Castizo[a] is a racial category used in 18th-century Colonial Mexico to refer to people who were three-quarters Spanish by descent and one-quarter Amerindian. The feminine form of the word is castiza. In the early 21st century, the term castizo has also come to mean mixed-race people with light skin, in comparison to mulattos, pardos, and coyotes, who would be mixed-race people with darker skin.[1]
The category was widely recognized by the 18th century in colonial Mexico[2] and was a standard category portrayed in eighteenth-century casta paintings.
In the taxonomic chart accompanying a work on casta paintings, castizo is given as "uncertain origin". It appears in 1543 with the meaning "class, condition, social position" (calidad, clase o condición).[3]
The term castizo applied to the offspring of a union of a Spaniard and a mestiza (offspring of a Spaniard and an Indian woman); that is, someone who is of three-quarters Spanish and one-quarter Amerindian ancestry. During this era, various other terms (mestizo, cuarterón de indio, etc.) were also used.
Most scholars do not view the racial labels and hierarchical ordering as a rigid or official "system of castes,"[4] since there was considerable fluidity in the designations. Individuals might be classified or identify themselves with different categories at different points in their lives. Sometimes different labels were used simultaneously in the same documentation. Castizo was a category used in colonial Mexico.
Marriage licenses required a declaration of racial status for each partner. The category castizo "was widely recognized by the eighteenth century; castizos still did not appear in great numbers [in parish documentation] even though they were widely distributed throughout New Spain."[5] In colonial censuses, officials sought to keep track of certain categories, particularly where a person could claim to be a Spaniard. "In the [colonial Mexican] censuses of white/mestizo households, provisions were made to keep accurate records of castizos. The flexibility of having three categories (mestizo, castizo, and español) provided census takers a broader framework within which to capture differences of phenotype — presumably in hopes of closely regulating entry into the coveted español caste." Some were classified as castizos rather than españoles, but "their castizo status allowed them to maintain social elevation with the broader mestizo mainstream."[6]
The child of a Spaniard (left) and a castiza woman is considered a Spaniard. (1799)
An eighteenth-century visitor to colonial Mexico published the following observation about race mixture between Spaniards and Amerindians:
"If the mixed-blood is the offspring of a Spaniard and an Indian, the stigma [of race mixture] disappears at the third step in descent because it is held as systematic that a Spaniard and an Indian produce a mestizo; a mestizo and a Spaniard, a castizo; and a castizo and a Spaniard, a Spaniard. [Note: This person is 7/8 Spanish by ancestry]. The admixture of Indian blood should not indeed be regarded as a blemish, since the provisions of law give the Indian all that he could wish for, and Philip II granted to mestizos the privilege of becoming priests. On this consideration is based the common estimation of descent from a union of Indian and European or creole Spaniard."[7]
^Pronunciation in Latin American Spanish: [kasˈtiso]
Referencesedit
^Wilson, Chris (1997). The Myth of Santa Fe: Creating a Modern Regional Tradition. [S.l.]: UNM Press. p. 29-31
^Vinson, Ben III. Before Mestizaje: The Frontiers of Race and Caste in Colonial Mexico. New York: Cambridge University Press 2018, p. 134.
^García Sáiz, María Concepción. Las Castas Mexicanas: Un Género Pictórico Americano. Milan: Olivetti 1989, pp. 24-25.
^Giraudo, Laura (Jun 14, 2018). "Casta(s), "sociedad de castas" e indigenismo: la interpretación del pasado colonial en el siglo XX". Nuevo Mundo Mundos Nuevos. doi:10.4000/nuevomundo.72080. Retrieved Sep 3, 2019 – via journals.openedition.org.
^Vinson, Ben III. (2018) Before Mestizaje, pp. 134, 45.
^Don Pedro Alonso O’Crouley, A Description of the Kingdom of New Spain (1774), trans. and ed. Sean Galvin. San Francisco: John Howell Books 1972, p. 20
October 26, 2023
castizo, racial, category, used, 18th, century, colonial, mexico, refer, people, were, three, quarters, spanish, descent, quarter, amerindian, feminine, form, word, castiza, early, 21st, century, term, castizo, also, come, mean, mixed, race, people, with, ligh. Castizo a is a racial category used in 18th century Colonial Mexico to refer to people who were three quarters Spanish by descent and one quarter Amerindian The feminine form of the word is castiza In the early 21st century the term castizo has also come to mean mixed race people with light skin in comparison to mulattos pardos and coyotes who would be mixed race people with darker skin 1 The child of a Spaniard right and a mestiza middle is a castiza By Miguel Cabrera 1763 The category was widely recognized by the 18th century in colonial Mexico 2 and was a standard category portrayed in eighteenth century casta paintings Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 Notes 4 ReferencesHistory editIn the taxonomic chart accompanying a work on casta paintings castizo is given as uncertain origin It appears in 1543 with the meaning class condition social position calidad clase o condicion 3 The term castizo applied to the offspring of a union of a Spaniard and a mestiza offspring of a Spaniard and an Indian woman that is someone who is of three quarters Spanish and one quarter Amerindian ancestry During this era various other terms mestizo cuarteron de indio etc were also used Most scholars do not view the racial labels and hierarchical ordering as a rigid or official system of castes 4 since there was considerable fluidity in the designations Individuals might be classified or identify themselves with different categories at different points in their lives Sometimes different labels were used simultaneously in the same documentation Castizo was a category used in colonial Mexico Marriage licenses required a declaration of racial status for each partner The category castizo was widely recognized by the eighteenth century castizos still did not appear in great numbers in parish documentation even though they were widely distributed throughout New Spain 5 In colonial censuses officials sought to keep track of certain categories particularly where a person could claim to be a Spaniard In the colonial Mexican censuses of white mestizo households provisions were made to keep accurate records of castizos The flexibility of having three categories mestizo castizo and espanol provided census takers a broader framework within which to capture differences of phenotype presumably in hopes of closely regulating entry into the coveted espanol caste Some were classified as castizos rather than espanoles but their castizo status allowed them to maintain social elevation with the broader mestizo mainstream 6 nbsp The child of a Spaniard left and a castiza woman is considered a Spaniard 1799 An eighteenth century visitor to colonial Mexico published the following observation about race mixture between Spaniards and Amerindians If the mixed blood is the offspring of a Spaniard and an Indian the stigma of race mixture disappears at the third step in descent because it is held as systematic that a Spaniard and an Indian produce a mestizo a mestizo and a Spaniard a castizo and a castizo and a Spaniard a Spaniard Note This person is 7 8 Spanish by ancestry The admixture of Indian blood should not indeed be regarded as a blemish since the provisions of law give the Indian all that he could wish for and Philip II granted to mestizos the privilege of becoming priests On this consideration is based the common estimation of descent from a union of Indian and European or creole Spaniard 7 See also editCasta Cholo Mestizo Quadroon Peninsulares White Latin AmericanNotes edit Pronunciation in Latin American Spanish kasˈtiso References edit Wilson Chris 1997 The Myth of Santa Fe Creating a Modern Regional Tradition S l UNM Press p 29 31 Vinson Ben III Before Mestizaje The Frontiers of Race and Caste in Colonial Mexico New York Cambridge University Press 2018 p 134 Garcia Saiz Maria Concepcion Las Castas Mexicanas Un Genero Pictorico Americano Milan Olivetti 1989 pp 24 25 Giraudo Laura Jun 14 2018 Casta s sociedad de castas e indigenismo la interpretacion del pasado colonial en el siglo XX Nuevo Mundo Mundos Nuevos doi 10 4000 nuevomundo 72080 Retrieved Sep 3 2019 via journals openedition org Vinson Ben III 2018 Before Mestizaje pp 134 45 Vinson 2018 Before Mestizaje p 120 Don Pedro Alonso O Crouley A Description of the Kingdom of New Spain 1774 trans and ed Sean Galvin San Francisco John Howell Books 1972 p 20 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Castizo amp oldid 1177200387, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
