42 CultureShock! Chile
to the newly established Chilean navy and as merchants.
In addition to their influence on the navy, they are credited
with the introduction of afternoon tea in Chile. A number
of influential families in Chile are of British descent. The
Edwards family is the most prominent (they own Chile’s
main daily, El Mercurio, and founded Banco Edwards, a
major bank). The Welsh travelled to Patagonia to herd sheep
and have remained, for the most part, in that desolate part
of the continent.Other Ethnic Groups
Croatian immigrants went to Punta Arenas and slowly
migrated north. A large group also lives in Antofagasta.
You will notice that a significant number of Chileans have
surnames that end with the trademark ‘ic’. Other ethnic
groups like the Basque, Italians, French and Palestinians
(mainly Christian) came in smaller numbers. Jews also
came to Chile, by way of Argentina. Even though they have
been influential in business, academia, the sciences and the
arts, in general, the community has remained quietly in the
background. A student on a study abroad programme said
that her host family was shocked when she told them halfway
through the year that she was Jewish. The family didn’t know
any Jews and assumed they all looked and behaved like
Orthodox Jews. There are a few groups of gypsies in Chile.
They generally live in segregated areas and are often the
subject of discrimination and contempt.
As the Chilean economy grows, Latin Americans from
poorer neighbouring countries are increasingly entering the
country (both legally and illegally) in search of work. Many
people hire Peruvian, or sometimes Bolivian maids who work
for less money than Chilean women. A significant number of
Argentineans flocked to Chile following the economic woes
in their country in the late 1990s/early 2000s.
Unlike other Latin American countries, Chile did not
import a significant number of slaves. The Chilean economy,
although basically a rural economy, did not depend upon
labour-intensive crops that encouraged the practice of slavery.
Therefore, there are no long-standing black communities