Uruguay is “the true California” - La Republica Oriéntale del Uruguay - Pubblicazione Ufficiale

In 1870, the Consul General of Uruguay published an immigration guide for Italian immigrants. It was written in Italian. The purpose of the publication was to provide “positive, truthful and practical piece of advice that will genuinely and without deception or subterfuge clarify to the emigrant what lies ahead.” Why? Because “emigrants often do not know what to decide, whether to believe those who promise them paradise or those who predict hell.”

In addition to extolling the virtues of emigrating from Italy to Uruguay, the Consul hoped that immigrants would provide labor and industry to develop the Uruguayan economy and infrastructure. He wrote, “the Republic of Uruguay, amidst peace and prosperity, is making giant strides towards progress, and all it needs are hands, hands, and more hands.”

The publication does not speak of nationality. It does not address citizenship or the process of obtaining it. But it does indicate that its “citizens,” without dividing the natural citizens from the legal citizens, are all called “Orientals.”

Geopolitically, commercially, and politically, the Eastern Republic of Uruguay takes its name from the ancient designation "Banda Oriental," which served during the times of Spanish domination to indicate the province located to the east of the Uruguay River. For the same reason, the citizens of Uruguay are called "Orientals."

The ease of migration is stressed. The Consul explained the services available on arrival. The publication includes a table indicating that the wages in Uruguay exceeded those in Europe. When all of this is considered, the Consul indicates emigrating is advantageous.

It can be said without exaggeration that the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, without exploiting its gold, is a true California, with the difference that in the Gold Rush era, California was a social chaos, while in the Oriental Republic, there exists a well-ordered, moral, and hardworking society, of which more than sixty thousand Italians form a part and have improved their condition through work, which is the source of all wealth.

It is difficult to sufficiently emphasize Uruguay's “open door” policy at this time. A Central Office of Immigration was established in 1865, only 35 years after the founding of the Republic. The Consul, in this pamphlet seeking to encourage immigration, described the functions of the office.

There is a central immigration office in Montevideo, which has the sole purpose of protecting immigrants who arrive in the territory of the Republic, providing them with the necessary means and providing them with the information and advice they may need to obtain a position that can truly improve their fate and fortune.

This institution dates back to December 2, 1865, when a presidential decree appointed an Immigration Commission (which includes two Italians, Messrs. Sivori and Folie) and a statistical office concerning it.

The Central Office of Immigration, located at 79 Colon Street in Montevideo, provides invaluable services to immigrants free of charge. Even though they arrive in the country completely new and unknown, they find in this office a sincere friend, a reliable guide, and a wise and diligent protector.

Today, in 2023, Uruguay is in another period of immigration, though nowhere near the scale of its historical periods of immigration. Perhaps its earlier history of welcoming new citizens is worth considering in deciding whether Uruguay today also needs “hand, hands, hands” to prosper. Clearly, the current population, most of whom arrived during this period of immediate and free social services encouraging immigration, benefited from Uruguay’s earlier policies and expenditure of tax funds.

In 1870 what services didi Uruguay provide, from the public treasury, to ensure justice and integration of its immigrants?

The main functions of the Central Office of Immigration are as follows:

It arranges for the landing of immigrants arriving at the port, sending a person from the office aboard ships arriving with immigrants and transporting all those who wish to stay in the Oriental State to the shore, providing them with free lodging and maintenance until they have found work or occupation.

It gathers all the necessary and most appropriate data in order to provide immigrants with all the useful information about the country, as well as to know where workers are particularly needed. To this end, it also keeps a special register where all the requests for workers and laborers made by its agents in the countryside and other parts of the Republic, as well as by private individuals both inside and outside the city, are recorded.

In this way, it facilitates and indeed tirelessly works to find a suitable position, according to their aptitude, for every immigrant who has turned to it. It arranges for the transport of the applicants who live in the countryside to the place where they are wanted, and when necessary, it covers all the costs of their transportation to any part of the Republic.

It intervenes in the contracts entered into between private individuals and immigrants who have placed themselves under its protection in order to protect their rights and interests. It issues the relevant certificates accrediting the quality of the immigrant. It arranges for immigrants settled in the country to write to their relatives and families overseas with punctuality and facilitates the means of doing so with the least possible expense.

Finally, it intervenes in everything that can be useful and advantageous to immigrants, protecting them in all the difficult circumstances they may encounter, whether due to lack of means of subsistence or work, or due to rights or interests that may be defrauded, or even due to violations of police edicts or other minor violations of the laws of the country that may not be well known or well understood by them.