Mestizaje is defined by the interbreeding and cultural intermixing of Spanish and American Indiana people. The term dates back to the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the 16th century. Mestizos were the sons and daughters of the foreigners and native women. Progressively, “more and more children were produced by marriages, informal liaisons, casual affairs, and rapes” (Mundy). The mestizos grew in numbers and became a dominant presence in colonial Spanish America. This term carried a negative connotation; for instance, in the 17th century a Spanish dictionary defined mestizo as a mix of different species of animals. They became categorized as impure and undesirable. In modern times, the term has evolved to more positive meanings. Today, Mestizaje