Afro-Argentines

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Afro-Argentines are Argentines of African descent. Though Argentina's population is overwhelmingly of white European descent, the city of Buenos Aires was a slave-trading port during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. At one point, thirty percent of Buenos Aires' population were black and mixed-race slaves.

In Buenos Aires, the black population was centered in the neighborhoods of San Telmo and Monserrat, to the south of the city center.

In the Independence wars, blacks and mulattos were usually recruited in separate corps known as pardos (mulattos) and morenos (darker-skinned blacks); both became famous for their loyalty and bravery. A (probably apocryphal) story relates that a black Argentine soldier known as Falucho resisted an offense to the Argentine flag made by Peruvian soldiers, and paid with his life.

Newborn blacks were declared free in 1813, but slavery was formally abolished only in 1853.

Juan Manuel de Rosas was a friend of the black community in Buenos Aires, and was accused by his opponents of using blacks as a militia when dealing with opposition. Black culture flourished under Rosas, especially in the drum-based candombe.

With the end of the Rosas regimen in 1853, the black population of Buenos Aires began to dwindle. Many causes are cited:

• Many relocated to Montevideo, which had a larger black community, seemed lest hostile politically than Buenos Aires, and had a more favorable climate (less humidity)
• Blacks were recruited in disproportionate large numbers to the 1865 War of the Triple Alliance. After that war, more blacks emigrated to Uruguay.
• The yellow fever epidemic of 1871 took a heavy toll in the community

Some of Argentina's legendary gauchos were said to be runaway black slaves. A black gaucho is a central figure in the Martín Fierro gaucho epic.

Presidents Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and Julio Argentino Roca encouraged European immigration, which changed the demographics of Argentina. Much of the remaining black population was absorbed into the growing immigrant population through intermarriage.

It is estimated that some of Argentina's "white" population has varying degrees of African ancestry. But since Argentina (and the rest of Latin America) had no "one-drop rule", anyone who "looked white" was considered white. Passing into the white population was unnecessary.

Today, the number of native-born Argentines of visible African descent is quite small. The words negro (black) and morocho (originally: "dark-haired person") are commonly used both as a racial slur and as a friendly call towards anybody who has dark skin, meaning mostly mestizo people. Most people known as "negro" may have little or no African lineage; as an example, actor Alberto Olmedo was often referred to as El Negro Olmedo, and had probably no African ancenstry. When alluding to people of 100% African descent, the current bon ton in Buenos Aires is to use "moreno."

Since the start of the 20th century, Argentina has had to "import" black culture from neighboring countries such as Brazil and Uruguay. Uruguayan musicians were important in a revival of candombe during the 1980s, especially Ruben Rada.