Boliguayan () a generally derogatory expression used in Argentina to refer to Bolivian and Paraguayan immigrants, whose descendants born in the country are among the most numerous, Peruvians are generally also included. Although it is not completely accurate, there are versions that indicate that the term emerged in the 1990s when immigration from neighboring countries increased. The vast majority are mestizo or indigenous originating from these countries, this contrasts greatly with the more criollo and castizo light-skinned phenotype of Argentina.
This term is similar to that of Brasiguayos, which is used for descendants of White Brazilians in Paraguay.
Etymology and uses.
It is a grammatical contraction of the Bolivian and Paraguayan demonyms. The expression is frequently used to disparage migrants whose origin comes from the aforementioned countries, which is why it is considered a pejorative term. It is also generally used to refer to Peruvian immigrants and their descendants, given that they share certain characteristics with people born in those states bordering Argentina.
Demographics.
According to the 2022 census of immigrants born in South American countries, there are 522,598 Paraguayans (1.14%), 338,299 Bolivians (0.74%) and 156,251 Peruvians (0.34%) without counting descendants. It is estimated that there are 2 million descendants of Paraguayans, 2 million of Bolivians and 430 thousand of Peruvians. In Greater Buenos Aires, 12.25% of households have a head born in a neighboring country or in Peru according to the 2010 census.
The vast majority of Bolivian and Paraguayan immigrants settled in the Villas Miseria of the country's big cities or in the border areas. The most important neighborhoods where they settled in Buenos Aires are Villa 31 in the northern area of Retiro and Recoleta, and in Comuna 8 where the majority of the population has origins in neighboring countries, of which 46.6% are of Bolivian origin and the 37.9% of Paraguayan origin. Within the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, cities such as Gregorio de Laferrère, Villa Celina, Isidro Casanova, González Catán, Moreno, Ingeniero Budge, Villa Fiorito, West Bernal, among others.
Other areas with a notable population of Bolivian or Paraguayan origin are the border cities such as La Quiaca, El Carmen and Clorinda, and to a lesser extent the agricultural areas in the Uco Valley and the lower Valley of the Negro River.