Conquistador Malinche's Influence On American Culture

Born Malintzin, Malinche as she came to be known, was a native interpreter to conquistador Hernando Cortés. Born a native Nahua speaker, supposedly of noble status, Malinche was sold into slavery around 1510 to a noble family in Tabasco on the Mexican Gulf Coast where she learned to speak Maya, the language of her masters. In 1519, when a group of Spanish conquistadors lead by Hernando Cortés, conquered Tabasco the Malinche was given to the foreigner’s as a peace offering. The Spaniards’ Maya interpreter discovered that Malinche knew Nahuatl and was therefore useful to Cortés in helping him converse with native Nahuatl speakers. In time Malinche learned Castilian, serving as Cortés’ translator she helped the conquistador gain allies in his