Sociology Essay: Impact of Mestizo Identity on Californian Culture

This sociology essay examines the development and impact of the Mestizo identity in California from the arrival of the Spanish in 1542 to the Mexican period in 1848. The essay defines 'Mestizo' as individuals of mixed Native American and Spanish descent and explores its evolution with Mexican immigration. It analyzes the creation of a racial amalgamation, highlighting how the Mestizo identity contributed to cultural diversity, inclusiveness, and the formation of a unique subculture. However, the essay also discusses the cultural conflicts and marginalization that arose, initially causing separation and discrimination. Drawing on sources like Mateos, Volpp, Dagodag, Guerrero, and Salazar-Flores, the essay provides a comprehensive overview of the Mestizo identity's complex role in shaping Californian society, emphasizing both its positive contributions to cultural richness and its negative consequences in terms of social division. The conclusion summarizes the historical significance of the term and its lasting impact on the region's cultural landscape.

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

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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

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of USA. This was a major impact of the development of Mestizo identify on the history and
culture of California.
Cultural Conflicts:Guerrero (p113-114) have pointed out that even though the
development of the Mestizo identify helped to create an inclusive culture in California.
Initially such a term only created a separation between people and increased risks of cultural
conflicts. The term was often used in a derogatory way and to discriminate against people
from mixed cultural or ethnic backgrounds. These conflicts have significantly caused
psychological stress on the people and how they behave in the communities. Salazar-Flores
(p44-59) further suggested that development of the Mestizo identify also caused
marginalization of those people from the rest of the society. Thus it can be said that the
development of the identity also had significant disadvantages for the people of mixed ethnic
heritages.
Conclusion:
The term Mestizo refers to individuals from Native American and Spanish
inheritance. The term has been used historically in Spain and Spanish Americas. However the
identify developed in California after the first Spanish same. With the immigration of the
Mexicans the term became more common and popular and its identity developed. This
initially led to labelling of people from mixed ethnicities but eventually helped to create an
inclusive and amalgamated culture in California, which is unique in its own way.

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References:
Dagodag, W. Tim. "Illegal Mexican immigration to California from Western Mexico."
(1984): 61-73.
Guerrero, Perla M. "The Other California: Land, Identity, and Politics on the Mexican
Borderlands by Verónica Castillo-Muñoz." (2018): 113-114.
Mateos, Pablo. "The mestizo nation unbound: dual citizenship of Euro-Mexicans and US-
Mexicans." Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (2018): 1-22.
Salazar-Flores, J., et al. "Admixture and genetic relationships of Mexican Mestizos regarding
Latin American and Caribbean populations based on 13 CODIS-STRs." HOMO-Journal of
Comparative Human Biology 66.1 (2015): 44-59.
Volpp, Leti. "American Mestizo: Filipinos and Antimiscegenation Laws in California." UC
Davis L. Rev. 33 (1999): 795.