ABSTRACT
Recurrent criticism and concern have been expressed regarding the emphasis given to antisemitism as a permanent characteristic of Latin America. An understanding of the different conditions that favor antisemitism as well as its manifestations emerges as a sine qua non condition when accounting for its actual or potential extent. Particular attention must be paid to its historical socio-political expressions and its symbolic representations; antisemitism has been shaped both by sets of cumulative and overlapping beliefs and by broader socio-political conjunctures. Stereotypes and prejudices were projected onto norms and practices leading to selective and restrictive immigration policy and the immigrant population residing in the country. The General Population Law of 1936 prioritized the demographic development through the criteria of ethnic and religious similarities to the national populations as a guarantee of assimilation. Antisemitism also reached the forefront of public discourse and influenced policy decisions after 1938, as the question of Jewish refugees from Nazism became a pressing concern.
