What are the biblical origins of the Latin American peoples?

These Central and South American peoples come from a myriad of backgrounds, of which the most notable are Indian (i.e., “indigenous”—not from the country of India), African, and European. The majority of those with a European background are more specifically from Spain, who colonized most of South and Central America. However, the Portuguese colonized Brazil, and most Brazilians are of this descent.

These Hispanic peoples also have multi-national backgrounds. Many are largely Indian (indigenous) or mestizo. But those who are mostly Spanish are also multi-ethnic. Some Spaniards have German, Celtic, Arabic and even Jewish backgrounds. But most can trace their lineage to Noah through his great-grandson Tarshish, grandson of Japheth (Gen. 10:2, 4). Other relatives of Japheth include those of Asian descent.