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There are important Old Believer communities in Latin America which originated in China. Many Old believers had sought refuge in China even before the Russian Revolution. Than the Communists won ntghe Civil War in China (1948). After the Communists won the Civil War they began shooting land owners. The Old Believers were not mistreated, but they wanted nothing to do with Communism and collectivization. The Communists permitted them to leave (1950s). With humnanitarian aid, they headed for Latin America. As a result, quite a number pf Old Believers settled in Latin America, especially Brazil. Unlike the flight from Russia the exoldus from China was more organized. The United Nations, the Red Cross and other charitable organizations assisted them. Two South American countries were willing to take in the Old Believers: Brazil and Chile. But there was an earthquake in Chile and so the Old Believers went to Argentina instead. A big part of them later left for Brazil. Then there was an internal migration. Brazil could not be more different than the Bkack Soil area of Russia they came from. They had suffuiculty adjusting. Brazilian lamd is a red color and the humus is thin, only five centimeters. The Old Believers consulted an agronomist and ask nwhat they could grow. He said nothing unless they heavily fertilized. This is why they began saying that that the earth is soaked in tears and sweat of the Old Believers. The old Believers in the State of Paraná proudly say that this is ‘our Russian Brazilian earth.’
We also see some Old Believers imn and Bolivia. A few also live in Uruguaay. Unstable conditions in Latin America during the 1960s convinced many to move again. The Brazilian military government initiated assimilation polilices. This caused sone to move to Bolivia. They tageted immigrant communities that resisted adopting the Portuguese language and Brazilian cultural norms. And refused to intermarry with Brazilians. Some emoigrated to Neraby Brazil. They settlied in the largely underpopulated and harsh terrains of the Chaco arond Santa Cruz. The Old Believer men mostly farm. The women raise the children and sell handmade textiles and culinary products in Sanya Cruz. The Old Believers s practiced endogamy and only marry other people within their ethnoreligious group. But as they do not marry relatives they need mates from other Old Believer communitie which can be people located at coniuderblke distance.
The Chaco region has a rather large Amer-Indiuan population. Santa Cruz itself mstly populslted by Mestizo and White Bolivians. The Old Believers speak Russian with deach other. They use Spanish and certain Indigenous languages as a kind of lingua francas to communicate with Bolivians. The Old Believers most commonly live around the Ameri-Indian peoolle, often working with them. There tend to be friendly relationships betweenthe two communities. The Old Believers spend less time with theThe urban population of Mestizos and Whites (Hispoanics) in Santa Cruz. This they tend to be more stand offish and a little suspicious. Interestingly, the Chaco region of Bolivia is also home to another notable uropean relgious immigrant group--the Mennonite. They share some overlapping cultutal experiences.
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