Argentine Brazilian - History

History

For most of its history, Argentina has been characterized as a country of immigration. Yet global forces, combined with a recent history of economic, political, and social instability, have slowly transformed Argentina into a country of immigration, emigration, and transit.

Most recently, Argentina's economic collapse in 2001–2002 saw significant emigration flows of Argentine nationals and immigrants alike. According to the National Migration Directorate, remittances to Argentina reached $724 million in 2004, triple the 2001 figure. Some of this growth is attributable to improved calculation methods, but remittances to Argentina, as in the rest of the region, have increased remarkably. Remittances are used for a combination of basic needs, debt repayment, and investment purposes, although their primary uses in Argentina have not been thoroughly studied.

An estimated 255,000 nationals have emigrated in the past two and a half years, according to the National Migration Directorate. Although emigration from Argentina has been on the rise since the early 1990s, a sharp upward spike of this type is uncharacteristic for the country. Only during the 1976–1983 military dictatorship, which saw many students, intellectuals, artists, and left-wing activists flee brutal oppression, did Argentina previously see such significant emigration. In order to assimilate to Brazilian society, a majority of Argentine-Brazilians today only speak Portuguese, but in their homes they use the Spanish language privately.