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==See also==
==See also==
* [[Latin Americans in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Demographics of Ecuador]]
* [[:Category:Ecuadorian people|Ecuadorian people]]
* [[Spanish people]]
* [[Spanish Briton]]
* [[Latin American Briton]]
* [[Ecuadorian American]]
* [[Mestizo]]
* [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Amerindians]]
* [[Mulatto]]
* [[Afro-Ecuadorian]]
* [[Hispanic]]
* [[Latino (demonym)|Latino]]


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 15:31, 13 July 2009

Ecuadorians in the United Kingdom
Regions with significant populations
London and South East England
Languages
British English, Spanish, Spanglish and Other Languages of Ecuador
Religion
Roman Catholic, Protestantism, Mormon
Related ethnic groups
Ecuadorian people • Latin American Briton • Mestizo • Amerindian • Mulatto • Spanish Briton • Hispanic • Latino

Ecuadorians in the United Kingdom include people of Ecuadorian ancestry living in the United Kingdom, who have be born and/ or raised in the UK. They can be either British citizens or non-citizen immigrants.

Background

The first Ecuadorians began arriving in the United Kingdom in the late 1900s, with the majority of them being political refugees fleeing from political persecution and military dictatorships, like many of the other Latin American Communities. The majority of Ecuadorians have had to learn English after migrating to the UK, as the vast majority of them speak only Spanish or other indigenous languages of Ecuador. The Hispanic and Ecuadorian culture has had a major impact in London, where hundreds of Hispanic stores and stalls can be found in markets, streets and shopping centres across the city. People can purchase exotic fruits, foods, clothing and other Hispanic products in such places as Brixton Market, Seven Sister Markets, and shopping centres in Elephant and Castle and Peckham Rye, where Latin American culture dominates the retail scene.[3]

Demographics

Ecuadorian nationals gaining British citizenship between 1991 and 2007 (excluding 1996 and 2005). Blue indicates through residence, red through marriage and green due to registration of a child, and purple is the total of all three. The graph shows that since 1991 approximatley 3,000 Ecuadorians have gained British citizenship, although the reasons behind this vary year to year, although overall the total number has increased considerably since 1991

Population and distribution

The 2001 Census recorded a meer 3,035 Ecuadorian-born people living in the UK.[1] Despite this, recent estimates vary with The Independent putting the figure at around 10,000.[2] Several other sources estimate the population including British born people of Ecuadorian origin at much higher figures. The NGO and community members believe it is in the range of 30,000 and 75,000,[4], whilst the Ecuadorian Consulate in London states around 70,000. Also Latin American author Sofia Buchuck estimates between 70,000 and 90,000.[3] This creates and unoffical average of currently over 50,000 Britons of Ecuadorian origin. The overwhealming majority of Ecuadorians in the UK can be found in London, possibly 80-90% of all Ecuadorian British people live in the capital, with Lambeth and Southwark being the most popular boroughs within Greater London.[4]

Ethnicity and religion

The majority of Ecuadorian British people are mestizos of Andean origin. It is a predominantly Christian community, and is served by over 20 Latin American churches in London (with more across the UK). Comunidad Cristiana de Londres has over 5,000 largely Ecuadorian members.[4]

Community

Culture

Business, Culture and Sport (see section below) are all visible expressions of Ecuadorian identity in the British capital. The cultural capital of Ecuadorians in the UK is Elephant and Castle where the areas main shopping centre has many Ecuadorian stalls and shops that sell Ecuadorian produce to craft work. In the same district, Ecuadorian owned hairdressers, money transfer and community centres, clothing importers and music stores can be found. Alongside Elephant and Castle a significant number of Ecuadorian restaurants can be found in London, most notably Seven Sisters and Holloway Road. The Carnaval del Pueblo which is Europe's largest celebration of Latin American culture in general has a significant input from the Ecuadorian British community.[4]

Sport

Similarly football prevails as the most popular sport in the UK as well as Ecuador. Notable Ecuadorian expatriate footballers in the United Kingdom include Felipe Caicedo (who currently plays for Manchester City), Ulises de la Cruz (whose most recent team is Reading) and Antonio Valencia (a winger currently with Wigan Athletic). Lawrie Sanchez, the manager of Fulham, was born in London to an Ecuadorian father and a Northern Irish mother.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Country-of-birth database". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
  2. ^ a b Brown, Jonathan (2006-06-22). "The little corner of London that's forever Ecuador". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
  3. ^ a b c Sofia Buchuck. "Crossing borders: Latin American exiles in London". untoldLondon. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
  4. ^ a b c d "Ecuadorian identity, community and multi-cultural integration". Runnymede Trust. Retrieved 2009-02-25.