▁Act s ▁on ▁half - cast es ▁and ▁Ab original ▁people ▁en act ed ▁between ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁were ▁often ▁called ▁" W elf are ▁Act s ", ▁but ▁they ▁dep riv ed ▁these ▁people ▁of ▁basic ▁civil , ▁political , ▁and ▁economic ▁rights , ▁and ▁made ▁it ▁illegal ▁to ▁enter ▁public ▁places ▁such ▁as ▁pub s ▁and ▁government ▁institutions , ▁marry , ▁or ▁meet ▁relatives . ▁ ▁British ▁Central ▁Africa ▁ ▁British ▁Central ▁Africa , ▁now ▁part ▁Mal aw i ▁and ▁part ▁Z imb ab we , ▁referred ▁to ▁people ▁of ▁mixed ▁descent ▁as ▁half - cast es . ▁These ▁un ions ▁were ▁considered ▁impro per , ▁mixed ▁cou ples ▁seg reg ated ▁and ▁sh unn ed , ▁and ▁the ▁colonial ▁courts ▁ruled ▁against ▁mixed ▁mar ri ages . ▁ ▁Bur ma ▁ ▁In ▁Bur ma , ▁a ▁half - c aste ▁( or ▁Kab ya ) ▁was ▁anyone ▁with ▁mixed ▁eth nic ity ▁from ▁Bur m ese ▁and ▁British , ▁or ▁Bur m ese ▁and ▁Indian . ▁During ▁the ▁British ▁colonial ▁rule , ▁half - c aste ▁people ▁were ▁ost rac ised ▁and ▁critic ised ▁in ▁literary ▁and ▁political ▁media . ▁ ▁For ▁example , ▁a ▁local ▁publication ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁published ▁the ▁following : ▁ ▁Similarly , ▁Pu ▁G ale ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁wrote ▁Kab ya ▁Py at th ana ▁( liter ally : ▁The ▁Half - C aste ▁Problem ), ▁cens ured ▁Bur m ese