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Latin American Canadians

Latin American Canadians (French: Canadiens d'Amérique latine; Portuguese: Canadenses da América Latina; Spanish: Canadienses de América Latina) are Canadians who are descendants of people from countries of Latin America.

The majority of Latin American Canadians are multilingual, primarily speaking Spanish, Portuguese, French and English. Most are fluent in one or both of Canada's two official languages, English and French. Spanish and Portuguese are Romance languages and share similarities in morphology and syntax with French.

Latin American Canadians
Total population
Est. 1.2 million
(all, 2023 Census estimates)
3.3% of Canadian population
Regions with significant populations
Toronto and Leamington • Brampton• Montreal and Longueuil, Quebec • increasing populations in Ottawa–Gatineau, Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Calgary and Edmonton
Languages
Canadian English, Canadian French, Spanish, Portuguese, Spanglish, Frespañol, Porglish
Religion
Predominantly Christianity (Roman Catholicism; minority Protestantism)
Related ethnic groups
Latin Americans, Hispanic and Latino Americans, Spanish Canadians, Portuguese Canadians, Native Americans

Latin American Canadians have made distinguished contributions to Canada in all major fields, including politics, the military, diplomacy, music, philosophy, sports, business and economy, and science.

The largest Latin American groups represented in Canada are Mexican Canadians, Colombian Canadians and Salvadoran Canadians. The Latino population is mostly concentrated in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. Ontario holds the largest Latin American population with Toronto having the largest concentration (including the suburbs of Mississauga and Brampton), as well as other cities such as London, Leamington, Ottawa and Kitchener-Waterloo. Quebec has the second-largest Latin American population with Montreal having the largest concentration.

Latin American Canadians make up one of the major groups designated as a visible minority according to Statistics Canada.

Over 1 million (3% of Canadians) are of Latin American or Hispanic descent, according to 2023 Statistics Canada data estimates.

History

The majority of Latin American Canadians are recent immigrants who arrived in the late 20th century from Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Peru with smaller communities from Chile, Venezuela, Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, and elsewhere, with nearly all Latin American countries represented. Reasons for immigrating include Canada's better economic opportunities and politics or civil war and political repression in their native countries, as in the case of Cubans fleeing from the Fidel Castro revolution, Chileans escaping from Augusto Pinochet's rule, Salvadorans fleeing from the Salvadoran Civil War, Peruvians escaping from the Internal conflict in Peru, Dominicans opposed to the regimes of Rafael Trujillo and Joaquin Balaguer, Mexicans escaping from the Mexican Drug War, Colombians from the violence in their country and Venezuelans opposed to the rule of the Socialist Unity Party.[citation needed]

Demographics

As of the 2021 Canadian Census, the largest Latin American communities are in the census metropolitan areas of Toronto (396,459; 3.5%), Montreal (287,856; 3.2%), Vancouver (151,500; 2.0%), Calgary (134,395; 2.3%), Edmonton (121,960; 1.6%), Ottawa (90,620; 1.4%), and Hamilton (30,605; 1.9%). The fastest growing are in the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia.

Latin American population of Canada by census year

Census Latin American population Change from previous census Total Canadian population Change from previous census Latin American population (%)
1996 176,970 N/A 28,528,125 N/A 0.6%
2001 216,980 22.6% 29,639,030 3.9% 0.7%
2006 304,245 40.2% 31,241,030 5.4% 1%
2011 381,280 25.3% 32,852,325 5.2% 1.2%
2016 447,325 17.3% 34,460,065 4.9% 1.3%

Latin American Canadian population in Canada by province or territory according to the Census

Province 2001 2011 2016 2021
Number % Number % Number % Number %
Latin American Canadians  Ontario 106,835 0.9% 172,560 1.4% 195,950 1.5% 249,190 1.8%
Latin American Canadians  Québec 59,520 0.8% 116,380 1.5% 133,920 1.7% 172,925 2.0%
Latin American Canadians  Alberta 18,745 0.6% 41,305 1.2% 55,090 1.4% 66,520 1.6%
Latin American Canadians  British Columbia 23,885 0.6% 35,465 0.8% 44,115 1.0% 65,970 1.3%
Latin American Canadians  Manitoba 4,775 0.4% 9,140 0.8% 9,895 0.8% 12,835 1.0%
Latin American Canadians  Saskatchewan 2,010 0.2% 3,255 0.3% 4,195 0.4% 5,680 0.5%
Latin American Canadians  Nova Scotia 520 0.0% 1,360 0.2% 1,685 0.2% 2,915 0.3%
Latin American Canadians  New Brunswick 425 0.0% 1,160 0.2% 1,285 0.2% 2,450 0.3%
Latin American Canadians  Prince Edward Island 75 0.1% 235 0.2% 255 0.2% 585 0.4%
Latin American Canadians  Newfoundland and Labrador 80 0.0% 185 0.0% 635 0.1% 755 0.2%
Latin American Canadians  Yukon 45 0.1% 105 0.3% 130 0.4% 235 0.6%
Latin American Canadians  Northwest Territories 60 0.2% 105 0.3% 135 0.3% 125 0.3%
Latin American Canadians  Nunavut 10 0.0% 30 0.1% 40 0.1% 60 0.2%
Latin American Canadians  Canada 216,980 0.8% 381,280 1.2% 447,325 1.3% 580,235 1.6%

Immigration

Latin Americans in Canada by country of origin (2016)
Region Number of immigrants Region's share of total Latin American immigrants to Canada As % of Canada's total immigrant population from all areas of the world
Latin American Canadians  Mexico 80,585 18.8% 1.1%
Latin American Canadians  Colombia 70,035 16.4% 0.9%
Latin American Canadians  El Salvador 48,075 11.2% 0.6%
Latin American Canadians  Peru 29,620 6.9% 0.4%
Latin American Canadians  Brazil 29,116 6.8% 0.4%
Latin American Canadians  Chile 26,705 6.2% 0.4%
Latin American Canadians  Venezuela 20,775 4.9% 0.3%
Latin American Canadians  Argentina 19,425 4.5% 0.3%
Latin American Canadians  Cuba 17,850 4.2% 0.2%
Latin American Canadians  Guatemala 17,270 4% 0.2%
Latin American Canadians  Ecuador 14,970 3.5% 0.2%
Latin American Canadians  Dominican Republic 10,605 2.5% 0.2%
Latin American Canadians  Nicaragua 9,865 2.3% 0.1%
Latin American Canadians  Honduras 7,785 1.8% 0.1%
Latin American Canadians  Paraguay 7,300 1.7% 0.1%
Latin American Canadians  Uruguay 6,535 1.5% 0.1%
Latin American Canadians  Bolivia 4,395 1% 0.1%
Latin American Canadians  Costa Rica 3,945 0.9% 0.1%
Latin American Canadians  Panama 2,620 0.6% 0%
Latin American Canadians  Puerto Rico 505 0.1% 0%
Total Latin American immigrant population 428,180 100% 5.5%
Total immigrant population 7,482,860 N/A 100%

List of Canadian census subdivisions with Latin American populations higher than the national average

Source: Canada 2021 Census
National average: 1.6%

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

Ontario

Quebec

List of notable Latin American Canadians

Music

Writers

Diplomacy / International Relations

  • Guillermo Rishchynski, was born to Canadian and Panamenian parents. Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations; Former Executive Director for Canada at the Inter-American Development Bank; former Canadian Ambassador Colombia, Brazil, Mexico; 2008 TLN 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadian.
  • Jose Herran-Lima, former Canadian Ambassador to Panama; former Director of Foreign Languages Centre at Foreign Affairs and International Trade
  • Lilly Nicholls, was born in Chile; Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh; former Canadian Ambassador to Panama; 2022 TLN 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadian.
  • Patricia Peña, of Spanish heritage; Assistant Deputy Minister for Partnerships for Innovation at Global Affairs Canada; former Canadian Ambassador to Chile; 2019 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadian.
  • Pierre Alarie, of Mexican Descent; former Canadian Ambassador to Mexico; former Vice president, business development and sales at the Canadian Commercial Corporation
  • Carlos Rojas-Arbulú, born in Peru; Canadian Counsellor and Senior Trade Commissioner to Chile; former Senior Departmental Advisor to the Minister of International Development & La Francophonie; 2023 TLN 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadian.
  • Andrea Auerbach Vieira, former chair education and cultural projects at Concid, Brazilian Visual Artist and Entrepreneur Founder Longevity Food Company; Artist for UNICEF 2015, Woman of the Year Ontario 2016, Woman of Excellence Delhi 2018, Women Economic Forum, Top75 Most Influential Immigrant by RBC 2016, Top 4% Most Influent user Twitter 2010, Top 1% Most Influent user Instagram 2018, Top 50 Food Blogger Canada 2019, Top 300 Luxury Markets Canada Blogger 2024, Best Latin Web Radio TV show in Canada 2021/2024, Bayer Foundation Women of Influence 2024, Global Recognition Award nomination 2024, Ernest Young Entrepreneur of the Year nomination 2024.
  • Lilly Nicholls, was born in Chile; Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh; former Canadian Ambassador to Panama; 2022 TLN 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadian.

Entertainment

Photography

Politics

Science and technology

Sport

Visual Art

Cultural adjustment

In 2002, 82% of those who reported Latin American origin said they had a strong sense of belonging to Canada. At the same time, 57% said that they had a strong sense of belonging to their ethnic or cultural group.[citation needed]

People with Latin American origins are also active in Canadian society. For example, 66% of Canadians of Latin American origin who were eligible to vote did so in the 2000 federal election.

See also

References

Tags:

Latin American Canadians HistoryLatin American Canadians DemographicsLatin American Canadians List of notable Latin American Canadians Cultural adjustmentLatin American Canadians

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