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Heritage New Mexico

picture of a red chile ristra
Identity, culture and biology in New Mexicans of Spanish-speaking descent
Nearly half of all New Mexicans have Spanish-speaking ancestors. Some of these ancestors came to the region long before it became a US State. Others came more recently from Latin America and other places around the globe.
 
As a result of this rich history, many New Mexicans of Spanish-speaking descent (NMS) use terms like Spanish, Hispanic, Chicano/a, Latino/a and Mexican to describe themselves and others. This website presents results from a research project that looks at how continental ancestry, health, education and other social factors map onto these self-descriptions.