I would imagine New Mexico was inhabited by a majority of Hispanics when it became a State. My husbands family was among them - inhabitants of the New Mexico region since the 1600’s.
My sister did our geneology and traced our earliest ancestor to a man who came into what is now New Mexico with Onate in the late 1500’s.
We have traced my family origin in New Mexico to Diego Castillo. He came to New Mexico in 1598 with Onate. He was a native of Torrijos Spain. I proudly carry the Castillo last name today.
There needs to be a distinction made between the “old families” and the new invaders. We are two very different groups. We love this country, while on the other hand they exploit it, and our cultures are distincly different. Theirs is Mexican, while ours is Spanish Colonial.