The history of the world is incomplete without acknowledging the profound impact of African slavery, a brutal system that forcibly displaced millions of Africans and shaped the demographic, cultural, and social landscapes of numerous nations. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, over 50 million Africans were enslaved and transported to the Americas and Europe, while an estimated 12.5 million were taken into slavery in the Arab world. This mass displacement, known as the African Diaspora, left an indelible mark on global history. Yet, its legacy varies significantly across regions, as seen in the contrasting experiences of Brazil and Argentina.
In Brazil, the African presence remains vibrant and undeniable. Of the millions who survived the harrowing “Middle Passage” across the Atlantic, tens of millions were brought to Brazil, which received the largest number of enslaved Africans in the Americas. Today, roughly half of Brazil’s population can trace their ancestry directly to Africa, a testament to the enduring cultural and genetic legacy of African descendants. Brazilian culture, from samba to capoeira, reflects this rich African heritage, woven into the nation’s identity.
In stark contrast, Argentina, Brazil’s neighbor, presents a different narrative. Despite receiving hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans, Argentina’s African presence has largely faded from public consciousness, historical records, and national identity. Africans first arrived in Argentina in the late 16th century, primarily through the port of Buenos Aires in the Río de la Plata region. Like their counterparts in other parts of the Americas, they were forced to work on plantations, in mines, and as domestic servants. By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Afro-Argentines constituted a significant portion of the population, comprising as much as half of the population in provinces such as Santiago del Estero, Catamarca, Salta, and Córdoba. In Buenos Aires, neighborhoods such as Monserrat and San Telmo were home to many enslaved Africans, who accounted for approximately one-third of the city’s population, according to early 1800s surveys.
Slavery in Argentina was officially abolished in 1813, though the practice persisted in various forms across the Americas until the 1850s. After abolition, Afro-Argentines were theoretically free to pursue their destinies, but their numbers began to decline dramatically. Historians attribute this decline to two primary factors: the devastating Paraguayan War (1865–1870) and the yellow fever epidemic in Buenos Aires in 1871. During the war, thousands of Afro-Argentine men were conscripted and sent to the frontlines, where they faced heavy casualties in a conflict that was not their own. The yellow fever outbreak further decimated the African population, particularly in urban areas like Buenos Aires, where poor living conditions in Afro-Argentine neighborhoods exacerbated the epidemic’s toll.
These events created a significant gender imbalance within the Afro-Argentine community, as many men perished in war or disease. This imbalance led to increased intermarriage between African women and white Argentines, which, over generations, diluted African ancestry and contributed to the “whitening” of the population. Additionally, many Afro-Argentines fled to neighboring Brazil and Uruguay, where African communities were more welcomed and less stigmatized. Some historians argue that these developments were not entirely accidental but part of a deliberate effort to reduce the African presence in Argentina.
One of the most controversial figures in this history is Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Argentina’s president from 1868 to 1874. Sarmiento is alleged to have pursued policies aimed at eradicating the African population through covert genocide. These policies reportedly included confining Afro-Argentines to disease-ridden neighborhoods without access to healthcare and encouraging intermarriage to dilute African lineage. In his 1848 diary, Sarmiento expressed disdain for African populations, writing, “In the United States… 4 million are black, and within 20 years will be 8 [million]…. What is to be done with such blacks, hated by the white race? Slavery is a parasite that the vegetation of English colonization has left attached to the leafy tree of freedom.” His words reflect a broader sentiment among Argentina’s elite, who sought to emulate European societies and viewed African ancestry as incompatible with their vision of a “modern” nation.
By 1895, the Argentine government ceased registering African-descended people in the national census, as their numbers had dwindled to the point of being statistically insignificant. This omission further erased Afro-Argentines from the national narrative. Today, the CIA World Factbook describes Argentina as 97 percent white, primarily of Spanish and Italian descent, making it the “whitest” nation in Latin America. This demographic shift was not merely a consequence of natural assimilation but, as some argue, the result of deliberate policies to marginalize and eliminate African influence.
Despite these efforts, Afro-Argentines have not entirely disappeared. Small communities persist, often overlooked and marginalized, preserving their heritage in the face of systemic erasure. Paula Brufman, an Argentine law student and researcher, has noted, “There is a silence about the participation of Afro-Argentines in the history and building of Argentina—a silence about the enslavement and poverty.” This silence obscures the contributions of Afro-Argentines, who played a crucial role in shaping the nation through their labor and resilience.
Ironically, one of Argentina’s most iconic cultural exports, the tango, has deep African roots. Originating in the African-influenced neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, tango emerged from a fusion of African rhythms, European melodies, and local traditions. This cultural legacy stands as a testament to the enduring, if often unacknowledged, African influence in Argentina. The candombe, a traditional African-Argentine dance, also survives in small communities, further evidencing the persistence of African heritage.
The marginalization of Afro-Argentines reflects a broader pattern of racial exclusion in the Americas, where African contributions were exploited to build nations, only for their descendants to be sidelined or erased from the national story. Understanding this history is essential not only for Afro-Argentines seeking to reclaim their heritage but also for the global African diaspora. Knowledge of these historical injustices provides context for addressing ongoing challenges stemming from centuries of colonization and systemic racism. By shedding light on the hidden history of Afro-Argentines, we honor their resilience and ensure that their contributions are no longer silenced.