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Mestizaje: Identity from Colonial New Spain to the Present

Indigenous and Spanish Mixed Ancestry Identity

Learn about mixed Spanish and Indigenous (Mestizaje) identity and history of Colonial New Mexico from Dr. Nicholas Saenz, Professor of History at Adams State University

Chicanx identity embraces a notion of mixed ancestry (mestizaje) that acknowledges the significance of European and Native origins. This talk will explore the complex history of mestizaje from the Spanish colonial period to the late twentieth century and consider its contradictions and opportunities for the present. Food will be provided.

Biography: Dr. Nick Saenz is a professor of History at Adams State University and a former president of the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area. At Adams State, he teaches a course on Chicana/o/x history and other courses which figure as a part of a minor in Latino History. Dr. Saenz's scholarly interests include the region of Southern Colorado and the San Luis Valley. He is co-editor of The Geology, Ecology, and Human History of the San Luis Valley, released by the University Press of Colorado in 2020. Dr. Saenz is a consulting scholar for History Colorado’s Borderlands of Southern Colorado initiative.

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