English Chilean

Infobox Ethnic group
group = flagicon|England English Chilean flagicon|Chile
"Anglochileno"


caption = Notable English Chileans: Juan Williams Rebolledo, Marmaduque Grove
poptime = Small minority
popplace = Antofagasta, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Santiago, Punta Arenas
langs = Chilean Spanish, English
rels = Roman Catholicism Anglicanism
related = English people, British Chilean

English Chileans are Chileans of English descent, the largest subcategory of British Chileans, also made up of Welsh, Scottish and Irish descendants in Chile. There are between 100,000 to 200,000 English Chileans, although more than half of all British Chileans (such as Irish Chilean, Scottish Chilean and Welsh Chilean) to report.

The English have been important in forming the Chilean nation. Since the Independence period, British commerce dominated in Chile making Valparaíso into one of the most important ports in the South Pacific. After the First World War, many of the English people left to fight for Britain and the rest, who have married into the local Chilean elite moved to Santiago. They automatically merged into the Chilean upper-middle class and the elite. This lead to Valparaiso's decline. The ancensores on Valparaiso's hill were built by the English.

There is a very strong English cultural presence in Chile. This spread outside the English Chilean community into wider society and is seen in first names and the custom of taking afternoon tea, which is called onces in Chile.

There are two sets of English first names in Chile, both of which are the norm. The first set are Victorian, such as Rosa, Ruby, Alfredo, Eduardo, and the second, more modern such as Daisy, Jennifer, Nelly and Patty.

It is interesting that in Chile, the words England and English are used to refer to the UK; for example, the 'Union Jack' would be referred to as the English flag. However, this might change amongst teenage boys as they see that Inglaterra is represented by the St. George's Cross in international football. The term Britain or Gran Bretaña is hardly used.