Ascription and indigenous languages in Argentina (2010-2018): a territorial approach from statistical surveys

Abstract

The measurement of indigenous ethnicity -and in particular the presence of an indigenous cultural legacy- was a largely overlooked concern throughout the 19th century and much of the 20th century. Towards the end of the latter, indigenous subjects have gained visibility and attention from state agencies. Consequently, and in line with similar processes in the rest of Latin America, there has been an intensification in the demand for public statistics to account for the size and characterization of indigenous peoples in Argentina. In this context, in the 2001 Censo Nacional de Población, Hogares y Viviendas, a question on indigenous self-identification have been incorporated, but not the use indigenous languages in the overall population. In this paper, we examine the statistical relationships between two criteria for identifying the cultural indigenous presence: self-identification (ascription) and speaking an indigenous language. We use microdata from the 2010 population census and from the national standardized exams Pruebas Aprender, conducted in primary schools in 2018. We find that statistically and spatially there is no uniform relationship between both dimensions. Furthermore, we identify evidence of the inadequacy of the question about ethnic self-identification due to the high percentage of ignored responses, as well as a notable presence of indigenous languages in the territory, with departments having more than 50% of households involved, and a national average above 10%. We reflect on these results and discuss them with the aim of accounting for the indigenous cultural presence (of various cultures) in different areas of our country, largely made invisible by public statistics and the one-dimensional, essentialist approach that has been given to multiculturality.