Mulatto

Mulatto

A mulatto woman in the viceregal era in 1711
Regions with significant populations
Latin America mainly Colombia Brazil Dominican Republic Venezuela Puerto Rico Panama Caribbean Cape Verde Florida
Languages
Spanish Portuguese English Cape Verdean
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic; religious minorities including Protestants exist
Related ethnic groups
White people Black people other mixed people Pardo Mestizo Zambo

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 only. When speaking or writing about a singular woman in English, the word is mulatta (Spanish: mulata).^[1][2] The use of this term began in the United States of America shortly after the Atlantic Slave Trade began and its use was widespread, derogatory and disrespectful. After the post Civil Rights Era, the term is now considered to be both outdated and offensive in the United States.^[3] In other Anglophone countries (the English-speaking world) such as English and Dutch-speaking West Indian countries, the word mulatto is still used.^[4][5][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 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,^[15] Puerto Rico,^[16] Venezuela,^[17] Panama,^[18] Colombia,^[19] South Africa,^[20] and the United States.^[21]