Why is the Manito culture of New Mexico a distinct Mexican-American culture?

"Manito” is Spanish, short for “hermanito” ("little brother"). The Spanish-speaking residents of New Mexico were called “manitos” by at least the 1950s. “Manito” is also the name of the dialect of New Mexico Spanish. It is a colloquial term that refers to descendants of Spanish and Mexican colonists who settled the area before Albuquerque became part of the United States. It is a distinct cultural strain rooted in New Mexico's history. Albuquerque existed as a predominantly Manito agrarian community http://books.google.com/books?id=rjq0Bye… p. 156-157 (these 2 pages have a lot of information) "In New Mexico, where my family originated, people pride themselves on being proper Hispanos. New Mexico was a Spanish colony ... more