Latin American Australian
Encyclopedia
Latin American Australian refers to Australian persons who were born in Latin America
(including the Caribbean
and Central America
) irrespective of their ancestral backgrounds, and their descendants. Chilean Australian
s make up the largest proportion of Latin American Australians.
Most Latin American Australians speak English
but many continue to use Spanish
or Portuguese
as well.
At the 2006 Census 86,156 Australian residents declared that they were born in South America
(69,157), Central America
(12,959) or the Caribbean
(4,040). They constitute only 0.43% of the Australian population. 93,795 residents declared themselves being of South American, Central American or Caribbean ancestry (either alone or in combination with one other ancestry).
The Latin American country that has contributed the largest proportion of immigrants to Australia is Chile
- in the 2006 Census 23,305 Australian residents declared they were born in Chile
. Other source Latin American countries include El Salvador
(18,000), Argentina
(11,369 residents), Uruguay
(9,376), Brazil
(7,491), Peru
(6,322), Colombia
(5,706), and Ecuador
(1,356). Many believe that there is as many as 130,000 Latin Americans living in Australia.
, Amerindian, and African features that has occurred over many generations. Most Central Americans are mestizos. Mestizos have both European and American Indian ancestors and, in some cases, African ancestors as well. Their European ancestors were mostly Spaniards. Their Indian ancestors were living in what is now Latin America when the Spaniards arrived. Most of the African ancestors were brought as slaves to the region while it was in Spanish control. Many Colombians are of mixed Spanish and African descent (known as mulattoes), with their African ancestors having been brought over by the Spaniards to work as slaves. Many other Colombians have American Indian ancestry as well. Most Argentine-Australians are of Spanish and/or Italian descent, though other ethnic groups such as the British, Eastern Europeans, Arabs, Mestizos and Mulattoes also emigrated from Argentina.
Film and Television
Music
Other
Sport
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
(including the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
) irrespective of their ancestral backgrounds, and their descendants. Chilean Australian
Chilean Australian
Chilean Australians are Australians of Chilean descent or Chileans who have obtained Australian citizenship. In Australia, Chilean Australians are the biggest group of Latin American origin residing in the nation. The biggest Chilean Australian communities are primarily found in Sydney and Melbourne...
s make up the largest proportion of Latin American Australians.
Most Latin American Australians speak English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
but many continue to use Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
or Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
as well.
At the 2006 Census 86,156 Australian residents declared that they were born in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
(69,157), Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
(12,959) or the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
(4,040). They constitute only 0.43% of the Australian population. 93,795 residents declared themselves being of South American, Central American or Caribbean ancestry (either alone or in combination with one other ancestry).
The Latin American country that has contributed the largest proportion of immigrants to Australia is Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
- in the 2006 Census 23,305 Australian residents declared they were born in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. Other source Latin American countries include El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
(18,000), Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
(11,369 residents), Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
(9,376), Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(7,491), Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
(6,322), Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
(5,706), and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
(1,356). Many believe that there is as many as 130,000 Latin Americans living in Australia.
Cultural Backgrounds
Within the Latin American minority, there are people of different national and ethnic origins. Physical appearances vary widely and often show the blending of EuropeanEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Amerindian, and African features that has occurred over many generations. Most Central Americans are mestizos. Mestizos have both European and American Indian ancestors and, in some cases, African ancestors as well. Their European ancestors were mostly Spaniards. Their Indian ancestors were living in what is now Latin America when the Spaniards arrived. Most of the African ancestors were brought as slaves to the region while it was in Spanish control. Many Colombians are of mixed Spanish and African descent (known as mulattoes), with their African ancestors having been brought over by the Spaniards to work as slaves. Many other Colombians have American Indian ancestry as well. Most Argentine-Australians are of Spanish and/or Italian descent, though other ethnic groups such as the British, Eastern Europeans, Arabs, Mestizos and Mulattoes also emigrated from Argentina.
Distribution
Sydney is home to the largest proportion of Latin American Australians - 66% of Uruguay-born, 62% of Peru-born, 47% each of Chile-born and Colombia-born, and 42% of Brazilian-born respondents at the 2006 Census were residing in Sydney. Persons from El Salvador however have different settlement patters - only 18% were residing in Sydney, while 32% were in Melbourne and 21% were in Brisbane.Foods
Food is one area in which Latin American influences are apparent of ethnic cuisine in Australia. Mexican foods are especially popular. The taco, a folded tortilla filled with meat, cheese, and other ingredients. Other Latin American dishes, such as enchiladas, tamales, tostadas and empanadas are also served in many Latin American-themed restaurants.Notable Latin American Australians
There have been many distinguished Latin American Australians, in sports, the arts, politics and other areas. These include:Film and Television
- Adam GarciaAdam GarciaAdam Garcia is an Australian actor and tap dancer of partial Colombian descent .-Career:...
(Actor) - Nathalie KelleyNathalie KelleyNathalie Kelley is a Peruvian-born Australian actress, most notable for playing Neela in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in 2006, along with her appearance in the music video of Bruno Mars's 2010 single "Just the Way You Are"....
(Actress) - Glenn McMillanGlenn McMillanGlenn Aguiar McMillan is a Brazilian-Australian actor.He was born in the small town of São João da Boa Vista, Brazil, though he has lived for most of his life in Australia. McMillan is of both Brazilian and Irish Australian] descent. And while he has lived most of his life in Australia, he...
(Actor) - Mauricio Merino Jr (Actor)
- Adriana XenidesAdriana XenidesAdriana Xenides was an Australian television personality. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to a Greek father and a Spanish mother,...
(former game show host) - Lyndsey RodriguesLyndsey RodriguesLyndsey Rodrigues born July 23, 1981 in Sydney, Australia, is an Australian TV host, actress and former MTV VJ, known as a co-host of the MTV TV series Total Request Live...
(Television host)
Music
- Maya JupiterMaya JupiterMaya Jupiter is an Australian Rapper & Radio Personality-Biography:Maya was born in La Paz, Mexico. She is of mixed Mexican and Turkish origin...
(Urban musician) - Styalz Fuego (Urban producer)
Other
- Elena Birkbeck
- DBC Pierre, author of the Booker Prize awarded novel Vernon God LittleVernon God LittleVernon God Little is a novel by DBC Pierre. It was his debut novel and won the Booker Prize in 2003.-Plot introduction:The title character is a fifteen-year-old boy who lives in a small town in the U.S. state of Texas...
Sport
- Peggy AntonioPeggy AntonioPeggy Antonio was an Australian women's Test cricketer, known as the "Girl Grimmett"....
(Cricketer) - Raul BlancoRaul BlancoRaul Blanco is an Argentine-born Australia Association football coach. He is well known for coaching the Socceroos from March 1998 to June 1999. He was also coaching the Olyroos at the same time, and coached them during the 2000 Summer Olympics...
(Soccer Coach) - Richard GarciaRichard GarciaRichard Garcia is an Australian association football player who plays for Hull City and internationally for Australia as a winger. He has previously played for West Ham United, Leyton Orient and Colchester United...
(Soccer Player) - Alex BrosqueAlex BrosqueAlex Brosque is an Australian professional football player who currently plays for J. League side Shimizu S-Pulse...
(Soccer Player) - Adrian CaceresAdrian CaceresClaudio Adrian Caceres is an Argentine-Australian football player who currently is playing for Real Mataram.-Club career:...
(Soccer Player) - Nick CarleNick CarleNicholas Alberto "Nick" Carle is an Australian football player who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Sydney FC.- Club career :...
(Soccer Player) - ReinaldoReinaldo Elias da CostaReinaldo Elias da Costa , commonly known in Brazil as Reinaldo Mineiro, is a Brazilian Australian football player who currently plays for Al-Ahli Dohain the Qatar Stars League.-Club career:...
(Soccer Player) - Hector LombardHector LombardHector Lombard is a Cuban-Australian mixed martial artist. Lombard was a Judo Olympian competing at the Sydney 2000 Olympic games, and is a multiple time national champion and world finalist. After 2000, Lombard began pursuing a career in mixed martial arts...
(Mixed Martial ArtsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter) - Gabriel MendezGabriel MendezGabriel Mendez is a former Australian football player.An attacking midfielder, the much-travelled Mendez is a former player of Admira Wacker and Notts County in Europe and for Malaysian side Kedah FA. He is also a former Australia national football team player from 1994-2000.- External links :*...
(Soccer Player) - Heritier O'BrienHeritier O'BrienHeritier "Harry" O'Brien is a professional Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.He was born to a Brazilian mother and a Congolese father in Rio de Janeiro, and moved to Western Australia when he was 3 years old. However he was raised by his Australian stepfather and was 19...
(AFL Footballer) - Jose Romero (AFL Footballer)
- Dion ValleDion ValleDion Valle is a Chilean-Australian football player.Valle currently plays for Marconi Stallions in the NSWPL.-External references:*...
(Soccer Player) - Andy VargasAndy VargasAndy Vargas is an Australian football midfielder who plays for Green Gully. He is the brother of Melbourne Victory defender Rodrigo Vargas.-Club career:...
(Soccer Player) - Rodrigo VargasRodrigo VargasRodrigo Alejandro "Roddy" Vargas is a Australian football player. He currently plays as a central defender for the Australian A-League club Melbourne Victory.-Club career:...
(Soccer Player)
See also
- Demography of Australia
- Chilean AustralianChilean AustralianChilean Australians are Australians of Chilean descent or Chileans who have obtained Australian citizenship. In Australia, Chilean Australians are the biggest group of Latin American origin residing in the nation. The biggest Chilean Australian communities are primarily found in Sydney and Melbourne...
- Salvadoran AustraliansSalvadoran AustraliansSalvadoran Australian is an Australian who has Salvadoran ancestry.The entry of Salvadorans in Australia is caused by both economic and political problems. The largest immigration happened when people left El Salvador as refugees who turned from Salvadoran Civil War in 1980s and helped by...
- Argentine AustralianArgentine AustralianArgentine Australians are citizens of Australia with ancestry originating from the South American nation of Argentina.According to the 2006 Australian census 11,369 Australians were born in Argentina while 8,957 claimed Argentine ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry.There was little...
- Uruguayan AustralianUruguayan AustralianA Uruguayan Australian is any person of Uruguayan ancestry or birth who is a citizen or resident of Australia.According to the 2006 Australian census, 9,376 Australians were born in Uruguay while 6,485 claimed Uruguayan ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry.- References :...
- Colombian AustralianColombian AustralianColombian Australians are citizens of Australia who trace their nationality or heritage from the South American nation of Colombia.-Causes of migration:...
- Peruvian AustralianPeruvian AustralianPeruvian Australian is an Australian with ancestry from Peru.-History:Peruvians settled Australia as refugees escaping the earthquake in the 1960s and the dictatorial government of Juan Velasco Alvarado in the 1970s. The second wave of Peruvians left during the Alan García regime that led Peru to...
- Latin American Briton
- Brazilian AustralianBrazilian AustralianBrazilian Australian is an Australian person who is from or has ancestral ties to Brazil.According to the 2006 Australian census, 6,647 Australians were born in Brazil while 7,491 claimed Brazilian ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry...
- Latin American Canadian
- Latin AmericansLatin AmericansLatin Americans are the citizens of the Latin American countries and dependencies. Latin American countries are multi-ethnic, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds. As a result, some Latin Americans don't take their nationality as an ethnicity, but identify themselves with...
- Hispanic and Latino AmericansHispanic and Latino AmericansHispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...