Mestizo

Mestizo (Portuguese, Mesti�o) is a term of Spanish origin describing peoples of mixed European and Amerindian racial descent. The feminine form is mestiza. In the Philippines, the term (Filipino, Mestiso) denotes a mixed-race person of ethnic Malay and any other ancestry.

Mestizo in Latin America

Representation of Mestizos during the Latin American colonial period

Under the Caste System of colonial Latin America and Spain, the term mestizo originally applied only to the children resulting from the union of one European and one Amerindian parent, or the children of two mestizo parents. The term didn't apply to those born to one mestizo and one European parent, nor did it apply to those born to one mestizo and one Amerindian parent. Those latter mixes were known as "castizo" and "cuater�n de indio" respectively. Today, however, mestizo applies to all people with significant amounts of both European and Amerindian ancestry in Latin America.

Mestizos officially make up the majority of the populations of Chile (90%), Colombia (58%), Ecuador (65%), El Salvador (94%), Honduras¹ (90%), Mexico¹ (60%), Nicaragua (69%), Panama¹ (70%), Paraguay (95%) and Venezuela (67%).

For other American countries where mestizos don't constitute a majority, they nonetheless represent a significant portion of their populations; Argentina (13%), Belize (44%), Bolivia (30%), Brazil (aprox. 12%), Uruguay (8%) and Peru (37%). The possible exceptions for this would be Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Although some Mestizos and full-blooded American Indians, did once represent a portion of the population in the latter two countries, they were absorbed by the mulatto populations there.

Many Americans of Hispanic and/or Latino origin identify themselves as mestizos as well, particularly those who identify as Chicano.

Mestiso in Philippines

During the early colonial period of the Philippines, the term originally refered only to those of mixed Malay and Spanish or Mexican ancestry. The term, however, soon became generic and synonymous with "mixed", and with the Chinese presence in the Philippines always having been numerically greater than that of Spaniards or Mexicans, mixed individuals of a Malay/Chinese combination became much more prevalent. The term was then expanded and has since been freely used to refer to all individuals of mixed racial descent - regardless of race combination or ratio.

The combined number of all types of mestisos constitute no more than 2% of the entire Filipino population. Of that 2%, less than half are of the Spanish variety. See also Demographics of the Philippines - Ethnic Groups

Modern categories of Filipino mestisos include the already mentioned Spanish-mestisos and Chinese-mestisos, as well as Japanese-mestisos (those of mixed Malay and Japanese descent) and American-mestisos (those of mixed Malay and American² descent), et cetera. Those of a mixture of Malay with another Asian ancestry may also be commonly referred to as "Chinito/a" (diminutive of Chino/a; Chinese), though this would more correctly be applied only to those mestisos of Chinese descent. Other terms denoting Chinese-mestisos include "Sangley" and the vernacular "Tsinoy".

Furthermore to its Filipino usage, the term is often regarded a synonym of "beauty", and is also employed to denote any unmixed Filipino of a lighter skin complexion, especially when used in its vernacular form of "Tisoy", a backformation of [mes]TISOY.

Mestiso ascendancy

During the late 19th century, Filipino mestisos initiated most movements and revolts against Spain. One such movement lead by Chinese-mestiso Jos� Rizal - considered the national hero of the Philippines - was the Propaganda Movement. This movement called for legal equalization between Filipinos and Spaniards; for the Philippines to become a Spanish province; for Philippine representation in the Cortes (Spanish Parliament); Philippinization of the Philippine parishes and expulsion of the Spanish monk orders from the islands; and for Human rights for Filipinos. When these efforts and goals failed, Filipino mestisos were also the ones to initiate the first movements for Filipino revolt and subsequent independence.

At the culmination of the Spanish-American War, when the Philippines gained independence from Spain, Filipino mestisos played the fundamental role in the founding of the modern Philippine government. Today, despite constituting one of the smallest minorities, mestisos continue to hold a monopoly over the country�s economic and political system.

Spanish-mestisos have long constituted the great majority of the upper class and are extremely endogamous, rarely intermingling with those outside their ethnic group. Today, a great majority are either in politics or high-ranking executives of commerce and industry and hold great control over the country's economy. An almost equally large number are also members of the entertainment industry, which they have saturated disproportionately. The biased favouritism responsible for their overwhelming presence in film and television is deeply-rooted on established Filipino "ideals of beauty" that are determine based on the possession of at least partial European ancestry, and which stem from colonial concepts. See also Colonial mentality.

Chinese-mestisos also form part of both the upper and middle classes. Most are successful and prosperous business people, and also highly involved in the running of the country. Some are also in the entertainment industry.

Footnotes

In Honduras and to some degree in Mexico, the mestizo population has absorbed some African ancestry, either in the form of Mulattos, Zambos, or directly via the African slaves who were taken there during the colonial era. Panama's mestizos have also absorbed some of the African strain present in that country.
In the American-mestisos of the Philippines, the American element may be of any race; White American, Hispanic American or African American.