Mestizo

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mestizo (Meh-stee-tzo) is a Spanish term for a person who is of mixed European (usually Spanish) and Native American ancestry.

Mestizos exist since the time when Spain controlled what is now Latin America. A mestizo was the son of a Spanish father and a Native American mother. Mestizos form the largest part of the population in many Latin American nations, including Mexico, which is the Spanish-speaking nation with the largest population in the world.

During the colonial era, many Native Americans were converted to Roman Catholicism and began using the Spanish language instead of their traditional one. This was because of the concept that existed in the Spanish colonies which gave more "value" to European people, over Native Americans and Africans. Because of this, many Native Americans gained better social status by calling themselves "mestizos" instead of "Native American."