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0 Written by Guadalupe Vial Ulloa
October is a month full of exciting events. With Thanksgiving and Halloween inching closer and closer each day, there is much to look forward to. Yet it isn’t only that; there is also Latin American Heritage Month. This designation was established six years ago, in 2018. It is a time to celebrate and recognize Canada’s countless Latin communities and cultures and learn. It is an opportunity to explore who Latin American Canadians were, who they are today, and what their history is in this country. So, I will try my best to summarize the complex start of Latin Americans’ history in Canada.
In 1985, Sociologist Fernando Mata first wrote and recognized four major waves of immigration from Latin America to Canada. Later, in 2021, he added a final wave at the time of publication, separating this phenomenon into five concise stages.
He first distinguishes the “Eurolatino” or “Lead Wave,” which came as early as the mid-50s and was mainly composed of Argentinians and Brazilians. At this time, it encompassed less than 3,000 people in total, most of whom were partly ethnically European, and their families had settled in Latin America through the World Wars (Mata 2021).
Second comes the “Andean Wave,” which was mainly composed of Ecuadoreans yet was also constituted by Colombians and Peruvians. This wave is primarily attributed to Canada’s 1973 establishment of Amnesty, permitting the legalization of those who were illegal immigrants in the country before 1972 (Mata, 2021.)
Third is the “Coup Wave,” which was attributed to Chile’s 1973 coup and the following decade-long dictatorship. Thanks to the previous stating of Amnesty, nearly 13.000 Chileans were allowed into the country as refugees (Mata, 2021.)
Fourth is “The Central American Wave,” that, much like the Coup wave, was attributed to the political turmoil and civil wars in Central American countries between 1983 and 1995. This was composed of Salvadoreans, Guatemalans, Nicaraguans and Hondurans who entered the country as refugees, with a prioritization for those who were less likely to be repatriated (Mata, 2021).
Fifth and last, according to Mata’s paper and research, is the “Technological-Professional Wave,” this wave is by far the largest and most diverse group as it encompasses both STEM workers and people of lower educational profiles who entered as refugees, visitors, temporary workers or students and then regularized their status. This wave, which is between 1995 and 2012, also has the most diverse sets of reasons for their immigration and is mostly, yet not solely, composed of Colombians, Mexicans, Brazilians, Cubans and Venezuelans who left their country because of health crises, economic instabilities and rising social conflicts (Mata, 2021.)
This was only the start of the Latin American Canadian community, and it continues to grow daily. Currently, at least 580,240 Latin Americans are studying, working or living in the country – although this number is highly disputed (Statistics Canada, 2021.) Many more Latin cultures and nationalities exist within the country. Yet it is essential to recognize those who came before, created a new path in this new country and set the foundation for Latin communities to thrive in this land. So I repeat, use October as a time to celebrate, recognize and learn about Latin American history, cultures and identities for:
“Canadians of Latin American origin in Canada enrich communities across the country with their vibrant cultures, cuisine, music, and traditions. Their significant contributions to every facet of Canadian society—from business to innovation, academics, arts, science, and more—have also made our country more resilient.” (Minister of Diversity Kamal Khera, 2023)
Works Cited
Government of Canada. 2018. “Consolidated Federal Laws of Canada, Latin American Heritage Month Act.” Justice Laws Website. Retrieved September 26, 2024 (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/L-6.4/FullText.html).
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. 2024. “2021 Census of Population – Profile of Interest: Visible Minority – Geography: Canada.” Statistics Canada. Retrieved September 26, 2024 (https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/sip/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&PoiId=9&Dguid=2021A000011124).
Heritage, Canadian. 2023. “Statement by Minister Khera on Latin American Heritage Month.” Retrieved September 26, 2024 (https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2023/09/statement-by-minister-khera-on-latin-american-heritage-month.html).
Mata, F. G. (1985). Latin American Immigration to Canada: Some Reflections on the Immigration Statistics. Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies / Revue Canadienne Des Études Latino-Américaines et Caraïbes, 10(20), 27–42. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41799574
Mata, Fernando. 2021. The Immigrant Waves from Latin America to Canada: A Look at Immigration and Census Statistics.
