Jonah Patel
The Constitution of New Mexico is a document that establishes the fundamental political framework of the state. It sets forth the principles and structure of government, enumerates the rights of citizens, and functions as the supreme law of the state, subordinate only to the United States Constitution. New Mexico has a strong Spanish history and a historical Spanish legal system, and the state's constitution reflects this by declaring the state as bilingual. This was intended to protect the rights of Spanish speakers and those of Spanish descent, reaffirming the rights of Hispanos and Spanish speakers under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Recognition of the state's cultural and ethnic diversity | The New Mexico Constitution reaffirms the rights of Hispanos and Spanish speakers, recognising the state's cultural and ethnic diversity. |
| Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo | The constitution enforces the treaty, which granted US citizenship and legal protections to former Mexican nationals and prohibits discrimination based on language. |
| Bilingual state | New Mexico declares itself a bilingual state, with laws originally required to be published in both English and Spanish. |
| Educational access | The constitution protects the educational access of Spanish speakers and those of Spanish descent. |
| Number of amendments | The New Mexico Constitution has been amended over 170 times. |
| Number of articles | There are 24 articles in the New Mexico Constitution. |
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What You'll Learn
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
By the terms of the treaty, Mexico ceded 55% of its territory, including the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. Mexico also relinquished all claims to Texas and recognized the Rio Grande as the southern boundary with the United States. In exchange, the U.S. government paid Mexico $15 million "in consideration of the extension acquired by the boundaries of the United States" and agreed to pay debts owed to American citizens by the Mexican government.
The treaty also included provisions for the protection of property and civil rights of Mexican nationals living within the new U.S. boundaries, and it guaranteed that Mexicans who remained in the ceded lands for more than one year would automatically become full-fledged U.S. citizens (with the option to declare their intention to remain Mexican citizens). The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, along with the 1853 Gadsden Purchase, established the southern border of the present-day United States.
It is worth noting that the version of the treaty ratified by the United States Senate eliminated Article X, which stated that the U.S. government would honour and guarantee all land grants awarded in lands ceded to the United States by the governments of Spain and Mexico. On May 30, 1848, when the two countries exchanged ratifications of the treaty, they further negotiated a three-article protocol to explain the amendments. The United States later ignored this protocol, arguing that its representatives had exceeded their authority in agreeing to it.
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Bilingual laws and education
The Constitution of the State of New Mexico (Spanish: Constitución del Estado de Nuevo México) was adopted by referendum in both English and Spanish and ratified by popular vote on January 21, 1911. It sets forth the principles and structure of government, enumerates the rights of citizens, and functions as the supreme law of the state, subordinate only to the United States Constitution.
New Mexico's original state constitution of 1911 required all laws to be published in both English and Spanish for 20 years after ratification. This was intended to protect the educational access of Spanish speakers and those of Spanish descent. The constitution also reaffirms the rights of Hispanos and Spanish speakers under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which granted US citizenship and various legal protections to former Mexican nationals. It prohibits discrimination based on an "inability to speak, read or write the English or Spanish languages."
In 1989, New Mexico became the first of only four states to officially adopt the English Plus resolution, which supports the acceptance of non-English languages. In 2008, New Mexico was the first state to officially adopt a Navajo textbook for use in public schools.
Funding for education is addressed in Section 2 of the Constitution, which established the Land Grant Permanent Fund for education. This fund was intended to provide a sustainable source of income to fund public schools in the state. However, due to New Mexico's large geographic size and small economic base, the fund is insufficient to fully support the educational mandates of the Constitution. Therefore, the state legislature also appropriates funds directly to supplement other funding sources.
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Spanish-speaking citizens' rights
The Spanish language first arrived in present-day New Mexico in 1598 with Juan de Oñate's colonization expedition, which brought 600-700 settlers. Almost half of these early settlers were from Spain, with most of the rest from various parts of Latin America, the Canary Islands, and Portugal. This mix of cultural influences, along with local American Indian influence, has resulted in a unique Spanish dialect in New Mexico.
New Mexican Spanish refers to the Spanish varieties spoken throughout the state of New Mexico and in southern Colorado. The Spanish spoken in these areas can be described as a regional language made up of archaic sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Spanish, Mexican Indian words, indigenous Rio Grande Indian words, and expressions peculiar to the Spanish of Mexico. New Mexican Spanish has survived for over four hundred years, with many native speakers using it as a sacred language and actively using it with their children.
The rights of Spanish-speaking citizens in New Mexico are protected by the state's constitution. The original state constitution of 1911 required all laws to be published in both English and Spanish for twenty years after ratification. In 1989, New Mexico became the first of only four states to officially adopt the English Plus resolution, which supports the acceptance of non-English languages. The constitution also provides that all state citizens who speak neither English nor Spanish have the right to vote, hold public office, and serve on juries.
In addition to legal protections, Spanish-speaking citizens in New Mexico have access to education and media in their native language. In 2008, New Mexico became the first state to officially adopt a Navajo textbook for use in public schools. There have also been television programs in New Mexican Spanish, such as the Val De La O Show. However, there are fears that New Mexican Spanish could become an endangered dialect due to influence from Mexican immigrants and a decline in its use in the public sphere.
Spanish-speaking citizens in New Mexico have a unique cultural identity that is distinct from recent Hispanic immigrants. Many Spanish-speaking New Mexicans have been in the state for generations and strongly identify as American, with some being war veterans. They may get frustrated when people try to correct their Spanish or erase their dialect and culture. It is important to respect the rights and cultural identity of Spanish-speaking citizens in New Mexico and recognize their long history in the state.
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New Mexico's Hispanic heritage
New Mexico has a rich and long Hispanic heritage. The state has the highest proportion of Hispanic ancestry among all the US states, with Hispanics and Latinos constituting nearly half of all residents (49.3%). The Hispanos of New Mexico, also known as New Mexican Hispanics or Nuevomexicanos, are an ethnic community of approximately 340,000 in New Mexico, with others throughout the historical Spanish territorial claim of Nuevo México. The term Hispano is used to differentiate those who settled in the area early, around 1598 to 1848, from later Mexican migrants.
The first Spanish settlers emigrated to New Mexico on July 11, 1598, when the explorer Don Juan de Oñate arrived from Mexico City with 500 Spanish settlers. The descendants of these early settlers include those of Spanish colonists who settled between the 16th and 18th centuries, as well as more recent immigrants from Latin America, particularly Mexico and Central America. The influence of Hispanic culture is evident in New Mexico's cuisine, history, festivals, and arts.
The National Hispanic Cultural Center in New Mexico works to preserve and present Hispanic culture at the local, state, national, and international levels. The center's 16-acre campus features an art museum, performing arts complex, education center, history and literary arts building, and several outdoor patios and plazuelas. Throughout the year, visitors can enjoy a diverse mix of traditional and contemporary art, music, dance, theatre, book signings, lectures, and family programming.
The Spanish language also has a strong presence in New Mexico. The state's original constitution of 1911 required all laws to be published in both English and Spanish for 20 years after ratification. In 1989, New Mexico became the first of only four states to officially adopt the English Plus resolution, which supports the acceptance of non-English languages. In 1995, the state adopted an official bilingual song, "New Mexico – Mi Lindo Nuevo México". The state also has a constitutional obligation to provide bilingual education and Spanish-speaking instructors in school districts where most students are hispanophone.
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Spanish dialect and vocabulary
The Spanish language is spoken by at least 500 million people across 21 countries, with an additional 41 million Spanish speakers in the United States. There are several different dialects of Spanish, with some sources estimating between 20 and 30 distinct dialects. The number of dialects can vary depending on how they are classified, as some dialects may be grouped together as part of a broader regional variety.
The major dialects of Spanish include Castilian Spanish (spoken in Spain), Mexican Spanish, Central American Spanish, Caribbean Spanish, Andean Spanish, Chilean Spanish, Paraguayan Spanish, and Rioplatense Spanish (spoken in Argentina and Uruguay). Each of these dialects has unique characteristics in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. For example, in Spain, "coche" is used to refer to a car, while in Latin America, "carro" is more common.
The greatest division in Old World Spanish varieties is from north to south, with a central-northern dialect spoken north of Madrid, an Andalusian dialect to the south, and an intermediary dialect in between. The Canary Islands constitute their own dialect cluster, most closely related to western Andalusian.
In terms of grammar, the most prominent variation among dialects is in the use of second-person pronouns. In Hispanic America, the only second-person plural pronoun is "ustedes", while in most of Spain, the informal plural pronoun is "vosotros", with "ustedes" used only in formal contexts. In some parts of Latin America, the pronoun "vos" is used instead of "tú" to mean "you".
The New Mexican dialect of Spanish has been influenced by centuries of isolation during the colonial period, leading to the preservation of older vocabulary and innovations in pronunciation and grammar. New Mexican Spanish has also been influenced by indigenous languages, with many loanwords for food, plants, animals, clothes, and household objects.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the New Mexico Constitution includes speaking Spanish. It reaffirms the rights of Spanish speakers and those of Spanish descent under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which granted US citizenship and legal protections to former Mexican nationals.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo governed the rights, privileges, and immunities of former Mexican citizens living under US administration. It granted US citizenship unconditionally and protected their religious, linguistic, and cultural heritage.
The original constitution of 1911 required all laws to be published in both English and Spanish for 20 years after ratification.
Hispanics and Latinos constitute nearly half of all residents (49.3%), giving New Mexico the highest proportion of Hispanic ancestry among all US states.
Yes, the constitution prohibits discrimination based on an "inability to speak, read or write the English or Spanish languages." It also establishes the Land Grant Permanent Fund for education, which provides funding for public schools in the state.
