Costa Rica has an overwhelming majority of Spanish-heritage Ticos, but there are four other distinct ethnic groups. The black of the Atlantic coast are the country's largest immigrant minority. They speak Caribbean-accented English and are proud of their Jamaican heritage. The people of Guanacaste resemble their neighboring Nicaraguans in manner, accent and physical appearance. In the southern region, there are Amerindians who were living in this region long before the Spanish arrived. The Amerindians belong to six linguistic groups. And the Chinese, who are called Chinos are descendents of indentured laborers. This group now owns many of the small businesses and their children have become part of the professionally educated rank in Costa Rica.

Indigenous people

There are about 63,000 indigenous people remaining in Costa Rica. The history of the Amerindians of Costa Rica is similar to that of other indigenous people in Central America. The disease that arrived with Europeans destroyed them.

During pre-Columbian times, the inhabitants of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula lived in patrimonial groups, grew corn and were culturally similar to groups from southern Mexico. This group died of disease and some were sold into slavery.

Other native groups spoke dialects originating in Colombia. These groups lived in matrilineal societies in clearings in the jungles. When the Europeans arrived, some of these people fled to the inaccessible jungles in the southern mountains. The culture of this group has been preserved by their descendants; they live in the remote regions in the Talamanca mountains. This group has not integrated Catholicism into their native religion. Rather, they continue to practice their ancient traditions.

Black immigrants

Immigrants from the West Indies started arriving as early as 1825 to fish and hunt on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. These early immigrants were transient and migrated to wherever they could find work.

In 1872, Minor C. Keith, founder of the United Fruit Company, started brining in blacks from the West Indies to work on the Atlantic railroad. Blacks proved to be more capable of tolerating the working conditions, including the physical labor, disease and oppressive management. Blacks continued to arrive, as Costa Rica's economy changed shape. They worked at plantations for the United Fruit Company and helped build the infrastructure of Costa Rica's Caribbean coast.

The Afro-Caribbeans retained their English language and Protestant religion and remained distinct from the Hispanic population of Costa Rica. However, the immigration and residency laws of Costa Rica restricted their movement until the middle of the 20th century. In 1949, the Constitution declared that anyone born in Costa Rica had automatic citizenship. Less than 5% of the total population of Costa Rica is black and less than 25% of the population of the Caribbean coast is of black ancestry.

Chinese immigrants

In 1855, a group of indentured servants arrived to Costa Rica to work as laborers. Those contracted by the railroad left quickly and escaped to work as cooks and domestic servants. During this period, there was a slow and continual trickle of Chinese immigrant laborers to Costa Rica as they followed those who were already established. The Chinese set up commercial ventures along the railroad and in port cities. These businesses flourished because of a strong work ethic and well-defined divisions of labor.

By the beginning of the 20th century, a number of Chinese businessmen had become wealthy and sponsored immigration of family members and friends. Many Chinese men lived with white Costa Ricans, while supported wives and families at home. Chinese continue to retain family tradition and values of their ancestors and family solidarity even though they've integrated into Costa Rican society through marriage and participation in the larger economy.

The Gringo

Since the 19th century, gringos — a term applied to Americans, Europeans and Canadians have been moving to Costa Rica. Many married and integrated into Tico culture and the surnames of many families in arts and politics are of German or British ancestry.

In the 1950s, Quakers, looking for peace, settled in Monteverde and created a successful dairy and cheese industry, which supplies much of the specialty cheese market in Costa Rica.

Since the 1960s, retirees from North American and Europe have arrived in strong numbers are referred to as pensionados. These are non-nationals living in Costa Rica who have guaranteed monthly incomes.

The Italians

In 1888, the railroad brought in laborers from Italy as an alternative workforce. The terrible work conditions spurred the Italians to leave the railroad project and many remained in Costa Rica. They settled in a government-sponsored colony, San Vito, in the Southern Pacific region of Costa Rica. By the 1950s, there was an influx of Italian farmers to this region. San Vito has a distinctly Italian flavor.

Ticos today

Ticos are proud of their heritage and differences from their neighbors, especially those who were war torn and beleaguered by political trouble. In fact, Ticos insist that they are different from most Latinos and define themselves on what they are not. They pride themselves on the fact that they have a high standard of living, good education levels, and live peacefully, which includes living without an army. Ticos are a people who will avoid conflict and make painful efforts to not appear to be rude.

There are subtle differences between Costa Rica and other Central American countries. The signs of poverty are not as visual. Costa Rica lacks the shanty towns of other developing countries. The people are well dressed and the appearance of homelessness is not as all-pervading as in other countries.

About Costa Rica

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