Mulatto
Historical racial classification / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mulatto (/mjuːˈlætoʊ/, /məˈlɑːtoʊ/) is a racial classification that refers to people of mixed African and European ancestry. Its use is considered by Nicholas Patrick Beck to be outdated and offensive[1] in some countries and languages, such as English with the exceptions of some Anglophone Caribbean or West Indian countries and Dutch,[2] but it does not have the same associations in languages such as Spanish and Portuguese. Among Latin Americans in the US, for instance, the term can be a source of pride.[3][4][5] A mulatta (Spanish: mulata) is a female mulatto.[6][7]
Countries with the highest percentages of multi-racials who specifically have equally high European and African ancestry — Mulatto — are the Dominican Republic (74%)[8][9] and Cape Verde (71%).[10][11][12][13][14] Mulattos in many Latin American countries, aside from predominately European and African ancestry, usually also have slight indigenous admixture. "Race-mixing" has been strong in Latin America for centuries, since the start of the colonial period in many cases. Many Latin American multiracial families (including mulatto) have been mixed for several generations. In the 21st century, multiracials now frequently have unions and marriages with other multiracials. Other countries and territories with notable mulatto populations in percentage and/or total number include Cuba,[15] Puerto Rico,[16] Venezuela,[17] Panama,[18] Colombia,[19] South Africa,[20] and the United States.[21]