▁It ▁is ▁used ▁and ▁seen ▁as ▁an ▁off ensive ▁term , ▁particularly ▁in ▁Australia , ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Islands ▁and ▁parts ▁of ▁Asia . ▁The ▁terms ▁half - c aste , ▁cas te , ▁quarter - c aste , ▁" mix - bre ed " ▁etc . ▁were ▁widely ▁used ▁by ▁eth n ograph ers ▁in ▁British ▁colon ies ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁class ify ▁n atives . ▁In ▁Latin ▁America , ▁the ▁equivalent ▁term ▁for ▁half - cast es ▁was ▁Ch olo ▁and ▁Zam bo . ▁ ▁Use ▁by ▁country ▁ ▁Australia ▁ ▁In ▁Australia , ▁the ▁term ▁" half - c aste "" ▁or ▁any ▁other ▁proportional ▁representation ▁of ▁Ab original ity ▁is ▁highly ▁off ensive , ▁and ▁results ▁in ▁criminal , ▁civil ▁or ▁a ▁physical ▁response . ▁▁▁ ▁It ▁was ▁widely ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th - ▁and ▁early - 2 0 th - century ▁British ▁common wealth ▁laws ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁off spring ▁of ▁white ▁colon ists ▁and ▁the ▁Ab original ▁pe op les ▁of ▁the ▁continent . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁Ab orig ines ▁Prote ction ▁Act ▁ 1 8 8 6 ▁mentioned ▁half - cast es ▁habit ually ▁associ ating ▁with ▁or ▁living ▁with ▁an ▁" A bor ig ine " ▁( another ▁term ▁no ▁longer ▁fav oured ), ▁while ▁the ▁Ab orig ines ▁Am end ments ▁between ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁refer ▁to ▁it ▁in ▁various ▁terms , ▁including ▁as ▁a ▁person ▁with ▁less ▁than