This article is about people originating from
India. For native ethnic groups of Argentina, also sometimes called "Indians", see
Indigenous peoples in Argentina.
There is a small community of Indians in Argentina who are mainly immigrants from
India and the neighboring countries in
South America and the
Caribbean with
Indo-Caribbean influence (i.e.
Guyana,
Trinidad and Tobago and
Suriname) and some of whom were born in Argentina and are of Indian heritage.
History
The first Indians to arrive in
Argentina were
Sikhs from the Indian state of
Punjab who came to
Argentina in the early 20th century to work on a British-built railroad. In the 1970s, others came after being barred entry to
Canada and the
United States, the preferred destinations, along with Britain, for the emigrants.[2]
Argentina seemed the most promising of South American nations, and so they stayed, eventually concentrating in the north, which reminded them of the scrappy mountains and plains of Punjab. Most of the immigrants settled in
Rosario de la Frontera. This remote northern Argentine town is home to the only Sikh
gurdwara in South America. Today, there are about 300 Sikhs in Argentina, many of whom run supermarkets and other shops. Mixed marriages with Catholic Argentines are common.
A large number of Indians living in
Buenos Aires are businessmen, doctors, financial or business executives, and employees of multinational corporations. Most of them have retained their Indian citizenship.
Many
Indo-Caribbeans from places like
Guyana,
Trinidad and Tobago, and
Suriname have also migrated to
Argentina.
Culture
The Indian community in Argentina has established an Indian Association in the northern provinces to organize social and cultural events to celebrate Indian festivals such as
Diwali.[3] Some community members are involved in keeping traditional cultural practices alive, such as
ayurveda,
yoga,
Indian classical music and the
Hindustani language and
Punjabi language.
