RIO RANCHO, N.M. -- A decades-long fight between some Hispanics and Native Americans over the removal of statues honoring Spanish colonial figures in New Mexico and California is boiling over again.
Hispanics who venerated Spain’s historical ties to the U.S. say the monuments celebrate their cultural heritage.
Native Americans say that history ignores the pain of colonialism.
The historical markers highlight a complicated past that has spanned centuries.
Spain’s enduring hold over the territory that is now New Mexico made it unlike other areas in the Southwest and opened the door for memorializing the Spanish influence.
