Mulatto (french: mulâtre, ht, milat) is a term in

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

that is historically linked to Haitians who are born to one

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

parent and one

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

parent, or to two mulatto parents. Contemporary usage of the term in Haiti is also applied to the

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...

, pertaining to high social and economic stature. People of

mulatto (, ) is a racial classification to refer to people of mixed African and European ancestry. Its use is considered outdated and offensive in several languages, including English and Dutch, whereas in languages such as Spanish and Portuguese is ...

and

descent constitute a minority of 5 percent of the Haitian population.

History

Historically, Haitian mulattos have been looked negatively upon, and used by both black and minority white elite when best suited. Blacks regarded them as no better or worse than their unmixed French progenitors. Indeed, many mulattos did align themselves and identify with the ruling French and their culture. Not only were they regarded as a class of their own, but they were also free, highly educated, and wealthy. Being part of their time, many Saint Dominican mulattos were also slaveholders and often actively participated in the oppression of the black majority. Nevertheless, many mulattos were consequently slaughtered by furious black Haitians during the

Haitian Revolution The Haitian Revolution (french: révolution haïtienne ; ht, revolisyon ayisyen) was a successful insurrection by slave revolt, self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt ...

in order to secure black political power over the island. Some black volunteers had even aligned themselves with the French against the mulattos during the Ogé Rebellion. In

Saint-Domingue Saint-Domingue () was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1804. The name derives from the Spanish main city in the island, Santo Domingo, which came to refer ...

, mulattos initially possessed certain legal equality, which provided them with many benefits, including inheritance. In the 18th century, however, Europeans fearful of slave revolts had restricted their rights, but they were successfully reclaimed in 1791.

References and footnotes

{{Haitian people Ethnic groups in Haiti Mulatto Multiracial affairs in the Caribbean People of Saint-Domingue Person of color

History

See also

References and footnotes