We Italians are known to be a people inclined to emigrate. From Europe to America via Australia: we are almost five million scattered all over the world. But have you ever wondered which country has the most Italians? And the foreign city where do they reside the most? For many, the answer may surprise, and not a little. According to statistics, the second home of Italians has been, for decades, theArgentina.
The Italians in Argentina
In 2016 the then Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, during a lectio magistralis at the University of Buenos Aires, he said that the Italians in the capital of the same name outnumbered those residing in Bologna. A statement that seemed absurd to many, but which was confirmed by the Foreign Ministry data released shortly after. In fact, the Italian community of Buenos Aires almost counted 300 thousand people in 2015, making it the most Italian foreign city in the world.
An impressive number, especially considering that not all Italians are registered in foreign registers. But that of Buenos Aires is not an isolated phenomenon. In all Argentine cities it is not difficult to come across some Italians. Still according to the Foreign Ministry they are almost 900 thousand the Italians in Argentina. All major cities have tens of thousands of residents who come from the beautiful country.
Why Argentina?
But why are we so attracted to Argentina? The reasons, in truth, are many. The Italian influence in the country has always been very strong. Over 50% of Argentines have Italic origins, while language is not an insurmountable obstacle unlike other countries. In fact, Italian is the second most widely spoken language, and it is not difficult to make oneself understood even by those who do not know him.
The economy in recent years has been making important steps forward, despite the global economic crisis. The land is therefore fertile for those who want to start a business or start collaborations with local realities. Furthermore, the culture, the ways and the style are very similar to ours, as the architecture also demonstrates. Streets, monuments and entire areas follow a style mediterranean, making us feel closer than 11 kilometers away.
In Buenos Aires one of the most famous neighborhoods is the neighborhood Palermo. This district is a real Little Italy that has welcomed Italian migrants since the beginning of the twentieth century. The heart of this neighborhood is Plaza Italia, and this alone should make us think of the importance and influence of the Italian community. In the center of the square stands the equestrian monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi, hero of the two worlds, namely Italy and South America.
After a pause due to the crisis in the country at the beginning of the XNUMXs, the Italians who move to Argentina are more and more numerous. Year after year the number increases more and more and, according to forecasts, at this rate we will soon reach half a million in the capital alone. An impressive figure that makes Argentina the second home of us Italians.
