Chileans are immigrants from the multi-ethnic South American nation of Chile. In Chile, as in other Latin American countries, the mixture of Spanish colonists with local indigenous people groups and other ethnic groups was the norm rather than the exception. The ethnic and racial self-identities of Chileans are highly fluid and can differ between persons of the same family, including siblings of the same parentage.

The majority of Chilean immigrants to North America have come in the last 25 years. Many Chileans left the country during the the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Many of the Pinochet-era immigrants were from the middle or upper class and arrived with advanced educations and well-developed skills. They had contacts with other Chilean exiles and a common sense of identity from their shared commitment to a democratic Chile. After a period of adjustment, many of them were able to pursue skilled jobs or professions.

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