Croats of Chile
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (380,000-400,000 2.2% of Chile's population) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Punta Arenas, Santiago, Antofagasta, Iquique | |
| Languages | |
| Chilean Spanish, Croatian | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, mainly Roman Catholic others |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Croatian diaspora, Croats |
Croatian Chileans (Chileno-croatas, Spanish pronunciation: [tʃiˈleno kɾoˈata]; Croatian: čileanski Hrvati) are an important ethnic group in Chile; they are citizens of Chile who were either born in Europe or are Chileans of Croatian descent deriving their Croatian ethnicity from one or both parents. Chile has one of the largest communities of ethnic Croats outside the Balkan Peninsula and it is one of the most significant Croatian communities – second only to Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are one of the main examples of successful assimilation of a non-Spanish-speaking European ethnic group into Chilean society. Many successful entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and prominent politicians holding the highest offices in the country have been of Croatian descent.
The oppression of the Croatian people and the denial of an internationally recognised nation was the principal factor leading them to embark on a constant migration to Chile. At first they were recognised and officially registered as former citizens of the countries or empires from which they had fled. For example, until 1915 they were recognised as Austrians, and since then to 1990 as Yugoslavians. Since 1990, and in accordance to the establishment of the new internationally recognised Republic of Croatia, Chilean Croats have reasserted their cultural and ethnic identity.
The Croatian community first established itself in two provinces situated in the extreme ends of Chile: Antofagasta, in the Atacama desert of the north and Punta Arenas in the Patagonian region in the south. The massive arrival of Croats in Chile began in 1864 and the migration grew steadily until 1956 – reaching a number of more than 6,000. In the early part of this 1864-1956 era more Croats settled in Argentina than in Chile. For example, in Argentina the number reached 80,000, but only about 57% of these Croats remained in Argentina. Some of these returned to Europe or moved and settled in Chile where Croats had a more rapid and successful assimilation, which led to a significant increase in the Chilean-Croat population in periods when there was no migration of Croats from Europe to the Americas. Included are Istro-Romanians, who became adjusted to Chilean society because of the linguistic similarities between Istro-Romanian and Spanish, as well as Latin identity of Istro-Romanians.
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Wikipedia