The Spaniards came to Mexico in the 1500’s and conquered the Indians who had lived there for centuries. Subsequently called the Spanish
colony of Mexico a third group of people came to be recognized. They were known as mestizos. They had both Indian and European parents, grandparents and other ancestors. Today, the majority of the people in Mexico are mestizos. To be a mestizo is to be part of Mexico’s history and many mestizos are very aware of their Indian heritage.                      

Nearly all Mexican people speak Spanish which is the official language of the country. Interestingly, over five million Indians still use their Indian language in everyday life and can also speak Spanish. Maya and Zapotec are the major Indian languages spoken. Being Indian in Mexico does not depend on ancestry but rather on a way of life and mindset. Most Indian villages lie in the interior regions of the Yucatan and in the rugged areas of central and southern Mexico and much in a similar fashion as their ancestors. Government programs have helped to introduce modernization and initiate mainstream Mexican life style.

Numerous Mexican farmers live near their fields in small villages where houses are perched along simple dirt roads or cobblestone streets. In many villages, one finds a Catholic church in the plaza or Central square along a few stores and government buildings and of course, an open air market place. Nearly seventy five percent of all Mexicans now live in cities or towns. In Mexico, there are now eight cities with population over 500,000. Mexico City now boasts over ten million people.

Numerous cities and towns in Mexico began as Indian communities. When the Spaniards arrived, these became more like towns with plazas and homes with patios. In modern day, the cities are so largely populated, life in many ways mirrors life in the United States. Families live in rows of homes built in the Spanish colonial style, and suburbanites live in apartment buildings and houses. Mexico still has its share of poor people who live in slum shacks or scantily furnished rooms. Many people come to the cities to find work but there is not enough work for the population that is increasing rapidly as a result of a traditionally high birth rate and a sharply reduced death rate. Presently, more than half of the people in Mexico are under the age of twenty.

Almost all Mexicans speak Spanish, the official language of Mexico and nearly all other Latin American countries. Many words that are used in the USA, such as canyon, corral, desperado, lasso, macho, patio, rodeo and stampede, came from Mexico. Most Mexican Indians speak Spanish as well in addition to their own ancient language. More than five million Mexican Indians will primarily use their Indian language in daily life. These Indian languages include Maya, Mixtec, Otomi, Trascan and Zapotec.

Mexico’s people way of life includes many old customs from their Indian past and the Spanish colonial period. Mexico changed quite rapidly during the 1900’s. Life in the cities became quite similar to that of the USA however Mexican villagers still follow the older way of life. Today, many households consist of an average of five or six people. In many homes, several generations of the same family still live together. Women now have jobs outside the home and the women living on farms will work the fields as will the boys whereas the city boys will have part-time jobs while in school.