Characteristics of the population
Immigrants from India and their descendants can now be
found in various places in our country, namely, Autonomous
City of Buenos Aires, the provinces of Buenos Aires,
Córdoba, El Chaco, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa,
Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquén, Río Negro, Salta, San Luis,
, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán, etc.
Currently, the Embassy of India in Argentina estimates its
number to 2,400 people (Embassy of India in Argentina, n.d.).
Based on the first survey carried out by the author
(presented in 2006) and the comparison of the two most
numerous groups found, residing in Salta and Buenos Aires,
it emerges, with respect to the ages of the emigrants, that in
the fi rst generation, the group of 30-49 years old constitutes
58.3 percent of it while in the second generation, the group
of 50-69 years, constitutes 70.4 percent of it and the group
of 70 years and more, 8 percent (being the majority sons
and daughters of the fi rst immigrants arrived in the country).
The great majority of both generations is married, in the
case of the fi rst generation with people of Indian origin for
the most part and in the second, with people of Argentine
origin (Rodríguez de la Vega, 2006).
Regarding the reasons for migrating and the social
networks involved in it, most of the respondents claim to have
emigrated from India to improve their economic situation.
57.10 percent of them had emigrants among their closest
relatives, while 73.80 percent of the respondents stated that
they had relatives, friends or acquaintances in Argentina when
they arrived in the country (Rodríguez de la Vega, 2006).
For the rest, with regard to their social support networks,
it can be seen that both in the fi rst and the second generation,
the process of incorporation into the local society seems quite
advanced, with the average of support ties with Argentinians be-
ing rather high (although this is more evident in Buenos Aires).
As for the religious beliefs present, in the fi rst generation,
they are Sikhism (majority), Hinduism, and Catholicism
(only 3.6%). In the second generation, it can be seen a
people, although there are
also others, such as Telugu,
Dogri, etc. The Spanish
language, quickly learned by
these immigrants, is used
primarily in the fi eld of work.
Contributions and
Challenges
L i k e
a n y
multicultural society,
Argentina registers the
contributions of these
migrants in terms of
coexistence in diversity
and in this sense, the actions of different emigrants
complement the so-called soft power of India, projecting
the culture of that country.
In the religious sphere, although there are different
movements of Indian origin that came to Argentina by the
hand of Argentinians, the presence of Indian emigrants led
to the construction of the fi rst Sikh temple in the country, in
Rosario de la Frontera, Salta (see photo 3,4).
For the rest, its cuisine has diff erent restaurants that
project its rich diversity in that area and there is a dietetics
that provides usual elements of use in their consumption
(belonging to the Verma family, in the City of Buenos Aires).
While some emigrants spread languages of India, such
as Hindi, through their classes (such as Khileshwar Verma,
Premlata Verma - who has published a book on Indian
literature, in Spanish, etc.), others spread Ayurveda and Yoga
knowledge (as in the case of Sumati Verma, for example).
Others are dedicated to the dissemination of elements such
as dance, as for example Manisha Chauhan and her group of
21
Sikh Temple in Rosario de la Frontera, Salta, Argentina
greater fragmentation in beliefs (Sikh, Evangelist, Jehovah’s
Witness, Basilio Scientifi c School), with Catholicism being
the majority.
As for languages, Punjabi and Hindi are the majority in the
community among fi rst generation people, although there are
also others, such as Telugu, Dogri, etc. The Spanish language,
quickly learned by these immigrants, is used primarily in
the fi eld of work, although it should be noted that almost 49
percent say they have incorporated it into the family.
In some of the second generation people, the greatest loss
observed is that of writing, that is, some descendants can
speak the language of origin but do not write it, while the
descendants of an Indian father and an Argentine mother or
another, fundamentally the sons and daughters of the fi rst Indian
immigrants in the country, do not speak any of these languages.
With regard to associations, various informal groups have
been developed in the community over time, some more
lasting than others and currently, there is an Indian -Argentina
Association, which seeks to gather all immigrants and their
descendants, carrying out diff erent activities for the diff usion
of the Indian culture. It is
presided by a descendant Punjabi and Hindi are the
from Tucumán province
living in Buenos Aires, majority in the community
Nora Singh (Rodríguez among fi rst generation
de la Vega, 2006).