The proposal in this work is to draw a number of comparative reflections on the basis of anthropological research carried out successively on Japanese immigrants and their descendants to Argentina and then on immigrants from other Latin American countries (Bolivian). This research was carried out in the 80s and 90s, which allows us to explore the impact of neoliberal structural changes on the social imaginary of immigrants. The centre of interest is to show that stereotypes are constructed differently according to the origin of immigrants, which undoubtedly have racist components. Such a differential imaginary construction, namely ‘legal’ immigrants, wanted immigrants and ‘illegal’ immigrants, is consistent with racist ideology and, in general, with the functioning of the prejudices that require a hierarchical look at humanity (in the biological and cultural sense). An interpretation is proposed which, while bearing in mind the specific nature of stigmatisation processes, analyses racism and prejudices in general as dynamic constructions, which relate both to historical times (in our case of the ‘80 crisis and neoliberalism of the’ 90) and to the myths of origin of the Argentinian nation, as a country open to immigration, ‘breed crucible’; disguising an ideology of progress that includes groups and excludes otros.This paper is a comparative study of Anthropological research on Japanese immigrants to Argentina and their descendants, and immigrants from other Latin American countries (basically Bolivians). Research took place during the 1980s and 1990s, respectively, which enables the impact of neoliberal structural changes on the social Imaginary around immigrants to be operated. The central point is to show the distinct construction of stereotypes according to the origin of the immigrants, which globally includes a racist component. SUCH differential Imaginary construction – namely, ‘legal’, deserviceable immigrants versus ‘illegal’, unusable immigrants – is consistent with racist ideology and, more generally, with Prejudices that on a herarchical view of humanity (biological and cultural). An interpretation is proposed that, without addressing the specificity of the process of stigmatisation, analyses racism and Prejudices in general as dynamic constructions that are related to trends (in this case, the crisis of the 1980s and 1990s neoliberalism) and to the origin Myth of the Argentinean nation. The Myth that this country is a ‘melting pot of races’, open to migration, is a cover discourse for an ideology of progress that includes and excludes particular groups.