The Chilean Exile in Edmonton

"Write what should not be forgotten' Isabel Allende

Many years ago, and after finishing my undergraduate degree, I embarked on a trip through Latin America finally ending in Chile. I wanted to live in Chile because I wanted to learn more about my culture and what it meant to be 'Chilean.'  I also wanted to talk to others about my experience growing up in the Exiled Chilean community in Edmonton.  While living in Chile, I decided to study a Masters' in Latin American Studies, which was mostly focused on Chilean history and other parts of Latin America.  I spent two years taking courses focusing on Chilean history from the 16th century to the present time.  The 16th century and onwards in Chile interested me for many different reasons, but mostly because this is when the leftist political culture began in Chile.  I also happened to study at the University of Chile in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, which had been rife with political movements throughout history, in fact, I went to many of my classes in midst of clashes and tear gas, which made us all teary-eyed throughout our 3-hour evening classes.

When I had the opportunity to come up with a topic for my thesis, my choice had always been clear.  I wanted to study the process of exile that many Chileans experienced in the 1970s.  A lot of research had been done on the Chilean exile in European countries but not many on the Chilean exiles in Canada.  A professor from Quebec, Jose del Pozo had been the only one studying the Chilean exile in Montreal, Quebec and Ontario.  I wanted to know more about the process in Edmonton.  Growing up I had known that there had been so much impact and so much done in the community but at that time (2004), no one had really linked the impact of the community with the process of being an Exile, which is completely different than the process of being an Immigrant.  In essence, what I really wanted to capture were the oral narratives of just some of the members of the Chilean community in Edmonton.   Going through the process of picking who I would interview for my thesis was difficult, as there were so many people who had an impact on the community, but knew I needed to narrow it down for the purposes of my study.  The other aspect that I needed to keep in mind was what my thesis needed to focus on some new aspect of the Chilean immigration to Canada.  What I thought was important, was the cultural community that was developed as a result of a strong political identity focused on being an exile.

I interviewed 21 individuals from the Chilean community who had had some impact on the cultural community in Edmonton which included an array of different areas such as; the arts, dance, sports, religious and political affiliations, newspaper and radio etc.  The interviews focused on their political activity in Chile, their journey to Canada and their subsequent life in Canada.  I particularly wanted to learn more about the creation of a cultural community in Edmonton, who maintained strong cultural ties to Chile still because of their exiled condition.  Many exiles, only came to 'open their suitcases' (a metaphor for leaving things unpacked and thinking they would return to Chile only after a few years - dictatorship lasted almost 15 years) years later when they realized that they would not return to Chile.

It is through these oral narratives that an important part of Chilean history in Canada has been captured, allowing for a deeper understanding of the Chilean exile culture in North America and particularly in Canada.  Some of these individuals are no longer here with us, but their stories are not forgotten.  This study has been the foundation for many other studies in the process of being an Exile as a Latin American or from elsewhere.

The complete thesis includes historical background, statistics and many of the oral narratives from the members of the community.  For a deeper read in Spanish follow the link; https://www.dropbox.com/s/1ujrv2xr6l9vvsi/14384472-Voces-Del-Exilio-Canada-Edmonton-Litzy-Baeza-Kallens.pdf?dl=0

If you are interested in full transcripts of your family's oral narrative, please contact me.