Economic problems and violence have led to an emigration of Colombians to Australia in 1980's. Colombians are among the largest South American migrant groups to Australia. Like other South American immigrants and unlike Central American and Caribbean Latino immigrants, Colombians tend to come from urban areas.
Ethnically, Colombians are a diverse population including Colombians of Indigenous descent, Afro-Colombians, Colombians of European descent (mainly Spanish ancestry). However, most Colombians are mix of the three ethnicities. In addition, a significant percentage of Colombians of Middle Eastern descent, notably Syrian and Lebanese, also compose Colombian society.
Cultural traditions
The main musical interests are vallenato, salsa and cumbia. The vast majority of Colombians are Roman Catholic; younger Colombians are significantly more secular than the older generation.citation needed Colombian food is highly varied. Popular dishes are bandeja paisa, sancocho (stew), empanadas (meat-filled turnovers), pandebono (a type of cheese-bread), and arepa (corncake). The main pastime of Colombians in Australia is soccer, Colombian Australians raised in Australia will continue to follow soccer. Like most immigrants raised in Australia some children will seek Australian sports. Another popular pastime, especially among the older generation, is parqués.
