Discourses, policies and perceptions on Jewish immigration to Colombia at the beginning of the 20th century

Abstract

The great global migration that took place between the mid-19th century and the beginning of the 20th century saw hundreds of millions of people around the world cross the border of their country to go to another. In this scenario, and unlike other South American countries, Colombia was not a great recipient of immigrants. However, some of those who arrived, including Jews of different origins, faced restrictions to enter the country, which increased particularly in the 1930s, and under governments of different ideological tendencies. The aim of this article is to characterize the discourses, policies and perceptions around Jewish immigration in Colombia during the first four decades of the last century, considering multiple conceptions on issues such as race and nation and their supposed links with progress as framework.