Mulatto

Mulatto (/mjuːˈlætoʊ/, /məˈlɑːtoʊ/) (original Italian spelling) 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 After the post Civil Rights Era, the term is now considered to be both outdated and offensive in America.^[3] In other Anglophone countries (the English-speaking world) such as the British Isles, the Caribbean, and English and Dutch-speaking West Indian countries, the word mulatto is still used.^[4][5][6][7] The use of this word does not have the same negative associations found among English speakers. Among Latinos in both the US and Latin America, the word is used in every day speech and its meaning is a source of racial and ethnic pride. In four of the Latin-based languages, the default, masculine word ends with the letter "o" and is written as follows: Spanish and Portuguese – mulato; Italian – mulatto. The French equivalent is mulâtre. In English, the masculine plural is written as mulattoes while in Spanish and Portuguese it is mulatos. The masculine plural in Italian is mulatti and in French it is mulâtres. The feminine plurals are: English – mulattas; Spanish and Portuguese – mulatas; Italian – mulatte; French – mulâtresses.

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]} Brazil has the largest Mulatto population by definition, numbering between 60–90 million (30–45% of the country), as majority of the people who identify as Pardo (brown or mixed) have high amounts of both European and African ancestries, many can be considered Mulatto, Quadroon, or Tri-racial, smaller numbers of other Brazilians –especially those who self identify as black– can be considered 'Mulatto' due to having high levels of both African and European blood.^{[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]} 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 and/or total number include Cuba,^[29] Puerto Rico,^[30] Venezuela,^[31] Panama,^[32] Colombia,^[33] South Africa,^[34] and the United States.^[35]