Talk:Mulatto

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This article was nominated for deletion on 27 October 2019. The result of the discussion was speedy keep.

Wiki Education assignment: Humanities 2 F24

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 3 September 2024 and 1 January 2025. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Halliwas (article contribs).

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Semi-protected edit request on 20 December 2024

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In the passage "Mulattoes in colonial Mexico" there is the following sentence:

"Some said categorized persons i.e. mulata blanca used their light skin to their advantage if they escaped their unlawful and brutal incarceration from their criminal slave owners, thus 'passing' as free persons of color."

I suggest it be changed to the following:

"Some said categorized persons i.e. mulata blanca used their light skin to their advantage if they escaped slavery."

Slavery was legal in Mexico at the time and the passage about 'passing' in reference to their light skin is redundant.

Additionally, the rest of the passage seems to show that ideas about 'passing' are anachronistic, with a below passage stating; "There was considerable malleability and manipulation of racial labeling, including the seemingly stable category of mulatto." The passage continues on to give an example to demonstrate that racial categorization doesn't depend upon heritage but upon social perception, I propose that passing implies bypassing a system of exclusivity by being perceived as something you are not, and that in this case because racial understanding seems to be more rooted in that perception than of heritage, therefore the concept of 'passing' doesn't make sense. Opydoopy (talk) 08:01, 20 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Done I've updated the sentence as requested, but I also added a cleanup tag to a weasel word that remains in that passage. – Anne drew 21:13, 29 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

'Mulatto' as a term was inherently 'unstable.' Two 'mulattoes' do not make another mulatto unless already enslaved and one could still 'pass' as a visible, and thus, still be enslaved person. To suggest that no one who could be seen to inhabit such a category as mulatto, and then used said category and attempted to metaphorically or physically flee what was a relentless, all encompassing terror of racism and the potential for re-enslavement [during the colonial slaveocracy] and violent death is just preposterous. If one could use their their visible status in any way possible to avoid assault and brutal treatment, one would. Such a person would indicate smart behaviour, not passing for something else. This is not even open for debate. First L'esperance (talk) 22:00, 11 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Mulatto is NOT considered offensive - 5 W's.

Where is your source from? RE: "October 13, 1932 - April 4, 2017 Nick Beck - university professor, sports writer, book and Hollywood memorabilia collector, Budd Schulberg's bibliographer, trivia buff and connoisseur of fine mixed spirits - " The reference is from a person who is not from the culture or community to decide what is offensive or not offensive. This is a poor source to make such an inflammatory statement. " 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 the United States." First L'esperance (talk) 21:30, 11 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It's a 400-page book published by a university press. It's not an inflammatory statement anyway. Drmies (talk) 21:35, 11 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
- It doesn't matter that it is a 400 page book - it was written by someone who is not from the descendent of African slavery - foundational African mixed-race community and has no right to make such a statement. Mulatto is a legit ethnonym that has been used in my culture for years and is NOT considered offensive - for some reason it is being brutally attacked as an offensive word. The source should be removed as it is irrelevant to the article of mixed-race African descendants of slavery. First L'esperance (talk) 21:45, 11 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  - That's not how it works. First of all, we go by reliable sources and this one looks like it is. I don't know what your culture is and it doesn't matter: one doesn't have to be mulatto to be able to write intelligibly about the topic. Again, your culture--the sentence is clearly about usage in the United States. There is reason to believe (because I just went through a bunch of books) that in other countries that may be different, but if that's the case, add it, with a reliable source. And no, this is not a "brutal attack" on a word. If it is offensive in the US, then the sentence is a factually correct statement. Drmies (talk) 22:21, 11 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]