Colombian Australians
  | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Colombian 35,021 (by birth, 2021) 32,194 (by ancestry, 2021) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Australian English, Colombian Spanish | |
| Religion | |
| Predominately Roman Catholic | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Latin American Australians, Spaniards, Mestizos, Afro-Colombians, Colombian people |
Colombian Australians (Spanish: colomboaustralianos) are Australians who trace their nationality or heritage from the South American nation of Colombia. A rapidly growing migrant group, they form the largest Latin American-born population and the third-largest Latin American ancestry group (after Chileans and Brazilians) in Australia.
History
[edit]Immigrants from Colombia to Australia were first recorded in the census of 1911, which counted four people of Colombian origin.[1]
In the 1990s, a number of migrants from Latin American countries began arriving in Australia. These arrivals generally came to Australia on student visas, and were from the middle class.[2][3] The Colombian-born population of Australia increased from 2,113 at the 1991 census to 11,317 by 2011, an increase of more than 500 percent.[4] As of the 2011 census, the Colombian population was the fourth-largest Latin American population in Australia, behind Chile, Brazil, and Argentina.[4] Due to a low understanding of English and work restrictions of student visas, newly-arrived Colombian Australians tend to work in low-skilled jobs until they obtain greater qualifications, working in higher-skilled jobs once their understanding of English has improved, and applying for permanent residency in Australia if they meet the requirements.[2]
Demographics
[edit] |
As of the 2021 Australian census, 35,033 people in Australia reported being born in Colombia. Of these, a majority said they had arrived in the country between the years 2016 and 2021. About two-thirds were not Australian citizens, most followed the Catholic faith, and 80 percent stated they were bilingual in another language and spoke English well or very well.[5] Within the state of Victoria, the City of Melbourne was the local government area with the highest Colombian-born population as of the 2016 census.[6]
At the 2011 census, 10,193 people answered that they had Colombian ancestry.[7]
Cuisine
[edit]As a result of the increasing Colombian population in Australia, more Colombian restaurants in the country have opened. El Dorado in the central business district of Melbourne was one of the country's first Colombian restaurants, opening in 2004. According to Paula Gomez, owner of the La Colombianita restaurant in South Melbourne, most Colombians in Victoria live in and around the Melbourne suburbs of Southbank and South Melbourne.[8]
The dishes bandeja paisa and ajiaco soup are a staple of Colombian cuisine in Australia, with ingredients such as papas criollas imported frozen from Colombia to Australia.[8]
Notable people
[edit] |
- Adam Garcia, actor
- Amyl, drag queen
- Kat Hoyos, actress
- María Fernanda Cardoso, artist
- Gustavo Giron Marulanda, footballer
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ↑ Fierro Hernandez & Sonn 2019, p. 65.
- 1 2 Nieves-Cortés, Kath & Mejía 2022, p. 185.
- ↑ Urribarri et al. 2016, p. 23.
- 1 2 Urribarri et al. 2016, p. 26.
- ↑ "People in Australia who were born in Colombia". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 15 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ Victorian State Government 2018, pp. 13.
- ↑ "The Colombia-born Community". Department of Immigration and Border Protection. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 Pineda, Maida (19 May 2025). "Is Colombian cuisine finally having its moment in Australia?". SBS. Archived from the original on 15 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
Cited works
[edit]- Fierro Hernandez, Margarita Rosa; Sonn, Christopher C. (June 2019). "In Between Two Worlds: Colombian Migrants Negotiating Identity, Acculturation, and Settlement in Melbourne, Australia" (PDF). The Australian Community Psychologist. 30 (1): 65–80. ISSN 1835-7393. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- Nieves-Cortés, Jannett; Kath, Elizabeth; Mejía, Glenda (2022). "What Stratum Are You? Narratives of Colombian Migrants Living in Melbourne and How They Experience Socioeconomic Stratification". Journal of Iberian and Latin American Research. 28 (2): 182–201. doi:10.1080/13260219.2022.2132273.
- Urribarri, Raul Sanchez; de Leon, Vicente Perez; Favoretto, Mara; Kath, Elizabeth; Sinclair, John; Fergusson, Annie (2016). Kath, Elizabeth (ed.). A Tale of Two Waves: Latin American Migration to Australia. Australian-Latin American Relations. pp. 15–33. doi:10.1057/9781137501929_2. ISBN 978-1-137-50192-9.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Colombia-born: Victorian Community Profiles: 2016 Census (PDF) (Report). Victorian State Government. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
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