The Spanish population in the New World centered on the islands of Hispaniola and Cuba, and in the mainland cities of Veracruz and Panama. Male Europeans outnumbered females by a 5-to-1 ratio. These men were mostly in the 20's or early 30's and boasted about the number of lovers or mistresses (or wives) they had. This helped the rapid assimilation of cultures in the following generation. (1)About 150 of the settlers in Hispaniola and 50 in Veracruz were Jewish immigrants.