Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Half-caste
Half-caste is a term used to describe people of mixed racial backgrounds, such as a child of black African and white European parentage. The term mulatto has also been used for this particular mixture. Both terms are considered impolite and potentially offensive by some, as the words have been used pejoratively in the past to ostracize and isolate the offspring of such unions. For example, "children of the plantation" (the children of African-American slaves and their European-American masters in the U.S. Southern states) were not accepted as heirs, and in most cases, the relationship was never acknowledged, and "half-caste" conveyed the deliberate exclusion. The coloureds of South Africa and the half-breeds of North America are further examples.
See also
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