Hungarian Argentines

Hungarian Argentines

Total population
40,000–50,000
Regions with significant populations
Buenos Aires
Languages
Rioplatense Spanish, Hungarian
Religion
Mostly Catholicism and Judaism
Related ethnic groups
Hungarian people, Hungarian Brazilians, Hungarians in Chile, other Argentines of European descent

The presence of Hungarians in Argentina dates back to the 18th century, when a number of Hungarian Jesuit priests came to North Argentina and Paraguay and settled in Jesuit Reductions. After the fall of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 a number of Hungarian officers fled to Argentina. Among them were János Czetz, founder of the Colegio Militar de la Nación (the Argentine National Military Academy) and Alexander Asboth, who served as United States Ambassador to Argentina. Another well-known Hungarian emigrant to Argentina is László Bíró, who perfected and patented his invention, the ballpoint pen – also known as biro – after his emigration to Argentina.

Today, there are between 40,000 and 50,000 people of Hungarian descent living in Argentina, mostly in Buenos Aires. Most of them arrived in the three main emigration waves: during and after the World War I, during and after the World War II, and after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was crushed by the Soviet Union. They maintain 19 associations and four registered religious communities throughout the country.

Notable people

• Américo Hoss (1916–1990), cinematographer
• Francisco Benkö (1910–2010), chess master
• Gisela Dulko (born 1985), professional tennis player and former world No. 1 player in doubles
• Imre Rajczy (1911–1978), fencer and Olympic gold medalist
• János Czetz (1822–1904), organizer and first director of Argentina's national military academy
• Ladislao Szabo (born 1923), water polo player
• László Bíró (1899–1985), inventor of the modern ballpoint pen
• Vladislao Cap (1934–1982), association football player
• Alexandra Keresztesi (born 1983), Hungarian-born Argentine sprint canoer

See also

• Hungarian people
• Hungarian diaspora

References

• Az argentínai magyarság (Hungarians in Argentina) – Embassy of Hungary in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Hungarian)

External links

• Hungarian Argentine Chamber
• Hungarian Embassy in Buenos Aires: History of the Hungarians in Argentina (in Spanish)
• Buenos Aires City Government: History of the Hungarian Argentine community (in Spanish)