Spanish Mexicans are citizens or residents of
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
who identify as
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
as a result of nationality or recent ancestry. Spanish immigration to Mexico began in the early 1500s and spans to the present day. The vast majority of Mexicans have at least partial Spanish ancestry; the Northern regions of Mexico have a higher prevalence of Spanish heritage. There are three recognized large-scale Spanish immigration waves to the territory which is now Mexico: the first arrived during the
colonial period, the second during the ''
Porfiriato
, common_languages =
, religion =
, demonym =
, currency =
, leader1 = Porfirio Díaz
, leader2 = Juan Méndez
, leader3 = Porfirio Díaz
, leader4 ...
'' and the third after the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
.
The first Spanish settlement was established in February 1519 by
Hernán Cortés in the
Yucatan Peninsula, accompanied by about 11 ships, 500 men, 13 horses and a small number of cannons.
[Bernard Grunberg, "''La folle aventure d'Hernán Cortés''", in '']L'Histoire
''L'Histoire'' is a monthly mainstream French magazine dedicated to historical studies, recognized by peers as the most important historical popular magazine (as opposed to specific university journals or less scientific popular historical magaz ...
'' n°322, July–August 2007 In March 1519, Cortés formally claimed the land for the
Spanish crown and by 1521 secured the
Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico or the Spanish-Aztec War (1519–21), was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. There are multiple 16th-century narratives of the eve ...
.
Spanish colonization
![ROHM D010 Portrait of cortes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/ROHM_D010_Portrait_of_cortes.jpg)
The social composition of late sixteenth century Spanish immigration included both common people and aristocrats, all of which dispersed across
New Spain. The enslavement of native populations and Africans, along with the discovery of new deposits of various minerals in the central and northern areas (from present day Sonora to the southern provinces of Mexico) created enormous wealth for Spain, especially in the extraction of silver. The exploitation of mining wealth from the indigenous populations through the mechanism of colonialism allowed the Spanish to develop manufacturing and agriculture that turned the Bajío regions and the valleys of Mexico and Puebla into prosperous agricultural areas with incipient industrial activity for the colonists, but indigenous populations were decimated by European diseases and mistreatment from the Spanish as a direct result of this.
In the 16th century, following the colonization of most of the new continents, perhaps 240,000 Spaniards entered ports in the Americas. They were joined by 450,000 in the next century. Since the
conquest of the Aztec Empire
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico or the Spanish-Aztec War (1519–21), was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. There are multiple 16th-century narratives of the ev ...
, this region became the principal destination of Spanish colonial settlers in the 16th century. The first Spaniards who arrived in Mexico were soldiers and sailors from
Extremadura
Extremadura (; ext, Estremaúra; pt, Estremadura; Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is an autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central-western part of the Iberian Peninsula, it ...
,
Andalucía and
La Mancha
La Mancha () is a natural and historical region located in the Spanish provinces of Albacete, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, and Toledo. La Mancha is an arid but fertile plateau (610 m or 2000 ft) that stretches from the mountains of Toledo to th ...
after the
conquest of the Americas
During the Age of Discovery, a large scale European colonization of the Americas took place between about 1492 and 1800. Although the Norse had explored and colonized areas of the North Atlantic, colonizing Greenland and creating a short ter ...
. At the end of the 16th century both commoner and aristocrat from Spain were migrating to Mexico. Also, a few Canarian families colonized parts of Mexico in the 17th century (as in the case of the Azuaje families) and when the Spanish crown encouraged Canarian colonization of the Americas through the ''Tributo de sangre'' (Blood Tribute) in the 18th century, many of them settled in Yucatán, where by the 18th century they controlled the trade network that distributed goods throughout the peninsula; their descendants are still counted among the most influential families of direct Spanish descent in Mexico. During the 20th century, another group of Canarians settled in Mexico in the early 1930s, and as with Galician and other Spanish immigrants of the time, there were high rates of illiteracy and impoverishment among them, but they adapted relatively quickly.
History
After the independence of Mexico and centuries of brutal colonial rule, animosity emerged against Spanish people in the new nation. From August 1827 to 1834, by a decree issued during the government of Lorenzo de Zavala, many Spaniards and their families were expelled from the
State of Mexico and killed. The state government, influenced by English masons or Yorkers, based on the
Plan of Iguala
The Plan of Iguala, also known as The Plan of the Three Guarantees ("Plan Trigarante") or Act of Independence of North America, was a revolutionary proclamation promulgated on 24 February 1821, in the final stage of the Mexican War of Independenc ...
and
Treaty of Córdoba
The Treaty of Córdoba established Mexican independence from Spain at the conclusion of the Mexican War of Independence. It was signed on August 24, 1821 in Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico. The signatories were the head of the Army of the Three Guara ...
, liberated the state by stripping Spaniards of their haciendas, farms, ranches and properties.
On December 20, 1827, state deputies repealed the Spanish expulsion law, and many Criollo families returned to their farms and ranches protected by state congressional deputies. In the constitution of 1857, the ambiguities about Mexican citizens are removed, and Spaniards were recognized as foreign people.
[Los españoles en el México Independiente](_blank)
Colegio de México, pp. 620-622
![StatueSpanishexMalecon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/StatueSpanishexMalecon.JPG)
In the period 1850–1950, 3.5 million Spanish left for the Americas, with Mexico becoming one of the chief destinations, especially its northern region where president
Porfirio Diaz Porfirio is a given name in Spanish, derived from the Greek Porphyry (''porphyrios'' "purple-clad").
It can refer to:
* Porfirio Salinas – Mexican-American artist
* Porfirio Armando Betancourt – Honduran football player
* Porfirio Barba-Jac ...
encouraged European immigration in order to supply labor. In 1910, there were 30,000 Spaniards in Mexico, with many participating in economic activities as agricultural labor and trade in urban areas. However, because they proportionally only made up .02% of the population in Mexico at the time, they could not influence the country's political life.
Most recent migrants came during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
. More than 25,000 Spanish refugees settled in Mexico between 1939 and 1942, largely during the administration of President
Lazaro Cardenas del Río. Some of the migrants returned to Spain after the Civil War, but many more remained in Mexico.
The "Children of Morelia" were 456 children of
Spanish Republicans
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
, which were brought from Spain in 1937 on a steamship named ''Mexique'' which flew under a French flag, at the request of the Mexican Assistance Committee by Pueblo Spanish, based in Barcelona. This children were received by Mexican President Lázaro Cardenas del Río.
Due to the
financial crisis of 2007–2008
Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fi ...
and the resulting economic decline and high unemployment in Spain, many Spaniards emigrated to Mexico to seek new opportunities. For example, during the last quarter of 2012, 7,630 work permits were granted to Spaniards.
Economic and social issues
![Acercamiento de la Fuente de Cibeles México](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Acercamiento_de_la_Fuente_de_Cibeles_M%C3%A9xico.jpg)
The Spanish community in Mexico includes business people, entertainers, academics, artists, and professional students. According to ''
Milenio
''Milenio'' is a major national newspaper in Mexico, owned by Grupo Multimedios.
It is published in 11 cities across Mexico, including Monterrey, Mexico City, Guadalajara, León, Pachuca, Puebla, Villahermosa, Tampico, Torreón, Toluca, and ...
'', Spanish companies are the largest foreign investors in Mexico.
Xenophobia
![El exilio español en la CD de México (13)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/El_exilio_espa%C3%B1ol_en_la_CD_de_M%C3%A9xico_%2813%29.JPG)
Hispanophobia began during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
because of the influx of Spanish immigrants in the country during
Lázaro Cárdenas’ presidency, which caused a change in the Mexican education system. Through an effort of nation building, the government began identifying with the Aztec civilization rather than the Spaniards. Key figures of Mexican history such as Hernán Cortés were demonized and a generally negative perspective of the Spanish conquest became official history.
The word ''
gachupín'' is used for Spaniards who live in Mexico and Guatemala as a slur, referring to conquistadors and people from Spain. Official history says
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla mentioned in the Grito de Dolores; ''Mueran los gachupines'' (Death to ''gachupines''!).
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...
caused controversy with his mural ''Historia del estado de Morelos, conquista y revolución'' (''The History of the State of Morelos, Conquest and Revolution''), painted between 1929 and 1930. He was accused of Hispanophobia and his mural created a diplomatic conflict between the Mexican and Spanish governments. Upon being asked about criticisms of his mural, Rivera only replied “¡ya apareció el gachupín!” ("here's the gachupín").
There are many stereotypes of Spaniards in Mexico. Some cultural symbols are the Barb horse and boina (a Spanish beret). When Spanish people are depicted in many Mexican newspapers, they are shown smoking ''habanos'' (Cuban cigars) and drinking wine.
Education
![Colmex007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Colmex007.JPG)
Important Spanish schools remain in Mexico, such as Colegio Madrid of Mexico City, a scholarly institute founded in 1941 by Spanish immigrants and Mexican teachers. This is a private school for elementary education.
The
Colegio de México (Colmex) was an organization of Spanish Civil War exiles beginning as "Casa de España en México" (House of Spain in Mexico). In 1939, Alfonso Reyes would be president of the "Colegio" until his death. Historian
Daniel Cosío Villegas
Daniel Cosío Villegas (July 23, 1898 – March 10, 1976) was a Mexican prominent economist, essayist, historian, and diplomat.
Cosío Villegas was born in Mexico City. After studying one year in engineering and two years of philosophy, he receiv ...
played an important role in its institutionalization and the Colegio's library bears his name.
Spanish culture in Mexico
Mexico is the largest and perhaps most culturally influential country in the Hispanosphere. Its culture is overwhelmingly derived from the Spanish founders and settlers of
New Spain which would eventually become the modern day Republic of Mexico.
Languages
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
was brought to
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
around 500 years ago, although Nahuatl remained the official language for much of the colonial period. As a result of prolonged and mass immigration, many urban centers were predominantly populated by Spaniards by the early 19th century. Mexico City (
Tenochtitlán
, ; es, Tenochtitlan also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, ; es, México-Tenochtitlan was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear. The date 13 March 1325 was ...
) had also been the capital of the
Aztec
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...
Empire, and many speakers of the Aztec language
Nahuatl continued to live there and in the surrounding region, outnumbering Spanish-speakers for several generations. Consequently, Mexico City tended historically to exercise a standardizing effect over the entire country, more or less, evolving into a distinctive dialect of
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
which incorporated a significant number of
Hispanicized
Hispanicization ( es, hispanización) refers to the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by Hispanic culture or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-Hispanic becomes Hispanic. Hispanicization is il ...
Nahuatl words.
Many
Catalans
Catalans (Catalan, French and Occitan: ''catalans''; es, catalanes, Italian: ''catalani'', sc, cadelanos) are a Romance ethnic group native to Catalonia, who speak Catalan. The current official category of "Catalans" is that of the citize ...
fleeing
Francoist Spain
Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...
immigrated to Mexico, where they were free to express the
Catalan language
Catalan (; autonym: , ), known in the Valencian Community and Carche as ''Valencian'' (autonym: ), is a Western Romance language. It is the official language of Andorra, and an official language of three autonomous communities in eastern ...
. The Orfeó Català de Mèxic was a mecca for Catalan speakers and artists.
Charreria
Charrería
Charrería () is a sport and discipline arising from equestrian activities and livestock traditions used in the haciendas of old Mexico.
Evolving from the traditions brought from Spain, most specifically the municipality of Salamanca in the 1 ...
, a word encompassing all aspects of the art of raising horses, evolved from the traditions that came to Mexico from
Salamanca, Spain
Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Herita ...
in the 16th century. When the Spanish first settled in
Colonial Mexico
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:
* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology)
Architecture
* American colonial architecture
* French Colonial
* Spanish Colonial architecture
Automobiles
* Colonial (1920 ...
, they were under orders to raise horses named ''criollos'' (Spanish people), but not to allow the
indigenous people
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
to ride. However, by 1528 the Spanish had very large
cattle-raising estates and found it necessary to employ indigenous people as
vaqueros or Creole herdsman, who soon became excellent horsemen. Smaller landholders, known as rancheros or ranchers, were the first genuine
charro
Charro has several meanings, but it generally refers to Mexican horse riders, who maintain traditional dress, such as some form of sombrero, which in Mexican Spanish are called ''sombrero de charro'' (a charro's hat). The charros could also ...
s and they are credited as the inventors of the charreada.
Bullfighting
Bullfighting arrived in Mexico with the first Spaniards. Records are found of the first bullfights debuted in Mexico on June 26, 1526, with a bullfight in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
held in honor of explorer
Hernán Cortés, who had just come back from
Honduras (then known as Las Hibueras). From that point on, bullfights were staged all over Mexico as part of various civic, social and religious celebrations.
Today, there are about 220 permanent bullrings throughout Mexico with the largest venue of its kind is the
Plaza de toros México
The Plaza de toros México, situated in Mexico City, is the world's largest bullring. This 41,262-seat facility is usually dedicated to bullfighting, but many boxing matches have been held there as well, including Julio César Chávez's third ...
in central
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
which opened in 1946 and seats 48,000 people.
Holy week
Holy week is a Spanish tradition represented in many Mexican cities as San Luis Potosí City, Taxco de Alarcón or Morelia, this religious representation is very similar to Sevilla Holy week procession o ''Semana Mayor'' from other Spanish cities..
Spanish place names in Mexico
Hundreds of places in Mexico are named after places in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
or have Spanish names due to the
Spanish colonialism
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its predece ...
,
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
settlers and
explorer
Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians.
Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
s.
These include:
*
Guadalajara, Jalisco, after
Guadalajara, Spain
Guadalajara (, ) is a city and municipality in Spain, located in the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. It is the capital of the Province of Guadalajara.
Lying on the central part of the Iberian Peninsula at roughly metres above sea ...
,
*
Mérida, Yucatán
Mérida () is the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, and the largest city in southeastern Mexico. The city is also the seat of the eponymous Municipality. It is located in the northwest corner of the Yucatán Peninsula, about 35 km (22 ...
after
Mérida, Spain
*
Zamora, Michoacán
Zamora de Hidalgo (Spanish pronunciation: aˈmoɾa de i'dalɢo is a city in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The 2010 census population was 141,627. making it the third largest city in the state. The city is the municipal seat of Zamora Munic ...
after
Zamora, Spain
Zamora () is a city and municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital of the province of Zamora. The city straddles the Duero river. With its 24 characteristic Romanesque style churches of the ...
*
León, Guanajuato after
León, Spain
*
Valladolid, Yucatán
Valladolid (; Saki in Maya) is a city located in the eastern region of the Mexican state of Yucatán. It is the seat of Valladolid Municipality.
As of the 2020 census the population of the city was 56,494 inhabitants (the third-largest commu ...
after
Valladolid, Spain
Valladolid () is a municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. It has a population around 300,000 peopl ...
and
Morelia, Michoacán
Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid) is a city and municipal seat of the municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital and larg ...
formerly named Valladolid de Michoacán
*
Nuevo León named after the former
Kingdom of León in Spain
*
Monterrey city was named after the Countess of Monterrei (a city in
Galicia, Spain), wife of the Viceroy of
New Spain Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of Monterrey
Gaspar de Zúñiga Acevedo y Fonseca, 5th Count of Monterrey (1560 – March 16, 1606, Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal ...
, Count of
Monterrey, Spain.
*
Salamanca, Guanajuato
Salamanca ( Otomi: ''Xidoo'' "Place of Tepetate") is a city in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.
Founded January 1, 1603 as 'Villa de Salamanca' by the Viceroy Gaspar de Zuniga and Acevedo, fifth Earl of Monterrey, who was originally from Salam ...
named after
Salamanca
Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Herit ...
, Spain
*
Burgos, Tamaulipas named after
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of ...
, Spain
*
Linares, Nuevo León named after
Linares, Spain
*
Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cádiz Mountains. , the c ...
,
Zacatecas
, image_map = Zacatecas in Mexico (location map scheme).svg
, map_caption = State of Zacatecas within Mexico
, coordinates =
, coor_pinpoint =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type ...
named after
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway bet ...
, Spain
*
Durango, Durango
Durango City (, stp, Korian), officially Victoria de Durango is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Durango. The city, which is located in Northern Mexico has a population of 654,876 as of the 2015 census, and sits at an altitud ...
named after
Durango, Spain
Durango is a town and municipality of the historical territory and province of Biscay, located in the Basque Country, Spain. It is the main town of Durangaldea, one of the '' comarcas'' of Biscay. Because of its economical activities and populati ...
*
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
Nuevo Laredo () is a city in the Municipality of Nuevo Laredo in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The city lies on the banks of the Rio Grande, across from Laredo, United States. The 2010 census population of the city was 373,725. Nuevo Lare ...
after
Laredo, Cantabria
Laredo () is a town in the autonomous community of Cantabria. According to the 2008 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 12,648 inhabitants. In addition to Laredo, the municipality includes the villages of La Arenosa, El Callejo, ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
*
Córdoba, Veracruz
Córdoba, known officially as Heroica Córdoba, is a city and the seat of the municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It was founded in 1618.
The city is composed of 15 barrios (neighborhoods) bounded to the north by Ixhua ...
after
Córdoba, Spain
Córdoba (; ),, Arabic: قُرطبة DIN: . or Cordova () in English, is a city in Andalusia, Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. It is the third most populated municipality in Andalusia and the 11th overall in the country.
The ...
*
Zaragoza, Veracruz
Zaragoza is a municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz, located southeast of the state capital of Xalapa and southwest of the city of Minatitlán.
Geography
The municipality of Zaragoza is located on the coastal plain of southern Veracru ...
after
Zaragoza, Spain
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
*
Zaragoza, Puebla after
Zaragoza, Spain
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
*
Medellín, Veracruz Medellín de Bravo, formerly known as Tecamachales, is a town in the state of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Mexico and the capital of the municipality of Medellín . It is part of the Metropolitan Area of Veracruz.
History
In pre-Columbian Amer ...
after
Medellín, Spain
Medellín () is a village in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain, notable as both the birthplace of Hernán Cortés in 1485 and the site of the Battle of Medellín, during the Peninsular War. The second-largest city in Colombia, Mede ...
*
Compostela, Nayarit
Compostela is the name of both a municipality and of a town in it that serves as the seat; both are in the Mexican state of Nayarit. The municipality had 62,925 (2005 census) in a total area of 1,848 km² (713.5 sq mi). The town and its mun ...
after
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of S ...
*
Villahermosa, Tabasco
Villahermosa ( , ; "Beautiful Village") is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Tabasco, and serves as the Municipalities of Mexico, municipal seat (governing county) of the state. Located in Southeast Mexico, Villahermosa is an ...
after
Villahermosa del Campo, Spain
*
Reynosa, Tamaulipas
Reynosa () is a border city in the northern part of the state of Tamaulipas, in Mexico. It is also the municipal seat of Reynosa Municipality.
The city is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande in the international Reynosa–McAllen Met ...
(''La Villa de Reinosa'' generic changed after independence because the word says
uilt''as the king'') after
Reinosa
Reinosa is a municipality in Cantabria, Spain. , it has 10,307 inhabitants. The municipality, one of the smallest by land area in Cantabria, is notable for being one of the nearest towns to the headwaters of the Ebro River. It is surrounded by th ...
, Cantabria, Spain
*
Madrid, Colima after
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...
, Spain
*
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, and the municipal seat of the homonymous municipality. It is on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from ...
after
Valle de Matamoros, Extremadura, Spain
*
Altamira, Tamaulipas
Altamira is a port city on the Gulf of Mexico and is located near the southeastern tip of the state of Tamaulipas in Mexico. It is the second-largest city in the municipality of Altamira. To the south is Tampico, also in this state.
The city is ...
after
Altamira
Altamira may refer to:
People
*Altamira (surname)
Places
* Cave of Altamira, a cave in Cantabria, Spain famous for its paintings and carving
*Altamira, Pará, a city in the Brazilian state of Pará
* Altamira, Huila, a town and municipality in ...
, Bilbao, Spain
*
Arandas, Jalisco
Arandas is a municipality of the Altos Sur region of the state of Jalisco in Mexico. Arandas is also the name of the municipality's main township and the center of the municipal government. The city centre is approximately 86 miles (138 k ...
after
Aranda, Aragón, Spain
*
Arandas, Guanajuato after
Aranda, Aragón, Spain
*
Guadalcázar, San Luis Potosí after
Guadalcázar, Córdoba, Spain
*
Lerma, State of Mexico
Lerma is a municipality located just east of Toluca and 54 km west of Mexico City in State of Mexico, Mexico. The municipal seat city of Lerma de Villada was founded in the early colonial period and named after the Duke of Lerma in Spain. The ...
after
Lerma, Castile and León, Spain
*
Lerma, Campeche after
Lerma, Castile and León, Spain
*
Candelaria, Campeche
Candelaria is one of the 11 Municipalities of Mexico, municipalities that make up the Mexico, Mexican mexican state, state of Campeche. It is situated at the south of the state, and the municipal seat, and largest settlement, is the city of Candel ...
after
Candelaria, Tenerife Canary Islands, Spain
*
Granada, Yucatán after
Granada, Andalusia, Spain
Principal areas of settlement
The Asturians are a very large community that has a long history in Mexico, dating from colonial times to the present. There are about 42,000 people of Asturian birth in Mexico. The Catalans are also very numerous in Mexico. According to sources from the Catalan community, there are approximately 12,000 Catalan-born around the country.. There are also as many as 8,500
Basques, 6,000 Galicians, and 1,600 Canary Islanders.
The largest population of Spanish descent are located in Mexico Valley, Puebla-Veracruz region, Bajío region, Guadalajara Valley, Altos de Jalisco, Northern region and Riviera Maya, where they make up the largest proportion of the Spanish population. Large populations are found in the states like
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
,
Mexico State
The State of Mexico ( es, Estado de México; ), officially just Mexico ( es, México), is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Commonly known as Edomex (from ) to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is ...
,
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
,
Puebla,
Jalisco,
Nuevo León,
Aguascalientes,
Durango,
Guanajuato,
Querétaro, and
Chihuahua. Also, Northern Mexico is inhabited by many millions of Spanish descendants. Some states like
Zacatecas
, image_map = Zacatecas in Mexico (location map scheme).svg
, map_caption = State of Zacatecas within Mexico
, coordinates =
, coor_pinpoint =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type ...
,
Sinaloa,
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
,
Sonora,
San Luis Potosí and
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
.
Mexico City
![04242012semana de la cultura779](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/04242012semana_de_la_cultura779.jpg)
Mexico City has the biggest Spanish population in the country. In this city are all the Spanish institutions as Embassy of Spain, cultural centers as soon as Centro Asturiano, Centro Gallego, Casa de Madrid, Casa de Andalucía, Centro Montañes, Orfeo Catalán de Mexico, Centro Vasco, Centro Canario, Centro Republicano Español, Ateneo Español, Casino Español, Asociación Valenciana, Centro Castellano, and health institutions as the Beneficiencia Española, Hospital Español and Hospital-ito.
Also in Mexico City is home to important Spanish schools and universities such as the Colegio Madrid, Universidad Iberoamericana, Colegio de México, and Universidad Anahuac.
Puebla City
Puebla City is the other major Spanish population in Mexico. The ''Parque España'', a social community and school founded by Spaniards and Spanish Mexicans descendants, is found in the city.
The Centro Gallego de México makes a Beato Sebastián de Aparicio romería to Puebla City each year, this event is an interesting Galician community with Folk music and Galician dances outside the Old San Francisco convento to Downtown Puebla de Zaragoza, Puebla State.
Demographics
Spanish descendants make up the largest group of Europeans in Mexico and a majority of Mexicans have some degree of Spanish descent. Most of their ancestors arrived during the colonial period but further hundreds of thousands have since then immigrated, especially during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
in the 1930s. According to CIA World Factbook, people of full or predominant European descent make up 10% of Mexico's population. The Encyclopædia Britannica states those of predominantly European descent make up closer to one-sixth (≈17%) of the Mexican population.
Notable people
Spaniards who settled in Mexico
See also
*
Immigration to Mexico
Immigration to Mexico has been important in shaping the country's demographics. Since the early sixteenth century with the arrival of the Spanish, Mexico has received immigrants from Europe, Africa, the Americas (particularly the United States a ...
*
Basque Mexicans
Basque Mexicans (Spanish: ''vasco-mexicanos'' or simply ''vasco'', Euskara: ''euskal-mexikar'') are Mexicans of full, partial, or predominantly Basque ancestry, or Basque-born persons living in Mexico.
Seen in Mexico by the whole Euskalerria ...
*
Mexico–Spain relations
*
Mexicans of European descent
White Mexicans ( es, Mexicanos blancos) are Mexicans who are considered or identify as white, typically due to their physical appearance and/or self-identification with their European ancestry. While the Mexican government does conduct ethnic ...
*
Hispanos of New Mexico
The Hispanos of New Mexico, also known as Neomexicanos ( es, Neomexicano) or Nuevomexicanos, are Hispanic residents originating in the historical region of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, today the US state of New Mexico (''Nuevo México''), south ...
*
Portuguese Mexican
The Portuguese arrived in Mexico during the Spanish colonial period. Many of them were sailors, conquistadors, clergy, and members of the military. Later Portuguese arrivals included pirates in conflict with Spanish leadership. Today, the country ...
*
Mestizos in Mexico
In Mexico, the term '' mestizo'' (lit. "mixed") is used to refer to an identity of those of mixed European (mainly Spanish) and indigenous Mexican descent. Some believe it can be defined by criteria ranging from ideological and cultural to self- ...
*
White Mexicans
White Mexicans ( es, Mexicanos blancos) are Mexicans who are considered or identify as white, typically due to their physical appearance and/or self-identification with their European ancestry. While the Mexican government does conduct ethnic c ...
References
Further reading
*Altman, Ida. ''Transatlantic Ties in the Spanish Empire: Brihuega, Spain, and Puebla, Mexico, 1560-1620''. Stanford University Press, 2000.
*Fagen, Patricia W. ''Exiles and citizens: Spanish republicans in Mexico''. Vol. 29. University of Texas Press, 2014.
*Faber, Sebastiaan. ''Exile and cultural hegemony: Spanish intellectuals in Mexico, 1939-1975''. Vanderbilt University Press, 2002.
*Kenny, Michael. "Twentieth-century Spanish Expatriates in Mexico: an urban Sub-culture." Anthropological Quarterly 35.4 (1962): 169-180.
*Powell, Thomas G. ''Mexico and the Spanish Civil War''. University of New Mexico Press, 1981.
*Rickett, Rosy. "Refugees of the Spanish Civil War and those they left behind: personal testimonies of departure, separation and return since 1936." Diss. The University of Manchester (United Kingdom), 2015.
*Smith, Lois Elwyn. ''Mexico and the Spanish republicans''. Vol. 4. University of California Press, 1955.
External links
How the Spanish Civil War Drove My Family to MexicoLos que llegaron, EspañolesLos niños de MoreliaRomería del Pilar in Parque España, Puebla City.
{{Spanish diaspora
European Mexican
Mexico–Spain relations
Spanish diaspora in Mexico
Ethnic groups in Mexico