Basque Chileans

Many Basques arrived in Chile in the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th century from their homeland in northern Spain (see Basque Provinces) and parts of southwestern France, as conquistadors, soldiers, sailors, merchants, priests and labourers. Due to their traditional hard work and entrepreneurship, many of them rose to the top of the social scale and intermarried into the Chilean elites of Castilian descent, giving birth to the new Basque-Chilean aristocracy in Chile. This union is the basis of the Chilean elite of today. But also, they immensely contributed to the ethnic make up of the bulk of the Chilean population. The Basque settlers also intermarried into the Mestizo and Castizo population of central Chile in the middle of the colonial period to form the large Criollo population that exists in Chile today; Castizos create modern middle and lower classes. Many years after the first waves of settlers, thousands of Basque refugees fleeing Spanish Civil War in 1939 also settled and have many descendants in the country and have even intermarried with Spanish ethnic groups other than Castilians, and other European ethnic groups. An estimated 1.6 million (10%) to 5 million (30%) Chileans have a surname (one or both) of Basque origin. This figure is to the least as the number of Basque descendence is great and plentiful.…

Many Basques arrived in Chile in the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th century from their homeland in northern Spain (see Basque Provinces) and parts of southwestern France, as conquistadors, soldiers, sailors, merchants, priests and labourers. Due to their traditional hard work and entrepreneurship, many of them rose to the top of the social scale and intermarried into the Chilean elites of Castilian descent, giving birth to the new Basque-Chilean aristocracy in Chile. This union is the basis of the Chilean elite of today. But also, they immensely contributed to the ethnic make up of the bulk of the Chilean population. The Basque settlers also intermarried into the Mestizo and Castizo population of central Chile in the middle of the colonial period to form the large Criollo population that exists in Chile today; Castizos create modern middle and lower classes. Many years after the first waves of settlers, thousands of Basque refugees fleeing Spanish Civil War in 1939 also settled and have many descendants in the country and have even intermarried with Spanish ethnic groups other than Castilians, and other European ethnic groups. An estimated 1.6 million (10%) to 5 million (30%) Chileans have a surname (one or both) of Basque origin. This figure is to the least as the number of Basque descendence is great and plentiful. Due to Basque migration, Chile has a higher number of people of Basque descent than the Basque Country itself. Miguel de Unamuno once said: "There are at least two things that clearly can be attributed to the Basques: the Society of Jesus and the Republic of Chile."

Notable Basque-Chileans

A list of well known Chileans of Basque descendence is too great to name but the following shows a short list of some. Pedro Aguirre Cerda, President of Chile (1938–1941) Isabel Allende, writer Salvador Allende, President of Chile (1970–1973) Maricarmen Arrigorriaga, actress José Manuel Balmaceda, President of Chile (1886–1891) Pedro Pascal, actor Manuel Baquedano, Commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army during the War of the Pacific Juan Guzman Cruchaga (1895–1979) was a Chilean poet and diplomat. He won the Chilean National Prize for Literature in 1962 Alberto Blest Gana, writer and diplomat Felipe Camiroaga, actor and TV host Javiera Carrera, patriot José Miguel Carrera, Army general, President of the Government Junta and hero of the War of Chilean Independence Federico Errázuriz Zañartu, President of Chile (1871–1876) Domingo Eyzaguirre, politician Lucho Gatica, Bolero singer, actor and television host of Chilean Basque descent Alejandro Gorostiaga, Army officer Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, Jesuit priest and saint Marta Larraechea, former First Lady of Chile (1994–2000) Alberto Larraguibel, Army officer and equestrian Fernando Larraín, actor Hernán Larraín, politician María Eugenia Larraín, model Roberto Matta Echaurren, painter Pablo Neruda, poet and Nobel laureate Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, Army general, Supreme Director and hero of the War of Chilean Independence Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, Army General and military dictator (1973–1990) Sebastián Piñera Echenique, President of Chile (2010–2014, 2018–2022) Manuel Rodríguez Erdoíza, guerrilla fighter and hero of the War of Chilean Independence Fernando Solabarrieta, journalist and sports commentator Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna, politician, historian and writer Paz Yrarrázaval, actress Adolfo Zaldívar, politician Andrés Zaldívar, politician Aníbal Zañartu, politician

Notable Basque-Chilean families

Allende family Balmaceda family Carrera family Larraín family Vergara family

See also

Italian Chilean British Chilean German Chilean

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1377939678 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.