Colombian Australians ( es, colombianos australiano) are Australian citizens who trace their nationality or heritage from the

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...

n nation of

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...

Causes of migration

Economic problems and violence led to an emigration of Colombians to Australia in the 1980s. Colombians are one of the largest South American migrant groups to Australia. Like other South American immigrants and unlike Central American and Caribbean Hispanic immigrants, Colombians tend to come from urban areas.

Ethnic composition of Colombians in Australia

Ethnically, Colombians are a diverse population including Colombians of Indigenous descent,

Afro-Colombians Afro-Colombians or African-Colombians ( es, afrocolombianos, links=no) are Colombians of full or partial sub-Saharan African descent ( Blacks, Mulattoes, Pardos, and Zambos). History Africans were enslaved in the early 16th Century in Colomb ...

, Colombians of European descent (mainly Spanish ancestry). However, most Colombians are mix of the three ethnicities.

Cultural traditions

The main musical interests are

vallenato Vallenato () or "Szlager" in Wayuu language (from the German "Schlager"), is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. ''Vallenato'' literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing t ...

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

and

cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include: ...

, Mi hermano y yo Vallenato y Folclore is a traditional folk band that aims to share and preserve these interests in Australia. The vast majority of Colombians are

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

; younger Colombians are significantly more

secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. Anything that does not have an explicit reference to religion, either negativ ...

than the older generation. Colombian food is highly varied. Popular dishes are '' bandeja paisa'', '' sancocho'' (stew), ''

empanada An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Spanish, other Southern European, Latin American, and Iberian-influenced cultures around the world. The name comes from the Spanish (to bread, i ...

s'' (meat-filled turnovers), ''

pandebono {{Infobox prepared food , name = Pandebono , image = Pandebono.jpg , image_size = 250px , caption = Pandebono Cartagenero , alternate_name = , country = Colombia , region = South America ...

'' (a type of cheese-bread), and ''

arepa ''Arepa'' () is a type of food made of ground maize dough stuffed with a filling, eaten in the northern region of South America since pre-Columbian times, and notable primarily in the cuisine of Colombia and Venezuela, but also present in the cuis ...

'' (corncake). Like most immigrants raised in Australia some children will seek Australian sports. Another popular pastime, especially among the older generation, is '' parqu�s''.

Notable people

Adam Garcia Adam Gabriel Garcia (born 1 June 1973) is an Australian stage, television, and film actor who is best known for lead roles in musicals such as ''Saturday Night Fever'' and ''Kiss Me, Kate''. He is also a trained tap dancer and singer. Garcia has ...

, actor * Amyl, drag queen *

Kat Hoyos Kat Hoyos (born 1990) is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role in the television series ''Here Come The Habibs''. She has also appeared in ''Body in the Yard'' and was also cast in the short film ''The Road Home''. Biography Hoyo ...

, actress * María Fernanda Cardoso, artist * Gustavo Giron Marulanda, footballer

References

{{Ethnic groups in Australia * Australian Colombian Australia–Colombia relations

Causes of migration

Ethnic composition of Colombians in Australia

Cultural traditions

Notable people

See also

References