I was having coffee with my best friend yesterday. She's white and was talking about something, and used the term "mulatto" several times. A biracial girl we were with did not say anything, but I think she looked surprised that my friend used the word. I would like to know if it's considered derogatory.
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Name : Amy, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 17, City : St. Paul, State : MN Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, Yes it is. It is amazing to me how some people would slap the title of Mulatto(which means little Mule) on their biracial children but would kick up a stink if someone called their kids Black.
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Name : Jas, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 24, City : Long Island, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, In the US, most consider it a holdover from the days of classifying blacks by their fractions of ancestry, quadroon, octoroon, etc. But in most of Latin America, it's an insult NOT to use the term. Referring to someone mixed black-and- something-else as black brings the comment 'Que barbaro!' (What a barbarian!)
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Name : ACC25027, Race : Mexican and American Indian, City : Phoenix, State : AZ Country : United States, The term 'mulatto' is thought to have originated from 'mule' which I believe is a hybrid offspring of a donkey and a horse. The term was used during times of slavery to describe a bi-racial woman. I find it an offensive term, as well as quadroon, octaroon, and all of the other terms used to describe the percentage of black vs. white blood. Your friend (hopefully) used the term out of ignorance and the best weapon to combat ignorance is education. Let her know that the term is considered derogatory.
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Name : Mimi20463, Gender : F, Age : 40+, City : Sacramento, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Professional, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, It's not as offensive as, for instance, the word 'negress' might be, but it certainly is just as old-fashioned. If I had been the other person at the table, I would have looked surprised, too.
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Name : ED25429, Gender : F, Age : 46, City : Kansas City, State : MO Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, I'm sorry to say that it is. 'Mulatto' refers to the offspring of a horse and ass, which when translated into race is quite offensive. Sigh ... most people don't know, but those who do will find it a slur, and rightly so.
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Name : Michel, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 25, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, MULATTO IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A DEROGATORY TERM. BACK IN THE DAY I BELIEVE THE SPANISH USED THE TERM (MULATTO) TO DESCRIBE THE OFF SPRING OF A MALE DONKEY AND A FEMALE HORSE, WHICH IS A MULE. EUROPEANS(WHITE PEOPLE) APPLIED THIS TERM TO THE OFF SPRING OF A BLACK PERSON AND WHITE PERSON; I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHICH ONE IS CONSIDERED THE DONKEY.
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Name : K-FLOYD, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, City : DETROIT, State : MI Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, I agree. Mulatto is spanish for little mule. I don't think everyone who uses that term realizes it.
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Name : Dee, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Mission Viejo, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, I myself am 'mulatto.' I don't like the word 'mulatto' because the way it sounds. I'm sure your biracial friend was just intrigued by your use of the word. I do not find the word offensive but I think of it as one of those words that should die down during time, like the word negro.
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Name : Shawn Fayne, Gender : M, Race : black/white, Age : 15, City : Laurel, State : MD Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Upper middle class, I have a friend who is half Black and half Mexican. She said that when she was growing up that she was often called a mulatto and that she only thought that it meant a biracial person. Her cousin is also biracial but is half White and half Mexican. She noticed that people called her cousin metista. She found out what those words meant a few months ago. Mulatto means mule which is the offspring of a horse and jackass and metista is being mixed with another race besides Black.
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Name : Patrice, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : African American/American Indian, Age : 20, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, The offspring of a horse and ass it a Mule, NOT a Mulatto. While the root of the word Mulatto is derived from the Spanish word Mulo (mule), Mulatto means 'the first-generation offspring of a black person and a white person' or 'a person of mixed white and black ancestry', NOT the offspring of a horse and ass.
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Name : Jane20938, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 45, City : Carmel, State : IN Country : United States, Occupation : Systems Analyst, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, I think you may be a tad confused. 'Mulato' is a spanish word meaning small mule. 'Mulatto' refers to a person having one black and one white parent or both white and black ancestry.
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Name : Sheena, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Mulatto, Religion : Christian, Age : 19, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Actress/ Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, The word mulatto was used in the time of slavery in the south referring to those who are biracial (black and white.) It is very offensive. It was a word used to single biracial people out and divide black people using the color of their skin. The word mulatto can stir up so many deep rooted feeling and emotions centered around racism and slavery that it should just never be used.
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Name : tanya, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Asian/white, Religion : Christian, Age : 21, City : colorado springs, State : CO Country : United States, Occupation : sales, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Amy, I dont believe that the term 'mulatto' is derogatory.. I am half black/half white myself and have heard the term many times. The thing is that people dont use the term anymore, now people just say bi-racial or state which race's they are, I really dont think its derogatory, I just wouldnt use the term anymore. Hope I could help, see ya! ;)
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Name : Patrick, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Christian, Age : 16, City : Hanford, State : CA Country : United States, Social class : Upper middle class, I was not aware that 'mulatto' was a deragatory term. i just thought that it meant a person who's parents had different ethnisities; black, white, latino, whatever.
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Name : Becki, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 15, City : Wyoming, State : MI Country : United States, 
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