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Immigration to Uruguay began in several millennia BCE with the arrival of different populations from Asia to the Americas through Beringia, according to the most accepted theories, and were slowly populating the Americas. The most recent waves of immigrants started with the arrival of Spaniards in the 16th century, during the colonial period, to what was then known as the Banda Oriental.

Throughout its history, Uruguay has experienced massive waves of immigration from all around the world, specifically from the European continent, and today 90–95% of the Uruguayan population has European ancestry. The largest of these waves of immigration occurred between the last third of the 19th century and World War II, when the whole European continent was in turmoil. The largest groups of immigrants in Uruguay are the Spanish and Italians, both establishing the backbone of modern-day Uruguayan culture and society.

Overview

Uruguay is a multi-ethnic nation formed by the combination of different groups over five centuries. Amerindians inhabited Uruguayan territory for several millennia before the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century. Spaniards and Africans arrived in significant numbers under colonial rule, including many from a European background, some with an African background, and some Amerindians.^[1] (Nevertheless, in April 1831, government troops massacred most of the local Amerindian population under the command of General Fructuoso Rivera; this is remembered as the Massacre of Salsipuedes).

Throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, Uruguay boasted the highest proportion of immigrant population in South America, with a majority hailing from Southern Europe. This influx significantly impacted the country's demographics, with foreign-born residents accounting for a remarkable 30% of the population in 1850 and 17% around 1910.^[2]

Beginning in the second half of the 19th century, there has been gradual European immigration from several countries, which had its peak between 1870 and 1920; back then, the Villa del Cerro neighbourhood in Montevideo was characteristically populated by immigrants.^[3]

Main immigration groups

Spaniards, Italians, and descendants of African slaves together formed the backbone of modern day Uruguayan culture and society.

Minor immigrant groups that, although are small in number, still play an important role in Uruguayan society, include:

French: Making up 10% of Uruguay's population (c. 300,000), Frenchmen began immigrating to South America during the 1800s. French Uruguayans are the third largest ancestry group in Uruguay, behind Spaniards and Italians. Ever since French immigrants entered Uruguay, French influence has always been strong in Uruguayan culture.
Basques (needs information)
Germans: Uruguay does contain a number of Germans: about 15,000 German expatriates and around 150,000 people of German descent. Uruguay has also adopted some of Germany's culture, and a variety of German institutions.
Jews: Uruguay has about 12,000–20,000 Jews, and even though it isn't a large number, it's one of the biggest Jewish communities in the world, and one of the biggest religions in Uruguay. The majority of Jews entered during World War I and World War II, the most being Ashkenazi Jews, German Jews, and Italian Jews.
Lebanese: There are about 53,000–70,000 Lebanese in Uruguay; it is one of the oldest immigrant groups in South America, dating the first wave back around the 1860s.
Other significant minorities include: Armenians, Austrians, Britons, Bulgarians, Croats, Greeks, Hungarians, Irish, Scots, Syrians, Lithuanians, Poles, Russians, Romani, Slovaks, Slovenes, Swiss, Ukrainians. There are very small Asian communities, mainly from China, Japan and Korea.^[1]

There is a very recent inflow of Latin Americans: Peruvians, Bolivians, Paraguayans, Venezuelans. The University of the Republic is free, which means that many Chilean students come to study in Uruguay. Many people from neighboring Argentina and Brazil, who frequently travel to Uruguay to spend their holidays, have chosen it as permanent residence. In a very recent trend, North Americans and Europeans are also choosing to retire in Uruguay. There are over 12,000 foreign workers from 81 countries registered in the Uruguayan social security.^[4]

Immigrants tend to integrate into mainstream society, as several scholars have shown.^[5]

Based on data from the 2011 census, currently there are about 77,000 immigrants in Uruguay and 27,000 returning Uruguayans.^[6]

As of October 2014, Uruguay received a new flow of immigrants from Syria as a consequence of the Syrian Civil War.^[7]

With the construction works of UPM pulp mills in Fray Bentos and later near Paso de los Toros, new small waves of immigrants have entered the country, in search of jobs.^[8]

In recent years Uruguay has been experiencing the drama of stateless people.^[9] The Government has plans to diversify the reasons for obtaining visas to adapt to the new reality.^[10]

Culture

Several cultural expressions characterize recent migrants. One of the most notable is gastronomy: ingredients such as mango, papaya, mandioca, yucca, are increasingly found in food shops. Recent migrants such as those from Venezuela serve their arepas, cachapas and empanadas. Cuban immigrants cook congri rice (with black beans), roasted port, yucca with sauce, buñuelos. Further, local sushi has more similarities with the Peruvian sort.^[11]

Migrant influencers use social media such as YouTube try help the integration of immigrants.^[12]

Children

About 1.3% of schoolchildren are foreigners, mostly from Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Venezuela, and the USA. A total of 62 countries are represented in Uruguayan schools.^[13]

Bibliography

Goebel, Michael. "Gauchos, Gringos and Gallegos: The Assimilation of Italian and Spanish Immigrants in the Making of Modern Uruguay 1880–1930," Past and Present (August 2010) 208(1): 191–229 doi:10.1093/pastj/gtp037
Bresciano, Juan Andrés. "L'Immigrazione Italiana in Uruguay Nella Piu Recente Storiografia (1990–2005)." ["Italian immigration to Uruguay in the most recent historiography, 1990–2005"] Studi Emigrazione, June 2008, Vol. 45 Issue 170, pp 287–299

References

^ ^a ^b Felipe Arocena. "The contribution of immigrants to Uruguay" (PDF) (in Spanish). Multiculturalismoenuruguay.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
^ Camou, María, and Adela Pellegrino, Una fotografía instantánea de Montevideo. 1858–1859, Montevideo, Universidad de la República (Ediciones del Quinto Centenario), 1993.
^ Manuel Esmoris. "Villa del Cerro, identity and fracture" (PDF) (in Spanish). Gestioncultural.com.uy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
^ "Foreign workers in Uruguay" (in Spanish). EL PAIS. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
^ Renzo Pi Hugarte. "La asimilación cultural de los siriolibaneses y sus descendientes en Uruguay" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 February 2015.
^ "Uruguay has 77,000 immigrants" (in Spanish). Montevideo.comm. 17 June 2013.
^ Cariboni, Diana (27 August 2014). "Uruguayan resettlement scheme offers Syrian refugees a lifeline". The Guardian.
^ García, Leonel (17 March 2022). "Ukrainians and Russians live and together in UPM" (in Spanish). Búsqueda. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
^ "Stateless phantoms in Uruguay" (in Spanish). EL PAIS. 6 June 2015.
^ "Gobierno estudia incorporar nuevos tipos de visa" (in Spanish). El Observador. 27 April 2018.
^ Neves, Salvador (4 October 2024). "Sofrito mamá". Brecha (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2024.
^ Silveira Almada, Lucía (4 October 2024). "Grabando". Brecha (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2024.
^ Urwicz, Tomer (29 August 2018). "Children from 62 countries at Uruguayan schools" (in Spanish). EL PAIS.