Tracing Immigrant Communities in the Province of Buenos Aires
Different groups arrived in the Pampas to settle down and enrich the culture of the province with their own traditions
Like the rest of Argentina, Buenos Aires is also a destination for immigrants. Its scenery and vast lands have transformed this province into one of the preferred locations for different communities to take root, forming an amalgamation of cultures here with their gastronomy, music, dances, architecture, and much more.
In the province’s various villages today are communities from the widest range of countries worldwide, from Spain and Italy, to Japan, Russia, Germany, and Poland. Over the last few years, there has also been migration from bordering countries and regions, with a huge influx of Peruvians, Bolivians, and Paraguayans. Each has their own popular celebrations and festivals through which they honor their history.
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Germans
The first Germans in Volga arrived in the south of the province of Buenos Aires in 1877 and established themselves in locations like Olavarría and Coronel Suárez. Famous for their gastronomy, highlights include dishes such as sauerkraut, Berliners, and strudel, which even has its own festival.
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Berisso, the Cradle of Immigration
Considered the Provincial Capital of Immigration, the city of Berisso attracts huge numbers of communities thanks to its work opportunities in the port, meat packing plants, and shipyards The Fiesta Provincial del Inmigrante (Provincial Festival of Immigration) is celebrated here each year.
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The Berisso Association of Foreign Entities currently brings together 27 groups who participate annually in this celebration, including Italians, Spanish, Russians, Albanians, Yugoslavians, Syrians, Lebanese, Bulgarians, Armenians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, and others.
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Spanish
The first immigrants from the Spanish island of Mallorca settled in the Buenos Aires city of San Pedro in the 1950s, where they popularized their traditional ensaïmada with jam and lard, the namesake of the most important festival in the district.
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The Ensaïmada
The Mallorcan ensaïmada is a pastry product with a long tradition on the Spanish island. Its recipe uses flour, sugar, egg, and lard. In Argentina, they are typically filled with pastry cream or dulce de leche.
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The Fiesta Nacional de la Ensaimada Mallorquina (National Festival of the Mallorcan Ensaimada) is held each year over August in the locality of San Pedro. The Spanish community creates their best versions of this exquisite preparation accompanied by different artistic spectacles.
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The Spanish community also celebrates by wearing traditional costumes and performing demonstrations of Mallorcan dances.
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French
The locality of Pigüé in the southeast of the province of Buenos Aires is considered one of the most important French colonies in Argentina. The first families arrived in 1884 from the region of Aveyron. Their influences can be seen in the locality’s architecture and gastronomy.
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Omelet for Everyone!
Some of the highlights of their cuisine are aligot, truffle potatoes, and chou farci, though the star of the show is the omelet. Each year, the anniversary of Pigüé is celebrated with the Giant Omelet Festival, an event that is only held in seven locations across the world.
Sub-Secretariat of Tourism of the Province of Buenos Aires, Ministry of Production, Science and Technological Innovation/Text: Ayelén Iñigo
