New Englander Americans in Patagonia



The New Englander Americans in Patagonia, often referred to as Chilotan New Englanders and also known as Pine Yankees (both alluding to "Yankee", a derogatory nickname for Americans by the British, and the eastern white pine on the flag of New England) are a cultural and ethnic sub-group in Patagonia. They are the descendants of Americans from New England who fled to British Patagonia with their families during and after the American Revolutionary War, enticed by offers of cheap land from Governor-General John Joseph Elizalde, who had hoped to gain expertise in the lumber trade.

It is estimated that up to 20,000 Americans emigrated to British Patagonia from the New England region of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Initially, most settled in Seeland, particularly on the island of Chiloe, where they founded the city of New Boston, which was once part of the neighboring city of Ancud. The descendants of other American settlers from New England would later be found throughout the island of Chiloe and the southern part of Seeland as well as in the Chonos Archipelago.

The descendants still foster a connection with their history through Chilotan Americans United, a descendant organization dedicated to preserving the unique mixed culture. The Chilotan New Englanders also have an annual festival, called the Lobster Festival, which is used to fund the United States Embassy in Patagonia. The festival is marked by New England flags, traditional costumes, New England cuisine with a Patagonian flair, and dances and music popular in New England during the American Revolution.

History
American settlers from New England, Virginia and the Midwest (but particularly from New England) were the first American peoples of European descent to settle what is now the Chiloe Island and the Chonos Archipelago. Their colonies of New America (also commonly called Little America) encompassed what today are the northern half of Chiloe Island, the Valdes Peninsula and the Chonos Archipelago, all on the western coast of Patagonia.

Culture
Currently the amount of New Englander descendants in Patagonia is 160,231 as of 2020 (not counting expatriates from the US). Most New Englanders still have descendants in Chiloe Island, especially in Castlestead, the island's largest city and the second-largest city in Seeland. Smaller communities are concentrated in the national capital city Port Davis, located not far from Chiloe Island, and in smaller cities like New Dartmouth, Coyhaique and Valdivia.

Chiloe culture is not dissimilar from the regional culture of Seeland, although stronger American influence is prevalent in cuisine, music and culture. In Ancud, Castlestead and New Peterhead, seafood restaurants are common and primarily emphasized on New England-style seafood. Lobster also appears as restaurant fare in Chilotan seafood restaurants. The Chiloe sub-dialect of Seelandic English has noticeable New Englander and American influence, with R's being sometimes pronounced the same way as in American English.