Mulatto

For the rapper, see Latto. For Mulatto Mountain, see Simone Mountain.

Mulatto (UK: /mjuːˈlætoʊ, məˈ-/ mew-LAT-oh, mə-, US: /məˈlɑːtoʊ, mjuːˈ-/ mə-LAH-toh, mew-) is a racial classification that refers to people of mixed African and European ancestry. When speaking or writing about a singular woman in English, the word is mulatta (Spanish: mulata). The use of this term began in areas that later became the United States shortly after the Atlantic slave trade began.

Although it has been employed in derogatory contexts, some mixed-race communities reject the claim that the term is inherently offensive and instead regard it as a descriptor that has been mischaracterized by individuals who are not of mixed-race origin. After the post Civil Rights Era, the term is now considered to be controversial in the United States. It is deemed a racist term in Brazil, with the government explicitly advising against its use. In other English-, Spanish-, and Dutch-speaking countries, for example in the West Indies and Hispanic America, the word mulatto (or a derivative) is used to this day.

Countries with the highest percentages of persons, who have equally high European and African ancestry — Mulatto — are the Dominican Republic (74%) and Cape Verde (71%). Mulattos in many Latin American countries, aside from predominately European and African ancestry, usually also have slight indigenous admixture. Race-mixing has been prevalent in Latin America for centuries, since the start of the European colonization of the Americas 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 or total number include Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Panama, Colombia, South Africa, and the United States.

Etymology

The word mulatto has been used in English since the 1500s. It comes from Spanish and Portuguese, where it is spelled mulato. Some think it may be related to the word for "mule," which is a mix of a horse and a donkey. Others believe it comes from an Arabic word meaning "a person of mixed ancestry."

In different languages, the word changes a little. For example, in Spanish and Portuguese it is mulato, in Italian it is mulatto, and in French it is mulâtre. The word can refer to people with mixed African and European ancestry.

Africa

See also: Indigenous peoples of Africa

In São Tomé and Príncipe, most people have mixed ancestry from Portuguese settlers and Africans who were brought there long ago. The same is true in Cape Verde, where most people also have this mixed background. These mixed communities started forming when Portuguese settlers married or had children with African women.

In Angola and Mozambique, fewer people have this mixed background, but they are still noticeable parts of the population. In South Africa, words like mulatto or mestiço are not usually used to talk about people with mixed ancestry.

In Namibia, there is a group called the Rehoboth Basters. They come from unions between Dutch settlers and African women a long time ago. The name Baster comes from a Dutch word that once had a negative meaning, but this group uses it proudly to remember their history.

South Africa

Main article: Coloureds

The Coloured people in South Africa come from many different backgrounds. Their ancestors include European settlers like the Dutch, British, and French, as well as local African tribes and people brought from Asia, like Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, who were made to work under very hard conditions. This mixing created a unique group that has continued to this day.

Over time, more people from places like Brazil and the Canary Islands also added to this mix. Even though laws were made to stop people from different groups from marrying, many still did. Today, Coloured people in South Africa have strong ties to many different cultures.

Afro-European ethnicities

• Akus
• Americo-Liberians
• Amaros
• Fernandinos
• Gold Coast Euro-Africans
• Saro people
• Sherbro Hubris
• Sherbro Tuckers
• Sherbro Caulkers
• Sherbro Rogers
• Sherbro Clevelands
• Sierra Leone Creole people

Uganda

Main article: Multiracial Ugandans in Uganda § Ugandan-Europeans (Afro-Europeans)

Equatorial Guinea

Main article: Fernandino people

Latin America and the Caribbean

Mulattos in Jamaica

Mulattos became a distinct group during the time of plantation slavery, when European men had children with enslaved African women. These children were often classified as enslaved, but some were freed, especially if their fathers acknowledged them.

By the late 1700s, free mulattos began asking for legal rights. The Jamaican Assembly gradually allowed them to own property, get education, and participate in politics. However, full-blooded Black Jamaicans were still largely excluded from these rights due to discrimination based on skin color.

During the early 1800s, Jamaica's mulatto class gained more wealth and education, especially in cities like Kingston. Laws changed to allow free people of color to own land, get education, and hold political offices. Figures like George Stiebel, Jamaica's first recorded millionaire, showed how mulattos could move up in society.

After slavery ended in 1834, mulattos kept a privileged position compared to formerly enslaved Black Jamaicans. They often dominated professions like law and medicine. However, tensions remained between the lighter-skinned elite and the Black working class.

By the 1900s, mulatto Jamaicans played important roles in politics. The rise of Black consciousness movements challenged their dominance. Labor movements in the 1930s and 1940s led to the formation of trade unions and political parties like the Jamaica Labour Party and the People's National Party.

Mulattos in colonial Mexico

Africans were brought to Mexico by Spanish slave traders in the early 1500s. Children of Spaniards and African women were called mulattos. In Spanish law, the child's status followed the mother, so even with a Spanish parent, they were enslaved. The term mulatto appeared in official records.

Some mulattos used their lighter skin to escape slavery. In colonial Mexico, racial labels could be flexible. For example, one woman identified as a mulatta was later considered an India due to her cultural ties. In Mexico City, Spanish priest Thomas Gage described women of mixed heritage as attractive to some Spaniards.

In the late 1700s, some mixed-race people sought legal "certificates of whiteness" to improve their social status and practice certain professions. American-born Spaniards opposed these requests to protect their own "purity of blood." Laws prevented mulattos from serving in certain roles like public notary or priest.

Mulattos in the modern era

Brazil

The term "Pardo" was used by the Portuguese when they arrived in Brazil in 1500. It comes from the Latin word "Pardus" and was used to name birds called "Pardais." Today, "Pardo" is used in Brazil to classify people of mixed backgrounds.

According to Brazil's 2020 census, 45.3% of Brazilians identified as pardo. Many mixed-race Brazilians have European, Amerindian, and African ancestry.

Haiti

Mulattos make up to 5% of Haiti's population. In Haitian history, mixed-race people gained education and property before the revolution. They had some influence during and after the revolution. Many Haitian leaders have been people of color.

Many Haitian mulattos owned slaves and took part in oppressing the Black majority. The Haitian Revolution began with mulattos. After the revolution, Haiti split into a Black-controlled north and a mulatto-ruled south. Leaders like Jean-Pierre Boyer worked to unify Haiti but excluded Blacks from power.

Dominican Republic

Mixed Dominicans, also called mulatto, mestizo, or historically quadroon, make up 73.9% of the Dominican Republic's population. They are descendants of Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans. The Dominican Republic was the site of the first European settlement in the Americas.

From the start of colonial times, mixing of races was common. By the 1700s, most people were mixed race. Mixed-race Dominicans had influence during the independence period and founding of the nation. Many Dominican presidents have been mulatto.

Recent DNA studies show that Dominicans have mostly European and African ancestry, with some Native American. The country has many informal terms to describe racial mixing, like Mestizo and Indio. Race in the Dominican Republic is seen as a mix between white, mulatto, and Black.

Puerto Rico

Although many Puerto Ricans have mixed ancestry, few identified as multiracial in the 2010 census. In the 2020 census, more identified as multiracial or "some other race," showing a change in how Puerto Ricans view their heritage.

Most Puerto Ricans have ancestry from Spaniards, Africans, and Tainos, with Spanish ancestry being strongest. Studies show the average Puerto Rican has about 64% European, 21% African, and 15% Native Taino DNA.

Cuba

In the 2012 Census of Cuba, 26.6% of Cubans identified as mulatto or mestizo. The percentage of multiracials varies widely. Before the 20th century, most Cubans were of mixed race. Between 1902 and 1933, many Spaniards migrated to Cuba, changing the racial demographics.

Mulattos are common throughout Cuba. The DNA average for Cubans is 72% European, 23% African, and 5% indigenous. Among mulatto Cubans, European and African ancestry is more balanced.

United States

Colonial and Antebellum eras

See also: Children of the plantation and Shadow family

During the time of slavery in the United States, many children of mixed African and European ancestry were born. This happened because some men in power had relationships with enslaved women. These children were often born into slavery because laws said that a child's status followed the mother. So, if the mother was enslaved, the child was enslaved too, no matter who the father was.

In some cases, free people of color existed because their mothers were white or free. These individuals sometimes became leaders in their communities or married into the white population over time.

The term mulatto was also sometimes used for people with mixed Native American and African American ancestry. Laws and attitudes varied, and sometimes these individuals were treated differently depending on their background and who their parents were.

California

See also: Los Angeles Pobladores

The first settlers of Alta California often had mixed African and European ancestry.

Louisiana

Old ways of describing race in Louisiana included many specific terms, but these are no longer used today because there are not enough records to track exact ancestry.

A book from 1916 described some of these old systems for classifying race.

Contemporary era

Further information: Multiracial Americans

The United States stopped using the word mulatto as an official category for counting people in 1930. Since 2000, people in the census have been able to choose more than one ancestry to describe themselves.

Today, many Americans come from mixed backgrounds. Some have ancestors from Africa, Europe, and other places. There are also many families where parents are of different racial backgrounds, leading to multiracial children. Immigrants from countries like the Dominican Republic also add to this mix, especially in cities like New York and Miami.

Colonial references

The term "mulatto" refers to people who have mixed African and European ancestry. It started being used in areas that later became the United States after the Atlantic slave trade began. When talking about one woman, the term is "mulatta" in English, or "mulata" in Spanish.

Main article: [Métis]
Main article: [Castizo]
Main article: [Half-breed]