979 - Immigration in Argentina: Multiple Voices and Alternative Approaches

19.07.2012 | 08:00 - 13:30

Convener 1: Borges, Marcelo (Dickinson College , Carlisle, Ud States of Am / USA)
Convener 2: Bjerg, Maria (History, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes/CONICET, Argentina / Argentinien)

Migration studies boomed in Argentina in the last twenty years, resulting in a re-evaluation of immigration history that put the immigrants back at the center of analysis. New studies privileged the multiple experiences of particular immigrant groups and expanded the original spatial boundaries to include a variety of settings, both urban and rural. The historiography of Argentine immigration is today more complex and richer than ever before, yet there is still much ground to be covered. This symposium wants to draw a provisional balance and explore new approaches by looking at experiences that have been neglected by historical studies and examine the possibilities of new sources or alterative readings of traditional ones. In particular, we are interested in the intersection and interaction of migratory paths with diverse origin (transatlantic, neighboring, and internal flows), as well as in the perspective of heretofore neglected experiences (such as children, migrants of specialized occupations or trades, women, etc.). In addition, the symposium wants to explore topics that have received little attention in traditional historiography such as memory and commemoration, personal identities and “mentalscapes,” consumption patterns and sociocultural integration, among others. We are also interested in examining the analytical possibilities of sources that illustrate the migration experience from these different perspectives, in particular personal and ego-sources such as oral testimonies, correspondence, diaries, and visual documents. We welcome case studies and theoretical discussions.

Keywords: Immigration, Argentina, History