Greeks in Chile
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Total population |
|---|
| 90,000-120,000 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Antofagasta, Valparaiso, La Serena, Coquimbo, Santiago de Chile. |
| Languages |
| Religion |
| Related ethnic groups |
The Greek community in Chile are estimated to number from 90,000 to 120,000[1] and reside either in the Santiago area or in the Antofagasta area, mostly. Chile is one of the 5 countries with the most descendants of Greeks in the world.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Immigration
The Greek community has great importance in Chile. The first immigrants arrived during the sixteenth century from Crete, so named "Candia" in honor of the island's capital, the current Heraklion. The surname, although at present, is very disconnected from its ancient origins. The majority of Greek immigrants arrived in Chile at the beginning of century, some as part of their spirit of adventure and escape from the rigors of the World War and the catastrophe of Smyrna in Asia Minor, although many Greeks had already settled in Antofagasta, including crews of the ships commanded by Arturo Prat for the Pacific War (1879-1883) in naval battle of Iquique (boatswain Constantine Micalvi). It is very likely that the good climate of the area has been a major attraction for immigrants Greeks.
Amid this flood of foreigners who populated northern Chilean appeared Greece. Was an numerous Collectivité Hellenic whose records were listed in two sources. One of these was the extensive collaboration that gave the Chilean press through its pages in the newspaper El Mercurio. The other end of the fire under the rubble of the first home that housed the proto-Hellenes of Chile.
According to El Mercurio of Antofagasta, between the years 1920 and 1935 there were about 4,000 Greeks in the city and other 3,000 in offices saltpeter.
In 1926 the first women's association for excellence, filóptoxos (friends of the poor) which was chaired by Xrisí Almallotis. Since then to date there have been about four or five generations of descendants of Greeks. Some have moved south and are grouped mainly in Santiago and Valparaíso. Others returned to the motherland after the first war but most of the immigrants stayed in their new country and founded numerous Greek-Chilean families.[3] The main member of this community the employer is Constantino Kochifas, owner of the ships Skorpios in Puerto Montt.
[edit] Antofagasta: a copy collectivité
From 1890 till now the Greek Community in Antofagasta still survives in its almost fifth generation although most of the original Greek families moved to Santiago and Valparaíso. There must be some 70 people in the present community of Antofagasta that were born in Greece and, of course, speak the language.
Antofagasta is a model community in Latin America. When the city of Antofagasta celebrates the town anniversary on the 14th of February, all the foreign communities present a stand. The Greek one is always one the best. Almost after a century, those young Greek descendants from a fourth or fifth generation still feel so Greek in a place so far away from their motherland, in the midst of the driest desert of the world. And Hellenism is still alive! Unbelievable!.[4]
[edit] Notable people
- Michelle Bachelet (of part-Greek ancestry)
- Alejandro Caloguera
- Juan Constantinidis
- Vasili Deliyanis
- Jorge Escopelito
- Manolis Hadjikonstantis
- Jacobos Farandatos
- Alexandros Jusakos
- Jorge Karamanos
- Constantino Kochifas
- Gloria Legisos
- Fotios Malleros
- Demetrio Marinakis
- Patricio Mekis
- Irma Moscopulos
- Hector Orfanoz
- Arístides Progulakis
- Jorge Stamatiu
- Manuel Tegancia
- Francisco Varela
- Leonor Varela
- Andres Varnavas
- Alex Zisis
- Alejandro Zorbas
- Marcel Psijas
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Bilateral relations between Greece and Chile
- Embassy of Greece in Chile
- Main Greek association in Chile
- Greek association of Antofagasta
- Greek association of Coquimbo
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