The Chilean People 45notice that the same surnames
keep popping up in association
with business, politics, etc. Many
people who share these names
are close or distant relatives
and these familial ties are
very important. Upon meeting
someone, a Chilean can form
an immediate, if not always
100 per cent correct, opinion
based upon the surname.
Some of the most recognisable
families are Edwards, Matta,
Lyon, Santa María, Matte,
Aguirre, Undurraga, Errázuriz
and Larraín. Surnames with
a double ‘r’, such as the final four names, are Basque
names and Chileans refer to them as apellidos vinosos
(the wine surnames) because, among other things, these
families owned the vineyards.
Chileans with a name and money (or just the ability to
meet well placed people) maintain their advantage through
pitutos. Pitutos are family members, friends and social and
political connections who are called upon for favours. Average
work is quickly rewarded. Those without the benefit of a
‘good’ surname or the appropriate credentials must often
work twice as hard to move ahead.
While middle-class and lower-class Chileans may complain
about the way things work and how impossible it is to get
ahead without pitutos, they must look to themselves as well
for continuing the practice. For example, take a quick look
at the names of politicians and you’ll find the same names
that have been in politics for generations. While family
connections no doubt help a politician rise through the
ranks, once his or her name is on the ballot, it is the average
Chilean who votes them into office over an ‘unknown’. This
is not to say that these people are not capable, many serve
their constituents well, but rather to point out that name
recognition makes life in Chile much easier because of the
Surnames
In most Spanish-speaking
cultures, each person has two
surnames (apellidos), the first
being that of the father and the
second that of the mother (who
does not change her name
when she marries). This allows
the public to know both families
from which the person hails.
For convenience, people may
sometimes use only their first
surname, but both are legal and
are used in all formal occasions.
Some Chileans that we met had
trouble understanding why we
only had one last name. They
couldn’t believe that our mother’s
surname could be so easily
discarded.