Mexico has seen a variety of cultural influences over the years, and in its history has adopted a mixed assimilationist/multiculturalist policy. Mexico, beginning with the conquest of the Aztecs, had entered a new global empire based on trade and immigration. In the 16th and 17th centuries, waves of Spanish, and to a lesser extent, African and Filipino culture became embedded into the fabric of Mexican culture. It is important to note, however, that from a Mexican standpoint, the immigrants and their culture were no longer considered foreign, but Mexican in their entirety. The food, art, and even heritage were assimilated into a Mexican identity. Upon the independence of Mexico, Mexico began receiving immigrants from Central Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia, again, bringing many cultural influences but being quickly labeled as Mexican, unlike in the United States and Canada, where other culture is considered foreign. This assimilation is very evident, even in Mexican society today: for example, banda, a style of music originating in northern Mexico, is simply a Mexican take on Central European music brought by immigrants in the 18th century. Mexico's thriving beer industry was also the result of German brewers finding refuge in Mexico. Many famous Mexicans are actually of Arab descent; Salma Hayek and Carlos Slim. The coastal states of Guerrero and Veracruz are inhabited by citizens of African descent. Mexico's national policy is based on the concept of mestizaje, a word meaning "to mix".