Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Mestizo (from Spanish mestizo, "mixed") refers to people of combined European (primarily Spanish) and Indigenous American ancestry. The term emerged during the colonial period in Mexico and across Latin America.
Today, mestizos constitute the majority of Mexico's population—estimates range from 60% to over 80%, depending on classification criteria. The identity encompasses a blending of cultures, languages (Spanish and Indigenous languages), traditions, and physical traits.
After the Spanish conquest (1519–1521), intermarriage and cultural exchange between Spanish colonists and Native peoples (Aztecs, Maya, Zapotecs, etc.) produced a new social group. While colonial society imposed a rigid casta hierarchy, mestizo identity eventually became central to Mexican national consciousness, especially after the Revolution (1910–1920).