More than four million Spaniards came to the Western Hemisphere between the mid-nineteenth century and the Great Depression. Unlike that of most other Europeans, their major destination was Argentina, not the United States. Studies of these immigrants—mostly laborers and peasants—have been scarce in comparison with studies of other groups of smaller size and lesser influence. Presenting original research within a broad comparative framework, Jose C. Moya fills a considerable gap in our knowledge of immigration to Argentina, one of the world's primary "settler" societies. Moya moves deftly between micro- and macro-analysis to illuminate the immigration phenomenon. A wealth of primary sources culled from dozens of immigrant associations, national and village archives, and interviews with surviving participants in Argentina and Spain inform his discussion of the origins of Spanish immigration, residence patterns, community formation, labor, and cultural cognitive aspects of the immigration process. In addition, he provides valuable material on other immigrant groups in Argentina and gives a balanced critique of major issues in migration studies.

Jose C. Moya is Associate Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"Jose C. Moya’s multifaceted account is an eye-opener. . . Moya’s chronicle of this immigration "fever" is thorough. He has studied the police records of 661 anarchists, read over sixty travel books, 334 popular plays and over 1,000 jokes. . . . The result is a refreshingly eclectic cultural history."—Times Literary Supplement (London)

"Jose C. Moya’s excellent study does much more than tell the story of Spanish immigrants in Buenos Aires. By tackling the question of how immigration history has been constructed for the past five decades, his work provides readers with an exciting new methodology for understanding both the migration process and the relationship between minority groups and host societies."—American Historical Review

"An extremely impressive piece of scholarship…a book that may be modified in the future, but is unlikely ever to be duplicated."—Canadian Journal of History

"This is a book that bears the hallmarks of a classic: erudite scholarship, elegant prose, and comprehensive treatment of the topic."—Journal of Historical Geography

"This study will set the standard for all future histories of the immigration experience in Argentina. The depth of Moya's research, the framing of his questions, and his use of multiple methodologies and research strategies challenge--indeed, demolish--many facile generalizations about the immigration experience. . . . This is a landmark work." —History: Review of New Books

"Written in a compelling and lively manner, exhaustively researched and convincingly argued, it sets a new standard for all those who seek to study and understand the greatest mass movement of people in the modern era."—Revista de Estudios Hispánicos

"Moya writes with clarity, humor, and grace, making his information and analysis accessible to the least, as well as the most, methodologically sophisticated readers. . . . A model for future studies of immigration."—The Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"Moya’s book is an instant classic, a must-read for all students of human migrations anywhere. For this reviewer, at least, it also means Back To The Ol’ Drawing-Board."—The Americas

"The endnotes are a treasure trove that should be explored by anyone interested in migration history."—Choice

"El estudio de Moya va a marcar la divisoria entre un ‘antes’ y un ‘después’ en los esdudios migratorios, no sólo en España y Argentina, sino en otros muchos países de ambos lados del Atlántico. Todos los historiadores nos podemos felicitar por la aparición de este hermoso trabajo, escrito con elegancia y sobriedad, tan novedoso y esclarecedor de un momento histórico que nos marcó a todos para siempre. [Moya’s study will mark the division between "before" and "after" in migration studies, not only in Spain and Argentina, but also in many other countries on both sides of the Atlantic. All historians can congratulate ourselves for the appearance of this beautiful work, written with elegance and sobriety, so original and illuminating of a historical moment that marked us all for ever.]"—Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos (Madrid)

"Moya commands not only the statistical sources but the literary and folklorical ones as well, weaving them in a history that is both analytical and narrative...A superb book that will be a standard monument, not only for Spanish migration and Argentine history, but for migration history in general."

Walter Nugent, University of Notre Dame



"A major achievement, it represents a vast, comprehensive research effort on two continents, using a world-wide background literature and a stunning array of research techniques, all well integrated, on a topic of large scope and significance. The entire enterprise is watched over by an acute, curious, lively mind in notable equilibrium and equanimity, bringing the research to life, fereting out the implications of widely scattered and apparently disparate facts, and reaching many new, significant, and well founded conclusions."

James Lockhart, University of California, Los Angeles



"By far the most original on its subject, this book will become a landmark study in Latin American history."

David Rock, University of California, Santa Barbara



"The scope and depth of Moya's research are impressive...His imaginative use of sources and evidence and lively, frequently entertaining prose make this a stimulating, satisfying, and ascinating study...This is scholarship that is meticulous, well-reasoned, and highly original."

Ida Altman, University of New Orleans



"One of the truly first-rate studies in the vast migration literature--an authentic tour-de-force."

William Douglass, University of Nevada, Reno

Choice 35th Annual Outstanding Academic Book
1999 Sharlin Memorial Award, Social Science History Association
1999 Herbert Eugene Bolton Memorial Prize co-winner, Conference on Latin American History
Hubert Herring Prize for Best Book on Latin America, Pacific Council on Latin American Studies