Immigration Along with the
British,
Americans came to Chile to develop the country's economy and trade from the early 19th century onwards. Even though very few compared to the
British, they did contribute to Chile's wealth and economic development well into the 20th century. Other
English speaking immigrants included
Irish,
New Zealanders and
Australians.
Valparaíso was on the route from Britain to California, which the United States won from Mexico in 1845. That same port was even the scene of one of the battles of the
Anglo-American War of 1812. In 1818, the periodical
El Argos de Chile published a sketch of a North American, critical of American materialism. One American who was in Chile was Wheelwright, who introduced the railway in Chile and nearby
Peru in the 1850s. In the
California Gold Rush, a massive influx of Chilean miners went to California and many had returned to Chile wealthier than before. To Chileans, Americans, almost all of
British ancestry at the time, were so similar to the British that they were both lumped together as
gringos, a term still used for Americans. Nowadays, most Chileans are much familiar with American culture than British culture, due to Hollywood and popular music. From the United States of America (esp. the state of
Utah),
Mormons from
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints introduced Mormonism into Chile and today, 700,000 (565,000 regular or active) members out of Chile's 18.5 million people are Mormon—4 percent of the population—and there's a
temple in Chile while a second one was announced for
Concepcion.
See The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chile.
Contributions Americo-Chileans played a role in international diplomacy between the two countries (see
United States-Chile relations). The relationship turned tense during the
Salvador Allende era (1970–73), in which the American
CIA-backed bloody
coup replaced him with general
Augusto Pinochet to head a right-wing military regime (1973–89). Also the American Chilean community were instrumental in reformation of the
economy of Chile since the
Chicago Boys experiment in American business schools from the late 1950s to early 1990s known as
El Milagro Económico (the economic miracle) or
Miracle of Chile. Historically, some Chilean immigrants to the United States (see
Chilean Americans) originated from the
Central Valley of Chile from the
San Antonio, Chile and
Los Angeles, Chile areas, usually to
California during the gold rush era (1846–54). Many Chileans prospered there and some were established enough to return home with their new wealth. On August 16, 1906
a major earthquake struck Valparaíso with great devastation and thousands of deaths. Chilean doctor Carlos Van Buren, of American descent, was involved in medical care of earthquake victims. He later established a modern hospital Carlos Van Buren Hospital in 1912. American and European medical staffers improved medical care in Chile. Military experts from the United States and
Great Britain when the
British Empire peaked in the turn of the 20th century, and pre-1914
Prussia (now
Germany) developed and modernized the Chilean armed forces (the army, national police, navy and air force). == Demography ==