Afro-Argentines, as the Black people in Argentina are popularly known, formed a significant part of the Argentine population in the 18th century. In the late 18th century, according to a census by its Spanish colonial masters, estimates suggested that nearly 30% of the population had African ancestry, which meant Afro-Argentines made up one third of the population.
By 1857, 79 years later, the Black population had dropped to 15 percent. Today, Argentina is considered the whitest country in South America, with just 5 percent of the population identifying as Afro-Argentine during the 2010 census. As a matter of fact, their numbers have reduced drastically and it would be near impossible to see Afro-Argentines in sports, journalism, politics, and so on. So, what led to the reduction and near eradication of Afro-Argentines in Argentina?
What actually happened to Black Argentineans is so disturbing and inhumane, it would be shocking that it wasn’t being taught in classrooms if the world wasn’t so inherently racist.