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Used to be "Spanish surnamed".... before that it was either Spanish or Mexican. Then came "Chicano". I remember Reyes Lopez Tijerina calling us Indo Hispanos. Now "Hispanic".
Way in the past there was the term Genizaro for some of us. Mestiso has also been used for some others.
Back in the 1950's there were just us (Mexican or Spanish) and the Puerto Ricans in the United States. So it was easy to identify. We were one or the other. Now there are a whole slew of nations/peoples who are Hispanics of one hue or another.
The people associated with the founding of New Mexico by don Juan de Onate can best be described today as a mixture of Spanish and various Native American groups. This mixing occurred very early, don Juan de Onate's wife was Isabel de Tolosa Cortés de Moctezuma the granddaughter of Hernan Cortes and the great granddaughter of Aztec Emperor Moctuzuma.
In New Mexico proper between the time of the Onate entrada and the American Occupation of the area much mixing had gone on with the Indian tribes residing in the area. Not just the Pueblo's either. The Genizaros mentioned above were detribalized "Indios Barbaros" who had been taken into New Mexican Hispanic households and Christianized.
These Indios Barbaros were of the savage Indian nations. In particular Navajos, lots n lots of Navajos. Comanches too, lots of them. Apaches and Utas (Ute) also. Pawnees, Cheyenne and not a few Arapaho's. All of these were incorporated into the "New Mexican Hispanic" community. And this happened over a period of centuries.
So when I am asked the question "where did my ancestors come from" I tell them for the last 400 years + they have come from right here in New Mexico. Which used to be part of Mexico and before that it was part of the Spanish Empire. So I am a New Mexican, plain and simple.
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