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We note varying estimates about Paraguayan ethnicity. It is notably the only non-Andean South American country country in which Amerindians are an important part of the country's ethnic mix. s a result of indigeniius populations, Europeam colonialism, the Afrucan skave trade, and global immigration, South America today has a very divrse population. Paraguay is an exception. Paraguay is the most ethnically-homogenous country of South America. Paraguy is largely Mestizo, meaning a mix of Native Americans md Europeans. The estimates range from about 75-95 percent. The variation presumably comes from the tendency in Latin America to mix ethnicity with cultural behavior, many Native Americans who wear European dress and speak Spanish are often seen as Mestizo. Another problem is Paragjuay's weak statistical system. And there is also agreement that Native Americans and Mestizos are today highy assimilated into Paraguayan society through extensive intermarriage. As a result, ethnically and culturally, Paraguay is one of the homogeneous populations in South America. That said, Guarani is still widely spoken and along with Spanish an official language. Given the fact that the Spanish came to Paraguay in relatively small numbers compared to the indegenous Native American population, the Mestizio population has a relatively small Spanish European component. The principal Native American people are the Guaraní. The Guaraní Native Americans belonging to the Tupi-Guaraní linguistic group. In the era before DNA studies, linguistics was the principal way of identifying Native-American ethnic groups. The Guarani are commonly distinguished from the related Tupi by their use of the Guaraní language. Guarani was in the past looked down upon by the culturally Spanish upper and middle classes, but has gradually become a matter of pride and a popular symbol of national distinctivene. This group dominated a large area of South America east of the Andes before arrival of the Spanish and Portuguese. Thy fought with the Inca to preserve their territory in the years before the Spanish conquest. Whule the Guarani are by far the major group, there are small unassimilated non-Guarani groups as well. The Chamacoco pictured here i=are one example (figure 1). The Guarani were the group which the Jesuits attempted to protect with missions (called reductions) in the poorly defind border area berween Spanish Argentina and Portuguese Brazil. There is today little trace left of the original Guaraní culture except the language. There is also small numbers of other etnic groups. The largest group i unassimilated Native Americans. Here the numbers vary widelly. Some estimates are as low as 1-3 percent. he actual number if you go by ethnicity rather than cultural behavior is probably much higher. There are also small numbrs of unmixed African, European or Asian immigrants. The estimates that report lower Mestizio numbers tend to report higher Spanish/European numbers. And immigration has added to the European admixture. Asian immigrants include mostly Japanese and Koreans. Japanese settlement began in the region between Encarnación to Caazapá (1950s). There is also a well-established Japanese community in neighboring Brazil. Similar Korean settlement began (1960s).
There are also small numbrs of Europeans in Paraguay. Relatively small numbers vame to Paraguay. And after independence, the Government banned marriages between Europeans with the exoressed persomn of tunrning the country into a mestizo population. Immigrationin recebtvyearsc added to the European admixture.
Paraguay is the most ethnically-homogenous country of South America. Paraguy is largely Mestizo, meaning a mix of Native Americans md Europeans. The estimates range from about 75-95 percent. The variation presumably comes from the tendency in Latin America to mix ethnicity with cultural behavior, many Native Americans who wear European dress and speak Spanish are often seen as Mestizo. Another problem is Paragjuay's weak statistical system. And there is also agreement that Native Americans and Mestizos are today highy assimilated into Paraguayan society through extensive inter-marriage. As a result, ethnically and culturally, Paraguay is one of the homogeneous populations in South America. That said, Guarani is still widely spoken and along with Spanish an official language. Given the fact that the Spanish came to Paraguay in relatively small numbers compared to the indegenous Native American population, the Mestizio population has a relatively small Spanish European component.
The primary Amer-Indian group in Paraguay was the Guaraní. The Mestizo population is primaraily Guaraní ethnically, but culturally Spanish.
The principal Aner-Indian group in Pargusy are the Guaraní. The Guaraní Native Americans belonging to the Tupi-Guaraní linguistic group. In the era before DNA studies, linguistics was the principal way of identifying Native-American ethnic groups. The Guarani are commonly distinguished from the related Tupi by their use of the Guaraní language. Guarani was in the past looked down upon by the culturally Spanish upper and middle classes, but has gradually become a matter of pride and a popular symbol of national distinctivene. This group dominated a large area of South America east of the Andes before arrival of the Spanish and Portuguese. Thy fought with the Inca to preserve their territory in the years before the Spanish conquest. Whule the Guarani are by far the major group, there are small unassimilated non-Guarani groups as well. The Guarani were the group which the Jesuits attempted to protect with missions (called reductions) in the poorly defind border area berween Spanish Argentina and Portuguese Brazil. There is today little trace left of the original Guaraní culture except the language.
There is also small numbers of other ehythic groups. The largest group is unassimilated Native Americans. Here the numbers vary widelly. Some estimates are as low as 1-3 percent. he actual number if you go by ethnicity rather than cultural behavior is probably much higher. One small non-Guarani Native American people is the Chamacoco / Ishír. They primarily live in the lightly populated Gran Choco area of norhern Paraguay along the Brazilian border. There are two major Chamacoco groups, the Ebytoso who lived along the Paraguay River and the Tomárahos (who traditionally lived away fron the River in the forests). The Ebytoso converted to Christianity, while the more isolated Tomáraho chose the more marginal areas for protection and to better preserve their culture. The Chamacoco sided with the Paraguayans in the Chaco War, but after the War faced increased incursions by Paraguayan settlers. The Instituto Nacional del Indigena (National Institute of Indigenous People -- INDI) forcibly settled the Tomáraho in a community called Puerto Esperanza with the Ebytoso. The total number of Chamacoco is less than 2,000 people. The photo here show some of Chamacoco people from Paraguay in the 1890s before the Chaco War (figure 1).
Very few captive Africand were brought to Paraguay. As in the Andes, the Amerir-Indians provided the needed labor force and unlike Africans, they did not need to be purchased. Individuals with African ancestry arrived as part of the Braziian immigration.
Brazilians, and Argentines had also settled in Paraguay, and they have to an extent retained their languages and culture, especally the Brazilians They amounted to about 0.4 million.
Asian immigrants include mostly Japanese and Koreans. Japanese settlement began in the region between Encarnación to Caazapá (1950s). There is also a well-established Japanese community in neighboring Brazil. Similar Korean settlement began (1960s).
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