▁sam bo , ▁tang elo , ▁x ib aro . ▁The ▁difference ▁between ▁these ▁terms ▁of ▁various ▁European ▁colon ies ▁usually ▁was ▁the ▁race , ▁eth nic ity ▁or ▁cas te ▁of ▁the ▁father ▁and ▁the ▁mother . ▁ ▁Ann ▁Laura ▁St ol er ▁has ▁published ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁reviews ▁of ▁half - c aste ▁people ▁and ▁eth nic ▁inter mix ing ▁during ▁the ▁colonial ▁era ▁of ▁human ▁history . ▁She ▁states ▁that ▁colonial ▁control ▁was ▁pred ic ated ▁on ▁ident ifying ▁who ▁was ▁white ▁and ▁who ▁was ▁native , ▁which ▁children ▁could ▁become ▁citizens ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire ▁while ▁who ▁remained ▁the ▁subjects ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire , ▁who ▁had ▁her edit ary ▁rights ▁of ▁a ▁pro gen y ▁and ▁who ▁did ▁not . ▁This ▁was ▁deb ated ▁by ▁colonial ▁administr ators , ▁then ▁triggered ▁reg ulations ▁by ▁the ▁authorities . ▁At ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁colonial ▁emp ires , ▁mostly ▁males ▁from ▁Europe ▁and ▁then ▁males ▁of ▁indent ured ▁labor ers ▁from ▁India , ▁China ▁and ▁sout heast ▁Asia ▁went ▁on ▁these ▁distant ▁tri ps ; ▁in ▁these ▁early ▁times , ▁inter mix ing ▁was ▁accepted , ▁approved ▁and ▁encourag ed . ▁Over ▁time , ▁differences ▁were ▁emphas ised , ▁and ▁the ▁colonial ▁authorities ▁proceeded ▁to ▁restrict , ▁then ▁disapp ro ve ▁and ▁finally ▁forb id ▁sexual ▁relationships ▁between ▁groups ▁of ▁people ▁to ▁maintain ▁so - called ▁pur ity ▁of ▁blood ▁and ▁limit ▁inher itable ▁rights . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁General ▁concepts ▁Race ▁( human ▁classification ) ▁C aste ▁M isce