A New Museum Celebrates Chile’s 19th-Century Immigrants
By
Graciela Ibáñez
Its exhibitions in Valparaíso showcase the waves of newcomers who shaped the port city’s heyday.
This article is adapted from AQ’s special report on China and Latin America In the 19th century Valparaíso went through a remarkable transformation. With the beginning of Chile’s independence movement and the declaration of free trade for the port of Valparaíso in 1811, thousands of immigrants—mainly British, German, Italian, Spanish, French and Arab— began arriving. This influx fueled growth, and with it, Chile’s first bank, public library, private school, observatory, stock exchange, and a hub of technological progress. In celebration of the city’s rich immigrant...
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