Chateau Heartiste on Twitter pointed out the fact that most of Texas’ most wanted criminals are Hispanic (actually, mestizo), although they’re listed as white, in reference to Ron Unz’s recent piece on race and crime. The US Gov. listing Hispanics as white creates all kinds of problems for those analyzing data (so it’s not surprising that people, like Unz, have miscalculated data on Hispanics and crime).
Here’s an idea. If the USA wants to be the hip multiracial empire it pretends to be, it really needs to learn to start using the M-word (mestizo). It’s not derogatory, it’s already used by governments and demographers throughout Latin America, and it provides a more accurate breakdown than the nebulous category of “Hispanics”. In theory, leftists should like it. Do they want their affirmative action set-asides going to successful white Argentinians or oppressed (non-white) Mexican mestizos? Of course, to use such a category will break up the coveted “Hispanic” grouping that many on the left are now trying to foster. Those on the right, however, have no excuse and should see the obvious value of breaking up the “Hispanic” category, but there’s a reason why Republicans are called the “Stupid Party”.
Further Reading:
“Hispanics: A Statistical Portrait”
“Pigmentocracy: Racial Hierarchies in the Caribbean and Latin America”
Updates:
Occam's Razor 
Here’s a small introduction. It isn’t great, but it’s a start on the class and ethnic divisions in Central and South America.
Ancestry (e.g. simple mathematics to distinguish Europeans, mixed raced and predominant full-blooded Amerindians and blacks) and appearance (e.g. nose shape, height, body type, skin color, facial features) are usual distinguishers.
The skin color categories are: white (European), mixed tan (mestizo and castizo vs. mulatto and quadroon), yellow (Asian), red (Amerindian) and black (African). It follows a line from the lightest and fairest to medium to the darkest.
The typical hierarchy of the caste system and SES combined is as follows. From upper-class (UC) to working and middle class (WC/MC) to underclass (UNC).
European (UC) –> Castizo (MC) –> Quadroon (MC) –> Mestizo (WC, sometimes MC) –> Mulatto (WC, sometimes MC) –> Amerindian (UNC) –> black African (UNC)
alcestiseshtemoa,
This is useful. Thanks!
There’s more overlapping than you’re portraiting. There are castizos in upper classes and europeans in middle classes in Latin America; I am not talking about exceptions, because you can see blacks and even amerindian among the rich (the latter sometimes are blessed with protected lands full of diamonds). But there’s plenty of castizos among the rich. In fact (at least in my country), I don’t see a difference in the racial composition of the upper middle class and the rich. Mid class and down you see more castizos but also a good number of whites. There’s not a rigid caste system in Latin America.
The data would seem to suggest otherwise.
It’s not necessarily a rigid caste system, but it’s not quite moveable either. It’s about being “more” of something rather than being totally something. So yes, technically castizos and whites tend to be quite connected and get along well because their SES, ancestry, looks, culture, heritage and the like are a bit closer.
Maybe I should specify Central America vs. South America vs. Caribbean. Central and South Americans are sometimes close, sometimes aren’t, but both are closer than either are to the Caribbean.
I am not talking about exceptions, because you can see blacks and even amerindian among the rich (the latter sometimes are blessed with protected lands full of diamonds).
Wrong. Either that’s a fallacious media construct, being propped up by foreign and outside corporations/NGOs, or they are exceptions and hence rare. For example, in the USA I have seen extremely rich dark-skinned African-American dudes, but they’re also exceptional and aren’t a common sight for most black communities in the world.
“Wrong. Either that’s a fallacious media construct, being propped up by foreign and outside corporations/NGOs, or they are exceptions and hence rare. For example, in the USA I have seen extremely rich dark-skinned African-American dudes, but they’re also exceptional and aren’t a common sight for most black communities in the world.”
Myabe my writing was a bit confusing, but I meant that rich black and amerindian are rare exceptions. I’ve personally never seen a rich black man but I’ve seen one or two cases of rich amerindians, mostly due to the luck of having mineral riches under their land than anything else.
The Asians are a different group, but typically they range from typically working class to the few in the upper-class. Rarely, are they underclass (UNC).
What’s funny is that in the 50’s and even in the 70’s my latin country was quite safe. I once heard from an old lady that the car with the worker’s payment would enter the slums full of money, and nobody attempted to rob it. It’s because laws were more severe, and, truth be said, if you weren’t white (or castizo), police would not give an easy time on you, and if you had suspicious behaviour, you bet they would shot you down there in the street, without a trial.
An observation about interracial marriages, families and children. Is this right or wrong?
This is quite anecdotal but I’m currently travelling in Texas (this is Southern USA), and I’m starting to notice cute Mexican working class to middle class mestizas with white American men families and children. I’ve also noticed mestizo men/white American female families and children.
It seems that contrary to white/Asian mixes (typically white male/Asian female) and black/white mixes (usually black male/white female), mestizo/White mixes are evenly sex equal. So, it’s roughly 50/50.
Black/Whites have the highest divorce rate (this is also my experience and observation), while white/Asians are in-between and mestizos/whites are low.
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Brilliant post, AWC.
“In theory, leftists should like it…”
Yeah, right. Back in the days when leftism meant something other than stomping on the wrong class of whites.
IDK if I agree entirely with this some of these mestizos look almost fully white.
Wait 40 more years and you won’t need to think about this. More and more mixing of cultures will change the spectrum. Since light is the weaker color it will shade more. The only thing I find in cultures that are monolinguals such as the U.S. is that here many lose their roots and become the “American culture” that we’ve had but it’s changing, which doesn’t happen to Latin Americans when they come to the U.S. Prepare to eat tortillas and rice more often.
Mestizo: Southern European+Amerindian
Castizo: Northern European+Amerindian
It’s a bit weird since I know a friend whose dad has brunette hair and fair skin while her mom has light brown skin and black hair.
1) She looks castizo:
Light skin, Hazel eyes, and Brunette hair.
2) Her second oldest sister looks mestizo:
Light brown skin, Dark Brown eyes, and Black hair.
3) Her youngest sister looks castizo:
Light skin, Dark Brown eyes, and Black hair.
From the face, they look extremely similar, same height, same body type.
Her youngest sister looks castizo in winter and mestizo in summer.