Latin American Canadians

Canadians of Latin American descent From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

Ontario249,190
Quebec172,925
Alberta66,520
British Columbia65,970
Quick facts Total population, Regions with significant populations ...
Latin American Canadians
Canadiens d'Amérique latine (French)
Canadenses da América Latina (Portuguese)
Canadienses de América Latina (Spanish)
Latin American Canadians as percent of population by census division (2021)
Total population
Est. 580,235
1.6% of Canadian population
Regions with significant populations
Central-west Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton-Burlington, St. Catharines, Simcoe County, Southwestern Ontario • Greater Montreal, Sherbrooke, Quebec City Area • increasing populations in Ottawa–Gatineau, Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Greater Calgary and Edmonton
Ontario249,190
Quebec172,925
Alberta66,520
British Columbia65,970
Manitoba12,835
Languages
Canadian English, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish
Religion
Predominantly Christianity (Roman Catholicism; minority Protestantism)
Related ethnic groups
Latin Americans, Hispanic and Latino Americans, Spanish Canadians, Portuguese Canadians, Native Americans
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Venezuelan community in Bois de Boulogne, Quebec (taken in 2017)

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 and technology.

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 and Quebec. 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. However, the census acknowledges the fact that Latin Americans can be white, as is the case of many Latin Americans in Canada, since Latin Americans are not a homogenous race and can have their origins in European, African, Indigenous, Asian people, or any mix of those groups.[1]

Over 580 thousand (1.6% of Canadians) are of Latin American or Hispanic descent, according to 2021 Canadian Census.

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.[2] 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 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, and Colombians from the violence in their country.

Demographics

As of the 2021 Canadian Census, the largest Latin American communities are in the census metropolitan areas of Toronto (396,459; 3.5%),[3] Montreal (287,856; 3.2%),[4] Vancouver (151,500; 2.0%),[5] Calgary (134,395; 2.3%),[6] Edmonton (121,960; 1.6%),[7] Ottawa (90,620; 1.4%),[8] and Hamilton (30,605; 1.9%).[8] The fastest growing are in the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia.

Latin American population of Canada by census year

More information Census, Change from previous census ...
Census Latin American population Change from previous census Total Canadian population Change from previous census Latin American population (%)
1996[9] 176,970 N/A 28,528,125 N/A 0.6%
2001[10] 216,980 22.6% 29,639,030 3.9% 0.7%
2006[11] 304,245 40.2% 31,241,030 5.4% 1%
2011[12] 381,280 25.3% 32,852,325 5.2% 1.2%
2016 447,325 17.3% 34,460,065 4.9% 1.3%
2021 580,235 29.7% 36,991,981 7.3% 1.6%
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Latin American Canadian population in Canada by province or territory according to the Census

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

More information Region, Number of immigrants ...
Top 10 countries of origin for Latin American Canadians (2021)[13]
Region Number of immigrants Region's share of total Latin American immigrants to Canada
Colombia 71,205 19.1%
Mexico 57,820 15.5%
El Salvador 47,450 12.8%
Peru 26,295 7.1%
Chile 22,015 5.9%
Brazil 20,400 5.5%
Venezuela 18,855 5.1%
Guatemala 16,865 4.5%
Ecuador 14,615 3.9%
Cuba 10,855 2.9%
Others 122,785 28.7%
Total Latin American immigrant population 428,180 100%
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List of Canadian census subdivisions with Latin American populations higher than the national average

Source: Canada 2021 Census[14]
National average: 1.6%

Alberta

British Columbia

As of 2021 Census reports; the Latin American community increased in the late 2010s and early 2020s in BC, especially in New Westminster and Vancouver proper:

Manitoba

Ontario

Quebec

List of notable Latin American Canadians

Music

Writers

Diplomacy / International Relations

Entertainment

Photography

Politics

Science and technology

Sport

Visual Art

See also

References

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