Sikhs in Chile are a religious minority in Chile. There is no demographic data on the Sikh population living in the country but it is estimated to be less than 1,000.
History
The arrival of Sikhs in Chile largely started in the early 1900s to work on the railway lines to connect to Bolivia. Due to the Anti-Asian immigration policy within North America in the early 20th century, most Sikhs arrived in Chile before moving onto Argentina.[1][2]
Yogi Bhajan introduced Sikhism at a larger scale to Chile in the late 20th century.[3] This was particularly done through Kundalini yoga, which was popular in the 1960s.
In 2010, a Chilean documentary was released called "Sikh en Santiago". This was based upon the troubles facing a turbaned Sikh man in Santiago due to his appearance and Sikh faith.[4]
Religious Recognition
In 2016, Sikhism (recognised as Sikh Dharma)[5] was officially legally recognised as a religion in Chile, making it the first to do so in South America. Following recognition, Sikhs will also be allowed to wear the Kirpan, pursue other religious projects and receive donations.[6]
The Gurdwara in Iquique shares the space with a Hindu temple.
Gurdwara Guru Ram Das Ashram in Viña del Mar to Agia Akal Singh and Charansev Kaur Khalsa. The Nishaan Sahib was first raised in Chile on October 9, 2019, in commemoration of Guru Ram Das’ birthday
^"Sikhs in Other Latin American Countries". journeys.dartmouth.edu. Sikhs faced many issues in settling in Canada and USA in the early 1900s because of the anti-Asian immigration policy of America and the whites-only policy of Canada. Hence many Sikhs were pushed to travel to the country they referred to as "Tina" in search of prosperity and opportunity.
^Singh, Kahlon Swarn (2012). Sikhs in Latin America. Manohar Publishers. ISBN9788173049385.
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