Information AboutCasta |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT CASTA | |
| colonial mexico | |
| spanish language | |
| multiracial affairs | |
| african-american history | |
| latin american caste system | |
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Casta is a 17th Century term used in Mexico , and refers to the institutionalized system of racial and social stratification and segregation based on a person's heritage. The varying heritages each given a different name. the literal meaning of the word is " Lineage ", " Breed " or " Race ", which also gave rise to the term " Caste ". The main four levels were: :1. '' Peninsular es'': People of Spanish or Portuguese descent born in Spain or Portugal (i.e. from the Iberian peninsula which led to the name). They were considered so much higher than other ''castas'' that many women went back to Spain or Portugal to give birth. These people had important jobs in the government, the army, and the Catholic Church. They usually did not live permanently in Latin America. :2. '''' and were very wealthy. They occasionally had government jobs, but they were not respected by the ''peninsulares''. :3. '' Mestizo s'': This was the largest group and comprised everyone with Native American blood that did not have African blood. :4. '' Mulato s'' (Mulattoes): These were people that had African blood. But also each possible mix was taken into account and had its own name. Series of pictures called ''pinturas de castas'' showed more than a hundred variations. But eventually the system became too complex and only the main mixes were taken into account. Each caste had their own set of privileges or restrictions. |
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