196.117.2.12 at 09:52, 1 July 2025

2025-07-01T09:52:48Z

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{{short description|Arab immigrants living in Chile}}

{{Infobox ethnic group
|group = Arab Chileans
|image =
|caption =
|population =Over 900,000<ref>{{cite web|last1=S.A.|first1=Diario La Nación - Comunicaciones Lanet|title=Zalaquett pone a Chile como modelo de convivencia palestino-judía|url=http://www.lanacion.cl/zalaquett-pone-a-chile-como-modelo-de-convivencia-palestino-judia/noticias/2009-10-16/160813.html|website=La Nación|access-date=2016-11-08|archive-date=2017-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102163642/http://www.lanacion.cl/zalaquett-pone-a-chile-como-modelo-de-convivencia-palestino-judia/noticias/2009-10-16/160813.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Arabs In The Andes? Chile, The Unlikely Long-Term Home Of A Large Palestinian Community|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/arabs-andes-chile-unlikely-long-term-home-large-palestinian-community-1449718|website=International Business Times|date=31 October 2013}}</ref>
|popplace = [[Valparaíso]], [[La Serena, Chile|La Serena]], [[Santiago]]
|langs = [[Chilean Spanish]], [[Arabic]]
|rels = Majority [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodoxy]]{{·}}[[Catholic Church|Catholicism]],<br/> with Minority [[Sunni Islam]] and [[Shia Islam]]
|related = [[Palestinians]], [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]], [[Syrians]]
}}

'''Arab Chileans''' ({{Langx|es|Árabes Chilenos}}; {{Langx|ar|العرب في تشيلي}}) are Chileans from predominantly Arab ancestry. People from the [[Arab world]] arrived in [[Chile]] as early as the mid-19th century. Historically, the Arabs of Chile were called [[Turkish people|Turks]], [[Moors]], [[Syrian people|Syrians]], [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]], or [[Palestinians]].<ref>''So far from Allah, so close to Mexico: Middle Eastern immigrants in modern Mexico'', Theresa Alfaro-Velcamp, University of Texas Press, 2007, p. 14.</ref>

It is estimated that 900,000 Chileans are chiefly descendants of immigrants from the Middle East (i.e., [[Palestinians]], [[Syrians]], [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]], and Middle East [[Armenians]]).<ref name="Arab Chileans">[http://www.blog-v.com/arabesenchile/ Arab Chileans.]</ref> Roughly 600,000 of these are [[Palestinian community in Chile|Palestinian descendants]].<ref>[http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/CultureAndMedia/?id=1.0.2050534508 Chile: Palestinian refugees arrive to warm welcome.]</ref><ref>[http://laventana.casa.cult.cu/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=514 600,000 descendientes de primera y segunda generación de palestinos en Chile.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513104200/http://laventana.casa.cult.cu/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=514 |date=2011-05-13 }}</ref> It is one of the largest [[Palestinians|Palestinian]] communities outside of the [[Arab world]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/misc/newsid_6270000/6270640.stm Un chileno "da la pelea por Palestina."]
</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Los palestinos miran con esperanza su futuro en Chile sin olvidar Gaza e Irak |date=2009-02-11 |url=http://ecodiario.eleconomista.es/sociedad/noticias/1028142/02/09/Los-palestinos-miran-con-esperanza-su-futuro-en-Chile-sin-olvidar-Gaza-e-Irak.html |periodical=El Economista |access-date=2009-07-29}}</ref> Many of them are descendants from Christian immigrants from several places in the [[Levant]].<ref>[http://www.blog-v.com/arabesenchile/ Arab.]</ref> The earliest such migrants came in the 1850s, with others arriving during World War I and after the [[1948 Arab–Israeli War]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Milestones: 1945–1952 - Office of the Historian |url=https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/arab-israeli-war |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=history.state.gov}}</ref> In April 2008, Chile took 117 Palestinian refugees from the [[Al-Waleed (camp)|Al-Waleed refugee camp]].<ref>{{citation |last=Henríquez |first=Andrea |title=Chile recibirá a refugiados palestinos |date=2008-03-31 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/international/newsid_7305000/7305722.stm |periodical=BBC World |access-date=2009-07-29}}</ref>

Arab Chileans have been an influential group in Chilean society since the first half of the twentieth century. Starting in textile industry and trade, in the last quarter of the 20th century they formed holdings with important investments in finance, pension funds, insurance, real estate, retail and sports.

The community has established important institutions. The ''Club Palestino'' stands out as one of the most prestigious social clubs in Santiago.<ref>{{citation|periodical=Américas |last=Holston |first=Mark |date=2005-11-01 |access-date=2009-07-29 |url=http://www.articlearchives.com/south-america/chile-santiago-chile/914068-1.html |issn=0379-0975 |title=Orgullosos palestinos de Chile |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505135845/http://www.articlearchives.com/south-america/chile-santiago-chile/914068-1.html |archive-date=2012-05-05 }}</ref> The [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Christian Orthodox]] built the ''Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Santiago and All Chile'' in [[Santiago]] in 1917. It is a cathedral of the [[Church of Antioch]] with six parishes.{{cn|date=July 2023}}

== History ==
The population census of 1895 was the first to register the presence of Arabs in Chile. Earlier records, in 1854 and 1885, identify [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] subjects, who may have been Lebanese, Palestinian, or Syrian, which were all subjects of the Ottoman Empire at the time. They were mostly Christians who left the Arab world for religious, political and economic motives.

Christians were [[Persecution of Christians#Ottoman Empire|persecuted in the Ottoman Empire]] during the 19th century. [[Arab Christians]] are descendants of ancient Middle Eastern ethnic groups, among the first adopters of Christianity, along with other ethnic groups, including the [[Assyrian People|Assyrian]] minority in the [[Levant]] and [[Iraq]], Armenian refugees in the Levant, [[Maronites]] in [[Lebanon]], and [[Copts]] in [[Egypt]]. Ethnically Arab Chileans are often called "Turks" (Spanish: Turcos), a term derived from the fact that they arrived from the [[Ottoman Empire]].<ref>''Arab and Jewish immigrants in Latin America'': images and realities, by Ignacio Klich, Jeff Lesser, 1998, p. 165.</ref> Most arrived as members of the [[Eastern Orthodox]] church. Still, a minority adopted [[Roman Catholic|Catholicism]], and a minority of the immigrants were Muslim.<ref name="select.nytimes.com">In Santiago Society, No One Cares If Your Name Is Carey or de Yrarrazaval, By ENID NEMY
September 14, 1969, Sunday, [https://www.nytimes.com/1969/09/14/archives/in-santiago-society-no-one-cares-if-your-name-is-carey-or-de.html Arab and Jewish immigrants in Latin America.]</ref>

The majority of [[Palestinians]] arrived in the early 20th century, fleeing the Ottoman Empire for religious, political and economic reasons, and because of the outbreak of the First World War. Not only Christians fled the Ottoman Empire for religious motives, also Shiite Muslims did. They arrived on South America´s Atlantic coast and some continued the journey from [[Argentina]] to settle in [[Chile]] in the early 20th century.

On arrival in Chile, the Arabs found work primarily in the commercial sector. The Palestinian community, despite their cultural differences from Chilean society, managed to become part of the country's middle class, and some are among the wealthiest families of the country. At first, the [[Barrio Patronato|Patronato neighbourhood]] in Santiago and the city of [[La Calera, Chile|La Calera]] were the main locations where they lived and worked for many years. In recent times they have moved to various parts of [[Santiago]] such as [[Las Condes]], [[Providencia, Chile|Providencia]], [[Ñuñoa]], and [[Recoleta, Chile|Recoleta]].

Most Arab immigrants arrived in Chile between 1860 and 1900. It is estimated that around one million Arabs came to America during this period. Before 1918, they held Turkish passports. They left from ports such as [[Beirut]], [[Haifa]], and [[Alexandria]], and the journey was made via [[Genoa]] and [[Marseille]]. They settled mostly in Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela. It is estimated that there are 25 million people of Arab descent in Latin America.

By 1940, the ''Guía Social de la Colonia Arabe en Chile'' estimated the number of Arabs in Chile at 13,466.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guía social de la Colonia Arabe en Chile : (Siria, Palestina, Libanesa) - Memoria Chilena |url=http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-9760.html |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=Memoria Chilena: Portal |language=es}}</ref> 61% of the Arabs in Chile are people whose ancestors arrived between 1900 and 1930. Over 60% of Arabs who came to Chile were between 10 and 30 years old. In 1912, the ''Muerched'', the first Chilean newspaper written in Arabic, began publication. It is estimated that there were at least 12 similar publications during the 40 years of immigration.

Arab Chileans not only are influential in Chile but also in Palestina. For example, 7 players who were Chilean-born Palestinians played for the [[Palestine national football team]] during the Asian qualifiers for the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]].

==Economic influence in Chile==
Arab Chileans became very influential players in the Chilean economy in the 20th century. Two groups stand out:

=== Yarur family and Grupo Said ===
[[Juan Yarur Lolas]] emigrated from [[Bethlehem]] in 1894 and settled first in Bolivia. Together with Issa Zaid he started in 1926 a cotton manufacturing industry in La Paz.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-17 |title=El grupo Said: desde la industria textil a los negocios bancarios y los servicios |url=https://interferencia.cl/articulos/el-grupo-said-desde-la-industria-textil-los-negocios-bancarios-y-los-servicios |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=Interferencia |language=es}}</ref> In 1934 Yarur moved to Chile and a year later, together with his brothers Nicolás and Saba, founded ''Manufacturas Chilenas de Algodón, S.A.'', better known as Machasa, a company that became the largest manufacturer of cotton yarn and fabrics in Chile.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Machasa (1937) - Industria - |url=http://lugaresdeciencia.cl/ejes/industria/machasa/ |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=Lugares de Ciencia}}</ref> In 1937 Yarur founded [[Banco de Crédito e Inversiones]], which became one of the largest banks in Chile. It is the fourth financial institution in Chile, with 11% of loans and returns on equity of 24%, and among the 20 largest banks in Latin America. In 2003 BCI acquired ''Banco Conosur'' at about U.S. $100 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BNamericas - BCI compra Banco Conosur por US$99,9mn |url=https://www.bnamericas.com/es/noticias/BCI_compra_Banco_Conosur_por_US*99,9mn |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=BNamericas.com |language=es}}</ref>

Yarur had three sons: Carlos, [[Jorge Yarur Banna|Jorge]] and [[Amador Yarur Banna|Amador]]. Jorge Yarur Banna eventually took over the management of ''Machasa'' and BCI after his father died. His partners were descendants from Issa Said, who had been partner of his father in Bolivia, and his six children, among them Salvador, the father of [[José Said|José Said Saffie]], founder of the [[Parque Arauco S.A.|Parque Arauco]] shopping mall-amusement park and BHIF.

José Said Saffie multiplied the family fortune and created Grupo Said. He became one of the wealthiest persons in Chile and Latin America, as owner of 21% of Parque Arauco, 16% BHIF Bank-[[BBVA Chile]], which concentrates 7% of loans, 25% of Andina Bottling, 30% of Factorline, factoring the fourth largest in the country, 48% of Edelpa, the largest flexible packaging and 50% of Clínica Reñaca. Parque Arauco owned 27% of [[Alto Palermo]], a company that manages shopping centers in Argentina, including [[Patio Bullrich]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Financiero |first=Diario |title=IRSA compra a Parque Arauco participación en Alto Palermo {{!}} Diario Financiero |url=https://www.df.cl/empresas/irsa-compra-a-parque-arauco-participacion-en-alto-palermo |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=www.df.cl |language=es}}</ref>

Apart from the groups spearheading the cousins José Said Saffie, Jaime Said Demaria and their uncle, Domingo Said Kattan, there is another branch that descends from the businessman born in [[Bethlehem]] Issa Said Sahuire: that of Antonio Said Kattan, brother of Domingo.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-25 |title=Bufete Claro y Cía. ayudó a familia Said Kattán a trasladar sociedades a Delaware para eludir impuesto a la herencia |url=https://interferencia.cl/articulos/bufete-claro-y-cia-ayudo-familia-said-kattan-trasladar-sociedades-delaware-para-eludir |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=Interferencia |language=es}}</ref> This is the only branch still active in the textile sector, as Fibratex Textiles Manufacturing.

=== CorpGroup Banking (CGB) ===
In 1986, a group of businessmen who called themselves the Ten Mosques, acquired Banco Osorio y La Unión, conscious that the textile industry was in decline. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Arellano (CIPER) |first=Alberto |date=2021-11-25 |title=Pandora Papers: los vínculos cruzados de Muchnick, Saieh, Selume y Abumohor y sus nexos con Islas Vírgenes Británicas |url=https://www.ciperchile.cl/2021/11/25/pandora-papers-los-vinculos-cruzados-de-muchnick-saieh-selume-y-abumohor-y-sus-nexos-con-islas-virgenes-britanicas/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=CIPER Chile |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-05 |title=El grupo de Álvaro Saieh y Carlos Abumohor: La banca, medios de comunicación y el fútbol |url=https://interferencia.cl/articulos/el-grupo-de-alvaro-saieh-y-carlos-abumohor-la-banca-medios-de-comunicacion-y-el-futbol |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=Interferencia |language=es}}</ref> They were [[Carlos Abumohor]], Espir Aguad, Alejandro Kauak, Munir Khamis, Selum Jorge Fernando Abuhadba, Odde Rishmague with Salomón and Domingo Díaz and [[Álvaro Saieh]] with Juan Rafael Gutiérrez (the only non-Arab).<ref>{{Cite web |title=EyN: Las "Diez Mezquitas" aumentan sus negocios y traspasan el manejo de las fortunas a sus hijos |url=http://www.economiaynegocios.cl/noticias/noticias.asp?id=26112 |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=www.economiaynegocios.cl}}</ref> They formed Arab Investment, a financial firm where the individual contribution was U.S. $1 million. Saieh was the manager. His holding, which came to be known as CorpGroup, reached a peak in the period 2010-2013, year in which CGB issued a ten-year US$ 500 million dollar bond. By 2021 the group faced serious challenges and Saieh filed for bankruptcy. <ref>{{Cite web |title=La ruta al despeñadero del Grupo Saieh: Así son la “cascada” y operaciones que lo tienen en bancarrota |url=https://www.eldesconcierto.cl/reportajes/2021/07/01/la-ruta-al-despenadero-del-grupo-saieh-asi-son-la-cascada-y-operaciones-que-lo-tienen-en-bancarrota.html |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=El Desconcierto - Prensa digital libre |language=es}}</ref>

The rise of the group began in 1988 when Banco Osorio y La Union took over ''Banco del Trabajo'', making it the third largest bank in Chile.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sbif.cl: Cronología - Banco del Trabajo. Disolución y fusión con Banco Osorno y La Unión. |url=http://sbif.cl/sbifweb/servlet/CronologiaBancaria?indice=8.9&Eventoid=7500000000000791 |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=sbif.cl}}</ref> In the early 1990s the "Ten Mosques" formed subgroups to start new businesses. First was the purchase of AFP [[Provida]], in 1993. This group later purchased [[Interbank|Interbanc]] in Peru. In 1995 was the holding Inversiones Financieras SA (Infisa) created, where Saieh kept 51% of the property.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1997-02-03 |title=Group Aims to Build Chain of Latin Banks |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/03/business/group-aims-to-build-chain-of-latin-banks.html |access-date=2022-09-17 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 1997, seeking to give a new image and profile, the Concepción was renamed Infisa Corpbanca and became the holding Corpgroup.

CorpGroup and the business ventures of the Ten Mosques in finance, real estate, pension funds, insurance, retail and sports were major forces in the Chilean economy around the turn of the 21st century.

==Chilean Arab organizations==

* Sports: [[Club Deportivo Palestino]], founded in 1920
* Sociedad de Beneficencia Juventud Homsiense, founded in 1913.
* Social Club Palestinian (1938), Bethlehem 2000 Palestinian Foundation-Chile (2001)
* Policy: Palestinian Federation of Chile and the General Union of Palestinian Students in Chile (UGEP-Chile)
* General Union of Palestinian Students in Chile (UGEP-Chile)
* AJPP (Youth Association for Palestine)
* United Syrian Club (Club Sirio Unido)
* Union Club Palestinian [[Valparaíso]] and [[Viña del Mar]]
* ''La décima'', Arab Chilean Fire Brigade<ref>{{Cite web |title=Decima |url=https://www.cbv1851.cl/decima |access-date=2022-09-25 |website=cbv1851 |language=es}}</ref>
* Ladies Syrian Palestinian Society.
* Arab Union Club [[La Calera, Chile|La Calera]]
* Palestine Bethlehem Foundation 2000
* Home of Syrian-Palestinian Children
* Palestinian Union Club de [[Talca]]
* Palestinian Union Club of [[San Fernando, Chile|San Fernando]]
* Arab Stadium Design
* JUPAC (Youth Palestinian Concepción)
* Palestinian Conception School
* Palestinian College of [[Viña del Mar]]

==Notable Arab Chileans==

*[[Rolando Chuaqui]], mathematician, spearheaded the creation and expansion of mathematics departments across multiple Chilean universities (of Syrian descent)
*[[Sergio Bitar]], former Minister of Education (of Syrian descent)
*[[Arturo Salah]], a Chilean former football player (of Palestinian descent)
*[[Aníbal Mosa]], entrepreneur and President of [[Colo-Colo|Blanco y Negro S.A]]. (of Syrian descent)
*[[Carlos Abumohor]], businessman and investor (Palestinian descent)
*[[Mario Hamuy]], Professor of Astronomy at the [[University of Chile]] (of Syrian descent)
*[[José Said]], businessman (of Palestinian descent)
*[[Sergio Valech]], Roman Catholic bishop (Syrian descent)
*[[Alia Trabucco Zerán]], writer (of Syrian and Palestinian descent)
*[[Mariana Derderián]], actress (Armenian Syrian descent)
*[[Miguel Littín]], movie director and screenwriter
*[[Álvaro Saieh]], businessman
*[[Daniel Jadue]], politician (of Palestinian descent)
*[[Roberto Bishara]], footballer (of Palestinian descent)
*[[Nicolás Massú]], tennis player (Palestinian descent from his father's side and Jewish on his mother's side)
*[[Fernando Solabarrieta|Fernando Solabarrieta Chelech]], journalist, TV host (Palestinian descent)
* [[Nayel Mehssatou]], Chilean footballer

==See also==
{{Portal|Chile}}
* [[Arab diaspora]]
* [[Immigration to Chile]]
* [[Palestinian community in Chile]]
* [[Lebanese Chileans]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.arabe.cl/ Comunidad árabe en Chile]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100414121322/http://www.ugep.cl/ Unión General de Estudiantes Palestinos de Chile]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111107203930/http://www.nuestro.cl/notas/rescate/patronato_palestinos1.htm Comerciante palestino en Patronato] An article from the Corporación del Patrimonio Cultural de Chile.

{{Arab diaspora}}
{{Palestinian diaspora}}
{{Lebanese diaspora}}
{{Syrian diaspora}}
{{Ethnic groups in Chile}}

[[Category:Arab diaspora in Chile| ]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Chile]]
[[Category:Chilean people of Arab descent| ]]
[[Category:Arab diaspora in South America]]

Arab Chileans - Revision history

196.117.2.12 at 09:52, 1 July 2025