sociedad de castas

The sociedad de castas was a social hierarchy established by Spanish colonists in Latin America during the colonial period. This system attempted to categorize individuals into distinct social classes based on their perceived racial makeup, with Europeans at the top and Indigenous peoples and enslaved Africans at the bottom.1

The system was complex, with numerous labels created to describe the offspring of mixed unions, such as mestizo (Indigenous and European), mulato (African and European), and zambo (African and Indigenous). While the Spanish attempted to enforce this hierarchy, racial and cultural fusion advanced significantly, blurring the lines between categories. Over time, the system became increasingly difficult to maintain, and many individuals of mixed descent assimilated into Hispanic society, competing for positions and challenging the rigid social structure.123