5 things Chilean expats do because they are Chilean
No doubt about it, Chileans are among the courageous immigrants. In 2007, migrationmap.com reported over 210,000 Chileans living in Argentina, over 135,000 in the USA, Australia and Canada, and many more as far as Europe (Spain, Germany, Sweden and France). In the previous years, the immigration waves took even more Chileans out of their motherland.
They’ve been moving to remote countries, or highly competitive ones, but they always stick out due to certain things they do their way. They venerate avocado and speak avocado :) , or they are the ones coming by with a nice present, never empty handed. They talk a lot about top ups to Chile, or airtime to Chile as a must or duty to their folks back home.
While waiting for specific numbers to come up and update the whole picture of Chileans mobility, let’s see what makes them stick out as Chilean in their hosting communities and step-mother cultures.
#1 They never show up empty-handed
Back in Chile, it is a sign of respect to buy a present for the guest when you pay someone a visit. Why would anyone change good habits when changing the country? Having some flowers, candies or decorations can make nice gifts from a Chilean.
#2 They can handle little personal space
A native American or European would find it outraging to have people talking within kissing distance. Chileans are used to it. That’s why they are easy to spot. In Chile, strangers are close, and families are closer. Of course an arm’s length between two people speaking is well appreciated. But if you see someone not bothered by that, he or she may be Chilean. Just saying…
#3 They recharge their family’s and friends’ mobiles in Chile
Top ups to Chile! That’s an option that revolutionized the way Chileans support their family and friends from abroad. It is very fast, 100% safe, no contract needed, no recurring payment, no hassle, and it’s made online, which makes it comfortable too. To make top ups to Chile, here is a simple way: http://chile.mobilerecharge.com/buy/mobile_recharge.
In less than 1 minute Chileans can send mobile credit to a prepaid number in Chile. They call it making “top ups to Chile” or “airtime to Chile” or “Mobile recharge to Chile.” All it takes is to open a free account on MobileRecharge.com and top up whenever they need to send money to a mobile in Chile. On the other hand, many Chileans use MobileRecharge app. They install it for FREE from their smartphone’s Play Store or App Store.
What Chileans like about MobileRecharge.com is the 24/7 Support for any question whatsoever in both Spanish and English.
#4 They act like missionaries in the name of Avocado, the fruit
We have North America’s obsession with avocado on one hand, and Chile’s religion for avocado on the other. Chileans recommend it for anything related to health… It’s the Chilean cure-all ingredient. Here are some tips on the spectacular workings of avocado according to our Chilean friends on MobileRecharge.com:
-hair conditioner
-skin moisturizer
-herbal remedy
Why? Because avocado is sodium & cholesterol free and nutrient dense.
#5 They organize “Fondas”
We mean the Chilean fiestas patrias in September. Now, the great part about them is that they bring Chilean and American families together and people can cook the food they bring. Or even better, they can bring food to the pavilions hosting the parties and they will cook this food on the spot. Vegetarian pies are also something to come for. One of these fiestas is the one taking place in Bellevue State Park in Wilmington, Delaware.
Wrap up
If you’re a Chilean expat, you better be proud of your background because it makes you stand out in the crowd. If you’re not a Chilean, you may recognize some Chilean features in your profile :) or you may spot a Chilean because now you’ve covered lesson #1 on the Chilean way of doing things.
