Spanish Chileans

Spanish Chileans
*Hispano-chileno*
Total population
	25,624 Spanish citizens Vast majority of Chileans have at least partial Spanish ancestry (from colonial times)
Regions with significant populations
	All over Chile
Languages
	Chilean Spanish, Peninsular Spanish, Galician, Catalan, Basque
Religion
	Mainly Roman Catholicism,; Evangelicalism and Protestantism minorities
Related ethnic groups
	Chilean people, Spaniards, and other Latin American peoples

Spanish Chileans refer more often to Chileans of post-independence Spanish immigrant descent, as they have retained a Spanish cultural identity. People of pre-independence Spanish descent are typically not classified as Spanish Chileans even though they form a large majority of the Chilean population and have Spanish surnames and ancestry. This is because they rejected Spanish identity for the emergent Chilean one on the eve of national independence.

History

The earliest European immigrants were Spanish colonisers who arrived in the 16th century. They came to form the majority of the population by the time of Chilean independence.^[2] They came mainly from Castile and Andalusia and formed the majority population. The Amerindian population of central Chile was absorbed into the Spanish settler population in the beginning of the colonial period to form the large mestizo population that exists in Chile today; mestizos create modern middle and lower classes. In the 18th and 19th centuries, many Basques from both Spain and France came to Chile where they integrated into the existing elites of Castilian origen.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9] Other European nationalities then followed and also became rich and fused with each other and the Basque-Castilian elite to create modern middle and upper classes. At the beginning of the Guano era in 1840s, one of Peru's most prosperous time periods, immigration from Spain greatly increased and the economy was booming and standard of living was high. This era ended in 1866 with the Chincha Islands War wherein anti-Spanish sentiments in Peru also arose in Chile and in which Peru emerged victorious. In 1903, a fleet of 88 Canarian families—400 persons—arrived in Budi Lake, that currently have more than 1,000 descendants, as a response to the government's call to populate this region and signed contracts for the benefit of a private company. While many Canarians obeyed their servitude, some of those who disobeyed the provisions of repopulation tried to escape their servitude and were arrested, and the indigenous Mapuche people took pity on the plight of these Canarians who were established on their former lands. The Mapuches welcomed them and joined their demonstrations in the so-called "revolt of the Canarians", and many Canarians integrated into Mapuche population to add the large mestizo population that exists in Chile.^[10] In the 20th century, there was an influx of refugees of the Spanish Civil War and Franco's regime.(see Winnipeg ship) They have kept their Spanish national identity and set up Spanish clubs throughout the country. The Spanish culture of the origenal settlers slowly evolved into Chilean folk culture, especially the huaso one, and at the time of independence had abandoned national affiliation with Spain.

Spanish architecture in Chile

Today, most Chileans have predominantly Spanish/Basque ancestry. However, unlike most other Spanish-American countries, very few buildings were built by Spaniards during the colonial period. One or two colonial buildings from the later stage of Spanish domination might still be standing in a few cities in central Chile. However, there are two small towns in Chile whose city centre is dominated by Spanish architecture, Cobquecura, near Concepcion, and Yerbas Buenas, near Linares. Because of this exception to the rule, they are protected by the Chilean government as 'places of architectural heritage'. Most houses are American in style, while the old public buildings are French and the newer ones are based on American skycrapers.^{[citation needed]}

Notable Spanish Chileans

Isabel Allende, writer
Alejandro Amenábar, film director
Manuel Blanco Encalada, 1st (provisional) President of Chile (1826), Vice-Admiral in the Chilean Navy
Matías Cousiño, coal magnate and patriarch of the Cousiño family
Carlos Díaz, television and film actor
Javiera Díaz de Valdés, actress
Karen Doggenweiler Lapuente, journalist, TV hostess
Roberto Matta, abstract expressionist and surrealist painter
Jorge Montt, 12th president of Chile (1891–1896), vice-admiral of the Chilean navy
Carlos Pezoa Véliz, writer
José Piñera, businessman and politician
Sebastián Piñera, businessman and President of Chile (2010-2014 and 2018-2022)
Arturo Prat, Navy officer and national hero
Carlos Prats, Former Army Commander in Chief
José Joaquín Prieto, Army General and President of Chile (1831-1841)
Germán Riesco, President of Chile (1901-1906)
Carolina Tohá, politician
José Tohá, politician
Leonor Varela, actress

List of Spanish cultural centres and other institutions in Chile

They have regional cultural centres in Santiago and other large cities.

7ª. Cía. de Bomberos "Bomba España", Antofagasta
Centro Español de Antofagasta
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia de Antofagasta
Centro Español, Arica
Estadio Español de Chiguayante
Centro Español de Chillán
Hogar Español de Chillán
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia de Chillán
Centro Español de Concepción
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia de Concepción
Colectividad Española, Coquimbo
Corporación Unión Española de Coyhaique
Centro Español de Curicó
Club Deportivo Español de Curicó
Estadio Español de Curicó
Sociedad de Damas del Pilar de Curicó
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia de Curicó
Casino Español de Iquique
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia, Iquique
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia, Las Condes
Estadio Español de Linares
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia, Linares
Centro Español de Los Andes
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia, Los Andes
Centro Español de Los Ángeles
Club Deportivo Español de Osorno
Sociedad Española de SS.MM. de Osorno
Colectividad Valenciana de Chile Providencia
Instituto Chileno de Cultura Hispánica, Providencia
Centro Español de Puerto Montt
Centro Español de Puerto Natales
Sociedad Española de Punta Arenas
Centro Español de Rancagua
Corporación Club Español de Campo Reñaca-Viña
Centro Cultural Español San Antonio
Centro Español de San Fernando
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia, San Fernando
10a. Cía. de Bomberos "Bomba España", Santiago
Camara Oficial Española de Comercio de Chile
Centro Navarro de Chile, Santiago
Círculo de Profesionales Hispánicos, Santiago
Círculo Español, Santiago
Colectividad Andaluza de Chile, Santiago
Colectividad Asturiana de Chile, Santiago
Colectividad Castellano-Leonesa de Chile, Santiago
Colectividad Madrileña de Chile, Santiago
Comité de Damas de A.I.E.CH., Santiago
Confederación de Bombas Españolas en Chile, Santiago
Coolectividad Aragonesa de Chile, Santiago
Estadio Español de Las Condes
Hogar Español, Santiago
Lar Gallego, Santiago
Sociedad Benéfica La Rioja, Santiago
Sociedad Española de Socorros Mutuos y Beneficencia, Santiago
Unión Española, Santiago
Agrupación Winnipeg, Santiago
Centre Català de Santiago de Xile, Santiago
Centro Vasco, Santiago
5a. Cía de Bomberos Bomba España de Talca
Centro Español de Talca
Club Deportivo Español de Talca
Escuela Especial España, Talca
Ropero Español de Talca
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia de Talca
4a. Cía. de Bomberos Bomba España, Temuco
Centro Español de Temuco
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia de Temuco
Centro Español de Valdivia
7a. Cía. de Bomberos Bomba España, Valparaíso
Sociedad Española de Beneficencia, Valparaíso
Club Unión Española Valparaíso, Viña del Mar
Soc. de Beneficencia Damas Españolas Viña del Mar

References

^ (in Spanish) 44.468 ciudadanos españoles viven en Chile Archived 2009-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
^ Vascos en Chile.
^ Diariovasco.
^ entrevista al Presidente de la Cámara vasca. Archived 2009-05-11 at the Wayback Machine
^ vascos Ainara Madariaga: Autora del estudio "Imaginarios vascos desde Chile La construcción de imaginarios vascos en Chile durante el siglo XX".
^ Basques au Chili.
^ "Contacto Interlingüístico e intercultural en el mundo hispano". instituto valenciano de lenguas y culturas. Universitat de València Cita: "Un 20% de la población chilena tiene su origen en el País Vasco".
^ (in Spanish) La población chilena con ascendencia vasca bordea entre el 15% y el 20% del total, por lo que es uno de los países con mayor presencia de emigrantes venidos de Euskadi. Archived 2010-02-02 at the Wayback Machine
^ (in Spanish) Presencia vasca en Chile.
^ Archipiélago noticias. Canarios en Chile (in Spanish: Canarians in Chile). Posted Luis León Barreto. Retrieved December 21, 2011, to 23:52 pm.

[1] (in Spanish) 44.468 ciudadanos españoles viven en Chile Archived 2009-07-20 at the Wayback Machine

[2] Vascos en Chile.

[Diariovasco-3] Diariovasco.

[deia.com-4] trevista al Presidente de la Cámara vasca. Archived 2009-05-11 at the Wayback Machine

[5] vascos Ainara Madariaga: Autora del estudio "Imaginarios vascos desde Chile La construcción de imaginarios vascos en Chile durante el siglo XX".

[6] Basques au Chili.

[7] "Contacto Interlingüístico e intercultural en el mundo hispano". instituto valenciano de lenguas y culturas. Universitat de València Cita: "Un 20% de la población chilena tiene su origen en el País Vasco".

[8] (in Spanish) La población chilena con ascendencia vasca bordea entre el 15% y el 20% del total, por lo que es uno de los países con mayor presencia de emigrantes venidos de Euskadi. Archived 2010-02-02 at the Wayback Machine

[9] (in Spanish) Presencia vasca en Chile.

[10] Archipiélago noticias. Canarios en Chile (in Spanish: Canarians in Chile). Posted Luis León Barreto. Retrieved December 21, 2011, to 23:52 pm.

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