What is now Chile was part of the Spanish Empire from the 1500s till 1810, though they didn’t gain complete independence until 1818. Since many of the Spanish settlers in Chile were ethnically Basque, Chileans are usually a combination of Spaniards, Basques and the indigenous Mapuches.
Chileans have emigrated to other countries at various times. In the early 1800s, Chilean ranchers went to Mexico. Others went to Australia and the United States for mining opportunities. From the 1960s to the 1980s, people fled Chile for political reasons. Some returned to Chile, while others remained in various countries, such as the United States.
The first Chileans came to the U.S. in the 1850s gold rush, but most of them wound up in other parts of California than the gold mines. Others came to America as political refugees in the 1970s. When the political situation stabilized in Chile in the 1990s, others came for higher education and job opportunities. These people have less money than the earlier migrants. They usually live in cities in California, New York, or Florida.
Chileans get together to tell jokes and stories, and to play music and sing. This is called a peña.
Chilean wedding practices involve both a civil and a church wedding ceremony. They don’t have a wedding party and the groom doesn’t wear a tuxedo unless it’s a high society wedding. They have a sit down mean for the reception.
Those with a good education get professional jobs, while those without education have to settle for babysitting, construction, or maintenance.
Chileans are only about one percent of the Latinos in the United States, so they often get lumped in with the more numerous Mexicans, Central Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans. Typically, they integrate well, though some stay with other Spanish-speaking people.
Like most Latin Americans, Chileans are usually Roman Catholic, but many are Evangelical. They are more likely to join existing churches than to plant their own. They can become a great mission force no matter where they live.
Christians, be they Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant, need the Holy Spirit to awaken their hearts to the centrality of Jesus Christ. They need a close relationship with the Lord of lords.
Pray for revival in Chilean churches, be they Roman Catholic or Protestant.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to draw them closer to Christ.
Pray for them to become a mission force with the lost in the United States.
Pray for Chileans to support workers around the world faithfully.
Scripture Prayers for the Chilean in United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chileans#Emigration_of_Chileans
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Chile
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_Americans
https://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Chilean-Americans.html
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
