Casta System

Casta (Spanish: [ˈkasta]) is a term which means “lineage” in Spanish and Portuguese and has historically been used as a racial and social identifier. In the context of the Spanish Empire in the Americas, the term also refers to a theoretical framework which postulates that colonial society operated under a hierarchical race-based “caste system”. From the outset, colonial Spanish America resulted in widespread intermarriage: unions of Spaniards (españoles), indigenous people (indios), and Africans (negros). Basic mixed-race categories that appeared in official colonial documentation were mestizo, generally offspring of a Spaniard and an Indigenous person; and mulatto, offspring of a Spaniard and an African. A plethora of terms were used for people with mixed Spanish, Indigenous, and African ancestry in 18th-century casta paintings, but they are not known to have been widely used officially or unofficially in the Spanish Empire.

wikipedia/en/Casta

The Casta system was a rigid socio-racial classification system used in colonial Spanish America (primarily in Mexico) to categorize individuals based on their ancestry and racial mixture. It created a hierarchy where Spaniards born in Spain ([peninsulares]) held the highest status, followed by those born in the Americas ([criollos]), and then mixed-race individuals, indigenous people, and enslaved Africans. 

Key aspects of the Casta system:

• Hierarchy:

  The system established a clear hierarchy with Spanish-born individuals at the top and those of mixed or indigenous ancestry at the bottom. 

• Racial Classification:

  Individuals were categorized based on their racial background, with terms like mestizo, mulatto, zambo, etc., reflecting different combinations of Spanish, indigenous, and African ancestry. 

• Social and Legal Implications:

  The Casta system significantly impacted social status, legal rights, and economic opportunities. Individuals of higher “Casta” status often enjoyed more privileges, while those of lower status faced discrimination and limited opportunities. 

• Limited Fluidity:

  While some degree of social mobility existed, the Casta system was generally rigid, and it was challenging for individuals to move up the social ladder based on their racial classification. 

• Impact on Everyday Life:

  The system influenced various aspects of daily life, including marriage, taxation, and access to education and professions. 

• Legacy:

  The Casta system, while officially dismantled, left a lasting legacy of racial prejudice and inequality in Latin America, which continues to be felt today. 

Peninsulares → Criollos → Mestizos → Mulattos → Zambos → Indios/Negros

Examples of Casta classifications:

• Peninsulares: Spaniards born in Spain.
• Criollos: Spaniards born in the Americas.
• Mestizo: Offspring of a Spaniard and an indigenous person.
• Mulatto: Offspring of a Spaniard and a person of African descent.
• Zambo: Offspring of an indigenous person and a person of African descent.