Utah is an exceptional state in comparison to other states in the American Southwest. Its exceptionality is marked by being the last area colonized by the Spaniards, by the initially scarce Mexican population in the area, and by the overwhelming influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My intention in this succinct historical sketch is to provide a background for the Mexican and Latino experience in Utah and to show the depth of their roots in the area.
The name “Utah” derives from the Ute, or Noochee, peoples who are Indigenous to modern-day Utah and Colorado. As with many other Native populations, the Utes’ economic and social system was based on hunting, gathering, and fishing, and they were highly skilled at managing their quasi-desert environment. Their cosmology contemplated the cycle of life and sustained their belief in the immortality of the spirit or soul. This fabric of...