 New Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821 and eventually achieved independent statehood in the United States of America in 1912.The mixed cultural influences and a long history of intermarriage among the Hispanos and the indigenous peoples (i.e.,the "mestizaje") remained largely intact throughout rural New Mexico well into the 20th century.The colonization of New Mexico by Spanish colonists resulted, therefore, in a combination of indigenous myths with Catholicism.