▁from ▁adm ix ing ▁of ▁White ▁and ▁people ▁of ▁color . ▁An ▁alternate , ▁less ▁common ▁term , ▁for ▁half - c aste ▁was ▁M est iz zo ▁( con cept ually ▁similar ▁to ▁M est izo ▁in ▁Latin ▁American ▁colon ies ). ▁ ▁G ri qua ▁( A frika ans : ▁Gr iek wa ) ▁is ▁another ▁term ▁for ▁half - c aste ▁people ▁from ▁inter mix ing ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁and ▁Nam ib ia . ▁ ▁People ▁of ▁mixed ▁descent , ▁the ▁half - c aste , ▁were ▁considered ▁inferior ▁and ▁slaves ▁by ▁birth ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁hier arch ically ▁arranged , ▁closed ▁colonial ▁social ▁strat ification ▁system ▁of ▁South ▁Africa . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁case ▁even ▁if ▁the ▁father ▁or ▁mother ▁of ▁half - c aste ▁person ▁was ▁a ▁European . ▁ ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁In ▁today ' s ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁the ▁term ▁primarily ▁applies ▁to ▁those ▁of ▁mixed ▁Black ▁and ▁White ▁parent age , ▁although ▁can ▁extend ▁to ▁those ▁of ▁differ ing ▁her itage , ▁but ▁such ▁was ▁not ▁always ▁the ▁case . ▁In ▁just ▁about ▁any ▁area ▁that ▁fell ▁under ▁the ▁crown ' s ▁domin ion , ▁the ▁term ▁was ▁made ▁use ▁of , ▁and ▁anyone ▁of ▁mixed ▁C au cas ian ▁and ▁conquer ed ▁races ▁could ▁be ▁properly ▁described ▁as ▁being ▁half - c aste ; ▁ow ing ▁to ▁a ▁previously ▁held ▁view ▁point ▁among ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁cas te ▁based ▁system ▁of ▁hierarchy . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁UK ▁the ▁term ▁'