Impact of Mestizo Identity on California's Culture and History

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
Sociology
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SOCIOLOGY
Introduction:
Mestizo is a term that is used to refer to individuals with mixed Native American and
Spanish descent, regardless of the place of birth of the person. The term is generally used in
Spanish Americas, Philippines and Spain. The term originates from the Spanish work
‘mestizo’ which translates to mixture, referring to the mixed ancestry of the person (Mateos,
p1-22).
Discussion:
Development of the Mestizo identity had two significant impacts on the cultureand
history of California from the arrival of the Spanish in 1542 to the Mexican period in 1848.
These impacts were:
Creation of a Racial Amalgamation: According toVolpp (p795), a large scale
immigration of Mexicans in California lead to the adoption of the Mestizo identity in the
culture of California. Even though, Meztizo was a term referring to individuals of Native
American and Spanish descent, over time, the term got loosely associated with Mexicans.
The continued presence of the Mestizo in California let to an amalgamation of their cultural
forms, religious institutions, values and principles. The Mestizo coming in to California came
with their own values, principles and beliefs which guided their actions. In California, they
continued on those beliefs, while adopting to a new way of life. Such a cultural adaptation led
to a creation of a whole new subculture that has become popular in the mainstream media and
popular culture (Mateos, p1-22).
Cultural Diversity and inclusiveness: It has been added by Dagodag (p 61-73)
thatthe development of the Mestizo identity also helped created a sense of cultural diversity
and furthermore helped to develop an inclusive culture of California which was pivotal for
the development of the new culture that was unique to the region and different from the rest