The Californians felt much connected with Mexico because the many had been born in California of non-Spanish people, married to Spanish speakers. When marrying, the spouses or wives of Hispanics, became the Catholic faith, and after the independence of Mexico from Spain, very often naturalized as Mexican citizens. After annexation to the United States, the Californians continued to recognize themselves as well, and thousands of people are descendants of Californians having very detailed genealogies of their families prior to annexation. The influence of the Spanish language, the closeness with the Mexican borders and the common Spanish past, makes the Californians feel a union with strong Mexico that is noticeable until our days.
