The Afro-Argentine in Argentine Culture: El Negro Del Acordeon (Latin American Studies)

This study focuses on a discussion of the evolution of Argentine demographic policy as expressed in the dictum "to govern is to populate" and its impact on the role of the Afro-Argentine in an historical context. The Afro-Argentine role in Argentine culture is presented as part of the elite-defined culture, the liberal elites' views of the Afro-Argentine and the aftermath of Juan Manuel de Rosas with its changes to the cultural images of the Afro-Argentine. In contrast, the Afro-Argentine is also presented as part of the Argentine popular creole culture within a construct that discusses the issue of how site-specific Argentine culture is, and the impact of site definitions on the cultural contributions of the Afro-Argentine. Creole popular cultural expressions of the Puppet Theatre, the theatre, and the circus highlight the conflicts between immigrant and creole where the Agro-Argentine is clearly defined as a creole and not as a separate cultural entity.