The region known as the Southern Cone consisting of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay (and by some measures Southern Brazil and Paraguay) is considered the most “European part” of Latin America because of its late 19th to mid-20th century history of receiving large waves of European immigrants. Argentina, in particular, received the highest number of immigrants from Europe in the Americas after the United States and thus became a nation primarily inhabited by people of European descent. Among the various diaspora groups, the Jewish community was a significant part of this migration, resulting in Argentina having had for some time the second largest Jewish diaspora in the Americas (eventually surpassed by Canada’s). Argentina’s national identity was altered and influenced, making it perceive itself as “more European than Latin American,” “the Europe of Latin America” or “Euro Latin American.” It was distinct to other Latin American nations (with the exception of its fellow Southern Cone countries, particularly Uruguay), where the indigenous and sub-Saharan African components of societies were more significant. This sense of European identity was strengthened by Argentina’s position as the seventh wealthiest nation in the world during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This identity remained an entrenched part of Argentina’s national mindset throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. It faced heavy blows during the Great Depression and following decades, when Argentina’s position as an economic power began to wane, due in large part to its economic and governmental institutions’ weaknesses. It continued to be further challenged throughout the populist and military regimes of the 20th century, the opposition of the international community to Argentina’s invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982, the economic crisis of 1999-2002 and recent decades’ immigration of impoverished Bolivians and Paraguayans. Given these characteristics and background, this thesis seeks to find answers to the following question regarding diasporic identity formation. How did the Jewish Argentine community experience mid to late 20th century Argentine history, particularly during the periods between the Second World War and the Falklands War, in comparison to other European diaspora groups? This topic is relevant to European Studies in order to observe how European diaspora groups have developed outside of Europe, observing how their experiences have compared to other groups’ and noting how they have influenced other countries’ cultural and national identities. Although many European diaspora studies tend to focus on the recent migration of peoples from other regions to Europe (or on Europe’s internal migrations), the study of European immigration to other regions of the world, past and present, the impact it had and the experiences of the diaspora groups and their descendants assimilating or integrating to other cultures (and/or influencing them) should not be ignored. If one wants to understand Europe’s place in universal history, European Studies must go beyond being confined solely to what is considered geographically Europe (looking inward instead of out), as many perceive the current zeitgeist of the European Union to be. The experiences of peoples of European descent in nations which identify as fully or partially culturally and ethnically European can additionally provide a sort of mirror or reflection to understand how European civilization has been perceived and developed elsewhere, and how it varies yet has similarities to its development within Europe itself. The research of this can in turn make European Studies broader and better-rounded.

The region known as the Southern Cone consisting of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay (and by some measures Southern Brazil and Paraguay) is considered the most “European part” of Latin America because of its late 19th to mid-20th century history of receiving large waves of European immigrants. Argentina, in particular, received the highest number of immigrants from Europe in the Americas after the United States and thus became a nation primarily inhabited by people of European descent. Among the various diaspora groups, the Jewish community was a significant part of this migration, resulting in Argentina having had for some time the second largest Jewish diaspora in the Americas (eventually surpassed by Canada’s). Argentina’s national identity was altered and influenced, making it perceive itself as “more European than Latin American,” “the Europe of Latin America” or “Euro Latin American.” It was distinct to other Latin American nations (with the exception of its fellow Southern Cone countries, particularly Uruguay), where the indigenous and sub-Saharan African components of societies were more significant. This sense of European identity was strengthened by Argentina’s position as the seventh wealthiest nation in the world during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This identity remained an entrenched part of Argentina’s national mindset throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. It faced heavy blows during the Great Depression and following decades, when Argentina’s position as an economic power began to wane, due in large part to its economic and governmental institutions’ weaknesses. It continued to be further challenged throughout the populist and military regimes of the 20th century, the opposition of the international community to Argentina’s invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982, the economic crisis of 1999-2002 and recent decades’ immigration of impoverished Bolivians and Paraguayans. Given these characteristics and background, this thesis seeks to find answers to the following question regarding diasporic identity formation. How did the Jewish Argentine community experience mid to late 20th century Argentine history, particularly during the periods between the Second World War and the Falklands War, in comparison to other European diaspora groups? This topic is relevant to European Studies in order to observe how European diaspora groups have developed outside of Europe, observing how their experiences have compared to other groups’ and noting how they have influenced other countries’ cultural and national identities. Although many European diaspora studies tend to focus on the recent migration of peoples from other regions to Europe (or on Europe’s internal migrations), the study of European immigration to other regions of the world, past and present, the impact it had and the experiences of the diaspora groups and their descendants assimilating or integrating to other cultures (and/or influencing them) should not be ignored. If one wants to understand Europe’s place in universal history, European Studies must go beyond being confined solely to what is considered geographically Europe (looking inward instead of out), as many perceive the current zeitgeist of the European Union to be. The experiences of peoples of European descent in nations which identify as fully or partially culturally and ethnically European can additionally provide a sort of mirror or reflection to understand how European civilization has been perceived and developed elsewhere, and how it varies yet has similarities to its development within Europe itself. The research of this can in turn make European Studies broader and better-rounded.