half - c aste ' ▁is ▁an ▁off ensive ▁term . ▁The ▁term ▁implies ▁that ▁a ▁person ▁under ▁this ▁den ot ation ▁is ▁less ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁' full ▁race ' ▁or ▁' p ure ' ▁non ▁mixed - race ▁her itage ▁person ▁ow ing ▁to ▁their ▁mixed ▁eth nic ▁background . ▁ ▁Soci ologist ▁Peter ▁J . ▁Asp in all ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁term ' s ▁orig ins ▁lie ▁in ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁British ▁colonial ▁administr ations , ▁with ▁it ▁evol ving ▁into ▁a ▁des criptor ▁of ▁people ▁of ▁mixed ▁race ▁or ▁eth nic ity , ▁" us ually ▁en comp ass ing ▁' White ' ", ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁he ▁arg ues ▁it ▁was ▁" used ▁in ▁Britain ▁as ▁a ▁der og atory ▁ra cial ▁category ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁moral ▁condem n ation ▁of ▁' m isce gen ation ' ". ▁ ▁The ▁National ▁Union ▁of ▁Journal ists ▁has ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁term ▁half - c aste ▁is ▁considered ▁off ensive ▁today . ▁The ▁union ' s ▁gu idel ines ▁for ▁race ▁reporting ▁instruct s ▁journal ists ▁to ▁' av oid ▁words ▁that , ▁although ▁common ▁in ▁the ▁past , ▁are ▁now ▁considered ▁off ensive '. ▁N HS ▁Editor ial ▁guidance ▁states ▁documents ▁should ▁' A void ▁off ensive ▁and ▁s tere ot yp ing ▁words ▁such ▁as ▁col oured , ▁half - c aste