The Mexican Casta System Explained
By Kaitlyn Davie
Under spanish colonization, citizens of Mexico were put into racial categories, called "The Casta System", similar the "caste" systemm used in Europe. People born of pure ancestry were the Peninsular (Spanish born in Spain), Criollo or Creole (Spanish born in Mexico), Indio (Pure Indian), and Negro (Pure African).
By Kaitlyn Davie
Under spanish colonization, citizens of Mexico were put into racial categories, called "The Casta System", similar the "caste" systemm used in Europe. People born of pure ancestry were the Peninsular (Spanish born in Spain), Criollo or Creole (Spanish born in Mexico), Indio (Pure Indian), and Negro (Pure African).
The Mixed categories begins with the Mestizos, these were people born with one spanish and one indian parent. Originally just used to describe this mixture of races, the term "Mestizo" would later be used to describe the mixture of any indigenous, European, and African races. Secondly the "Castizos" were children boen from one mestizo parent and one spanish parent, and were generally categorized as a "criollo" because they were 3/4 spanish, since one parent was purely spanish and the other half spanish. The Zambo Racial category was a combination of one African parent and one Indian parent. The last main racial category, and the one of most importance to this project is "The Mulatto". This rade of person is created with the mixing of one Spanish (or mexican) parent, and African parent.
There were many other castas, by the 1700s, there as many as 16 caste categories used to describe the different race mixtures in New Spain (Mexic0). the ones described above are the main ones. The Casta that a person was characterized in could also determine how they were treated in society. Pure Spanish blood was still held in the high regard, even to this day.
These casta paintings, can be used as proof of the presence of the African bloodline in colonial Mexico. Then why is the immigrant on Africans into Mexico, throught the slave trade not taught in schools?
References:
"The Spanish Colonial Casta System." The Spanish Colonial Casta System. Bella Vist Ranch, 7 Jan. 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://www.bellavistaranch.net/genealogy/casta.html>.
There were many other castas, by the 1700s, there as many as 16 caste categories used to describe the different race mixtures in New Spain (Mexic0). the ones described above are the main ones. The Casta that a person was characterized in could also determine how they were treated in society. Pure Spanish blood was still held in the high regard, even to this day.
These casta paintings, can be used as proof of the presence of the African bloodline in colonial Mexico. Then why is the immigrant on Africans into Mexico, throught the slave trade not taught in schools?
References:
"The Spanish Colonial Casta System." The Spanish Colonial Casta System. Bella Vist Ranch, 7 Jan. 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. <http://www.bellavistaranch.net/genealogy/casta.html>.