Whither the Nuevomexicanos: The career of a southwestern intellectual discourse, 1907-2004

Since the end of the Mexican American War in 1848, the Hispanic natives of New Mexico have been part of the greater Mexican American category, but at the turn of the 20th century, many of them began denying their Mexican heritage, ideologically claiming to be “Hispanos,” or “Spanish Americans,” instead. This renaming movement precipitated a debate among academics and social researchers over the true ethnic heritage of the Nuevomexicanos. This article reviews the major statements in this “discourse of intellectuals” since it began in 1907, noting the moments when ideas reflected the temper of their times, and highlighting the different conceptual standpoints that were taken in the aim of defining Nuevomexicano heritage. It concludes by cautioning about theory which would presume to define essential ethnicity.