The Spanish colonization can be seen in two different ways, one of them was brutal and very destructive, and the other one was based on integration, mixing, and assimilation. The ways in which the Spanish shaped the North American history are mostly seen in the demographic composition, cultural landscape, and elimination of native civilizations. The Spanish mixed with the local population, which gradually gave rise to a new ethnic group known as mestizo, more commonly referred to as Latino. This ethic group has actually become the dominant one in the areas that the Spanish conquered. The culture has been heavily influences by the Spanish, as has been the politics and justice system. Another big influence has been the elimination of the native civilizations, such as the Aztecs and what has remained from the Maya, making a homogeneous cultural landscape.
