Things to do / Travel Guide
This region is known for its multicultural heritage and celebrates the contributions that its Native American, Hispanic, and European immigrants have made throughout its history. In recent years large influxes of additional ethnic groups from all over the world have further added to the cultural richness of the area. The mixing of these ethnic groups has created a culture wholly unique to the region, and one the residents are rightly proud of.
Most Native Americans in the region are Pueblo peoples, many of whom trace their ancestry back to the Anasazi tribes who first inhabited the region nearly two millennia before the Spanish. They built the pueblo villages and cliff dwellings famous in the region. Known for their artwork and deeply religious heritage, the Pueblo peoples have made a lasting impact on the history and culture of the region. The largest concentration of the Pueblo peoples is in the Pueblo villages of Northern New Mexico, and in Taos, where they make up roughly 4% of the population. The word “pueblo” can often be confusing, in Spanish it has come to mean “town” or “village,” as well as meaning a “nation” or a “people.”
As the state with the highest percentage (about 42%) of Hispanic Americans in the United States, New Mexico is a major center of Mexican-American culture. Although many are descendents of the Spanish who colonized the area, most Spanish-speaking residents of the region trace their lineage to ancestors who arrived more recently from Mexico. In Albuquerque, they make up about half of the city's residents. Spanish is very widely spoken and is often the first language here. Even those who don't speak Spanish often have slight Spanish accents or intonations in their speech. There are even isolated Spanish villages where the residents actually speak a form of medieval 16th century Spanish not spoken anywhere else in the world. Early Spanish imprints on the culture and history of the region have mixed over the years with the more recent Mexican-American influences to create a rich regional culture that is wholly unique.
Originally, most Europeans in New Mexico were direct descendents of the area's original cattlemen, prospectors, and pioneers. Nowadays, Caucasians make up about half of the population in the New Mexico portion of the region, while in southern Colorado they make up approximately 60% of the population. Artists and the like have been particularly drawn to the lifestyle and supportive community in Taos and Santa Fe, and many others have come in search of lucrative jobs in the high-tech sector centered around Albuquerque.
In this varied and large region, a cultural and ethnic mix wholly unique in the United States has developed over the years. Side by side, Native Americans, Hispanics, and European immigrants have lived and created together a cultural treasure that volumes could be written about. Over the years, this dynamic region has developed into one of the most appealing places to live in the United States, and regularly draws people from all over the world who want to do more than visit. The friendly locals' easy, laid-back lifestyle and vibrant arts and cultural scene continue to grow and enchant more and more visitors with each passing day.
The region is known largely for its prominent community of Native Americans. There are several prominent reservations in the region, and in addition to these, Native Americans also have influence and prominence culturally and politically throughout the region.
Today, New Mexico is the state with the highest percentage of citizens of Hispanic descent. Southern Colorado has also seen a rapid influx of Hispanic Americans in recent years, but still has much less of a Hispanic feel to its culture than northern New Mexico. Hispanic Americans have probably had their greatest influence on the cuisine of the region, almost universally loved by all who visit or live there. In addition to cuisine and music, the influence of Hispanic Americans can be seen in the fiestas that take place in municipalities throughout the region, as well as in the architecture that graces every plaza, neighborhood, and commercial district. Most citizens of the region are bilingual, and in some areas, Spanish is the first language. A distinct and palpable Hispanic feel is intrinsic to the region, and more than almost anywhere else in the United States, Hispanic culture has left a strong imprint here.
The original European immigrants who set foot in this land after the Spanish were the sort of rough men who make up the Hollywood movies and pulp fiction of the American West. Pioneers, prospectors, and ranchers; these hard men set out for this land often with all their worldly possessions on their back, seeking to make a livelihood on the Santa Fe Trail. In recent decades, the region has seen an almost constant influx of Caucasians from around the United States, who, are often urbane artists, intellectuals, or high-tech workers from the East and West Coasts. The region's laid-back atmosphere and beautiful scenery have attracted swarms of artists in recent decades. Santa Fe, in particular, has a thriving art community, partially spawned by its most famous resident, the late Gerogia O'Keeffe. In recent years, this influx of brain power and artistic vitality has helped develop the appealing and dynamic nature of many parts of this region.
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