From: The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples/Argentinians/Agueda Reus-BazÁn
Argentinian migration to Canada can be traced to the beginning of this century. It was often driven by economic decline or political unrest in the homeland. Further, Canadian immigration policy has at times favoured increased immigration from Latin America. The number of arrivals during the first half of the century was low, however. The only significant group consisted mainly of Welsh colonists from Patagonia who settled in Saskatchewan. Between 1946 and 1955 no more than 97 Argentinians arrived in Canada, while 442 immigrants declared Argentina as the country of last residence.
After the passage of the Immigration Act of 1952 and the increased emphasis on highly trained immigrants, which coincided with the beginning of economic decline in Argentina, a second wave of immigration can be identified that lasted until 1973. A majority of the 1,286 Argentinians who arrived between 1956 and 1963 were of European descent and represented the urban intelligentsia and skilled labour. Between 1964 and 1972 a steady flow of arrivals averaged almost 400 a year, with the highest numbers in 1967 (544) and 1969 (541). This increase was due to expansion of the Canadian economy combined with a deterioration in the political and economic conditions in Argentina. These developments were powerful reasons for many professionals, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers to move north.
In the decade after 1973 the migration grew to an average of more than 1,000 a year, the peak years being 1974 (1,593) and 1975 (1,567). During this period, political instability and oppression, a high level of inflation, and the activities of terrorist groups accentuated the conditions for migration and in some cases led to claims for refugee status. According to immigration statistics, Argentinians arriving in Canada in the early 1970s declared their intention to work in manufacturing, assembly work, and repairing (20 percent), engineering (10 percent), and construction (15 percent); others sought occupations such as management, teaching, administration, and office services. Argentina lost a considerable part of its urban intelligentsia, some of whom settled in Canada.
The restoration of democracy in Argentina in 1983 boosted morale to the point that, between that year and 1989, not only was the number of immigrants to Canada very low but some earlier arrivals returned to the homeland. At the beginning of the 1990s the number of Argentinians coming to Canada started to increase again. In some cases, individuals arrived as tourists and then managed to obtain landed immigrant status. The reason could once again be found in Argentina’s economic instability.
According to 1991 census data, 11,110 Canadians (5,645 males and 5,465 females) declared themselves to be Argentinian-born. The same source established that only 5,115 claimed Argentinian ethnic origin (single and multiple responses). This anomaly can be explained by the fact that a large proportion of immigrants, though they consider themselves Argentinians, are of first- or second-generation European origin.
