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So apparently my last post was deleted because it crossed a policy boundary. I must have asked it in a certain politically-incorrect way.
So asking again as carefully as possible: I genuinely would like to know the difference between the native Mexican and native New Mexican heritage. I'm trying to gather some info for a research paper. Thanks.
New Mexico can be called "The Land of Exceptions". If you live here now, and are a US citizen, I would consider you a "New Mexican", no matter what culture, or country of origin you are from or color you are. The first exception could be made for Natives living on a reservation or Pueblo, they may consider themselves residents of their individual tribal Nation first, and then a New Mexican, but it would be still a matter of opinion or personal choice. If you are a current citizen of Mexico and you are here, the exception might be that you consider yourself a "native Mexican" first and then a citizen of New Mexico, again, a matter of opinion and choice.
So the final exception is the idea of separate heritages that are in place in many other states. New Mexico is unique in that so many cultures and people have lived, intermingled, and adapted here for hundreds of years that heritages have merged into one diverse soup of traditions, foods, and habits that make this unique place special among all the others...
In name only. Individuals certainly do, I do. My dad grew up in Mexico City and I'll always look on Mexico/Mexicans fondly because they took in my family when this country threw us out (1950's you can probably guess why). But that's a very specific example. I'm sure recent immigrants, of which we have many, share more than an affinity. I don't think Mexicans think of us as being any different than any other state.
When I worked in Santa Fe, I was surprised by the reaction the first time I referred to a local colleagues as "Mexican" and was told in no uncertain that he was "Spanish". That's the way it is up north though. Everyone's ancestor was a conquistador, not a field hand. Of course, according to family legend, my ancestry includes a General in the Kaiser's army not some factory worker from Weisbaden. Same thing I suppose.
I would think the OP might find good info for a research paper by researching the Spanish history of the New Mexico and Mexico, as well as the Native American history separately, then together.
Certain areas of Mexico prefer to reference themselves as 'spanish' as well, speaking of the conquistador vs. field hand comment above in this thread. New Mexico, in my experience, is just as unique due to centuries of Spanish settlement, as it is for Native American culture and Mexico influence. I think people from other parts of the US confuse this. We don't really know our spanish settlement history [same goes for ignorance about Texas and a few others states-people don't know that some folks of spanish descent may not have recent or even distant mexico relatives]-it's like we only know the more recent, inflammatory immigration discussions and assume all people who speak spanish in a border region must've come from mexico, and fairly recently at that.
This is the pervasive stereotype of today's time, in my experience.
When I worked in Santa Fe, I was surprised by the reaction the first time I referred to a local colleagues as "Mexican" and was told in no uncertain that he was "Spanish".
Very understandable since a lot of New Mexican families were never considered themselves citizens of Mexico. They settled during the Spanish colonization and had no ties to Mexico. Same for families in California.
Near here, there is a large hacienda/horse farm/hay ranch right on many acres of irrigated Rio Grande bottomland. At the road, they have a huge sign with a picture of a conquistador telling that the horses they raise were the first horses in America, brought over by the Spanish. I don't think they would take kindly to being called "Mexicans". You have to be careful about those things!
Yeah, I was a definitely a kid from down south just figuring out about northern NM back then, I had just started working for the state.
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