Mexican Americans included New Mexican Hispanos and Pueblo Indians and Genizaros, Tejanos, Californios and Mission Indians have existed since the area was part of New Spain. The majority of these historically primarily Hispanophone populations eventually adopted English as their first language as part of their overall Americanization. Approximately ten percent of the current Mexican-American population are descended from the early colonial settlers who became U.S. citizens in 1848 via the Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo which ended the Mexican–American War. Although most of the original Mexican American population were officially deemed white citizens by the treaty, they have faced and continue to face
Afro-Mexicans in the Mexican War of Independence majority of them still is linked to agricultural economic activities. The war of independence was precipitated by events in Europe, specifically a failed coup against the viceroy Joseph Bonaparte. This encouraged small groups of rebels to take up arms against colonial rule. In September 1810, peasants and indigenous inhabitants of Dolores (Guanajuato) were called to action by the secular Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, former rector of the Colegio de San Nicolás Obispo. People of color were able to see that their independence was worth putting up a fight for it. However, Hidalgo was defeated. José Maria Morelos y