Hispanics in New Mexico are direct descendants of the settlers that came with Juan de Oñate in July 1598 and named it Nuevo Mexico 250 years before the establishment of the present day nation of Mexico. Therefore no part of Mexico, New Mexico was already here. The Americans didn’t cross the salty waters until the 1700s.
They brought tools, guns, horses, cattle, sheep, seeds, herbs and many other things. The natives acquired horses and intermarried with the settlers, which helped them protect themselves from invading tribes.
Hispanics are proud of who we are and believe the Juan de Oñate statue deserves to stay. Why try to erase our history and pretend it didn’t happen?
Carlos Martinez
Española