Was the US Southwest REALLY MEXICO?

What does it really mean when people say the American Southwest “used to be Mexico”?

We're talking about Utah, Colorado, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada. The real history stretches across 1,000 years — long before the word “Mexico” even existed — through the rise of the Mexica (Aztec origins), native american history presences in what would become "America", three centuries of New Spain, independence, the Texas revolt, the Mexican–American War, and the moment the border moved while families stayed exactly where they’d always been.

In this episode of The Mysteries of Latin America, you’ll discover:

• What the world looked like before “Mexico” was a country

• How the Mexica migrated from Aztlán to Tenochtitlan

• Why the northern territories were never part of the Mexica Empire

• How New Spain stretched into California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas

• How independence created the first people called “Mexicans”

• Why Tejas broke away — and why Tejanos fought to defend Mexico

• What really happened in the Mexican–American War

• How the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo redrew an entire continent

• Why culture stayed even when borders didn’t And then YOU decide: Was it really Mexico… or does the deeper truth live in the layers of Indigenous, Spanish, and Mexican heritage that never left? ──────────────────────── 

SOURCES & REFERENCES • Durán, D. (1581). Historia de las Indias de Nueva España • Ixtlilxóchitl, F. de A. (17th c.). Relaciones Históricas • León-Portilla, M. (1959). La Visión de los Vencidos • Townsend, C. (2019). Fifth Sun — Oxford University Press • National Park Service — Indigenous Nations of the Southwest • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) — U.S. National Archives • Gadsden Purchase (1853) — Library of Congress ──────────────────────── ❓ WHAT DO YOU THINK? Did these lands “used to be Mexico”? Or is the real answer hidden in the Indigenous, Spanish, and Mexican roots that never disappeared — even when the border did? Drop your thoughts — and your sources — in the comments below. ──────────────────────── ✅ SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-mmWrV59t4X7wJClrm58kA Instagram https://www.instagram.com/andycolonvo Podcast — The Mysteries of Latin America Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/12rJLlkJLvPqv1Q6rSm9ll Apple → https://apple.co/4jGoTO0 ──────────────────────── 🛍️ SUPPORT THE CHANNEL MOLA Merch (shirts, hats, mugs): https://mola-merch.creator-spring.com/ Books, tools, and gear used in the show: https://www.amazon.com/shop/themysteriesoflatinamericawithandrewcolon ──────────────────────── 🎥 WATCH NEXT • Aztlán: The Original Migration Myth https://youtu.be/IpvObjsMlMU • Did The Aztecs Come From Califonia? https://youtu.be/pPWHr-jny6w • Is Utah The Original Home of the Aztecs? https://youtu.be/KUTtvebz8Vw ──────────────────────── 🎙️ NEED PROFESSIONAL VOICE-OVER? Narration in English or Spanish — documentaries, training, e-learning, character work, and time-synced dubbing. Book me directly: https://andycancun.com ──────────────────────── 🌎 ABOUT THIS CHANNEL Welcome to The Mysteries of Latin America. I’m Andrew Colón. Here we explore the myths, legends, ancient cities, and untold histories of Latin America — from northern Mexico to Argentina and across the Caribbean. If you’re reconnecting with your roots or just love learning the stories behind the places we come from… you’re in the right place.