Mulato

Mulato is a historical descriptor used in the Iberian colonial world to refer to a person with mixed European and African ancestry. The word arises from Spanish and Portuguese forms, with uncertain etymology often linked to mule imagery in European-language racial grammars, though precise origins are debated. In the colonial caste systems that developed across the Spanish and Portuguese empires, mulato was one of several classifications for people of mixed ancestry, typically positioned between white Europeans and Afro-descendant populations; the exact definitions varied by region and era.

Over time the meaning and social implications of the term shifted. In many places it functioned as a legal or social category that affected status, rights, and opportunities, and was often tied to varying degrees of European or African ancestry. In modern contexts, mulato is rarely used in official statistics and is viewed by many as outdated or offensive, depending on local norms. Some discussions of history or genealogy may encounter the term as a historical descriptor, but contemporary usage generally favors broader, more neutral categories such as mixed race or, in specific national contexts, terms like pardos or mestizos.

The term thus reflects historical racial hierarchies rather than a precise biological category, and its acceptability varies by country and community. It illustrates how classification systems shaped social identities in the colonial period and remain a matter of historical study and discourse about race and ethnicity.