s rationale. In response, someone suggested that they remind them that two or three generations ago their descendants were also immigrants in a new strange country. For me, it was almost surreal to hear the same words that I have heard a million times in American classrooms and news programs. In conclusion, while I am spending the summer working on housing policy, I value these opportunities where I am able to learn about policies that I didn’t know existed and see how they relate not just to housing , but also society as a whole.


Written by Kristina Harris ’20, International Relations major, FSI Global Policy Intern at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.

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FSI Internships

We provide placement, mentorship and a stipend to students engaging in off-campus internships at international policy and international affairs organizations. For 2018 and on please visit: https://medium.com/freeman-spogli-institute-for-international-studies/fsi-students/home

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