es ▁of ▁Mal aya ▁and ▁other ▁British ▁colon ies ▁in ▁Asia ▁have ▁been ▁part ▁of ▁non - f iction ▁and ▁fict ional ▁works . ▁Brig itte ▁Glas er ▁notes ▁that ▁the ▁half - c aste ▁characters ▁in ▁literary ▁works ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁through ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁were ▁pre domin antly ▁struct ured ▁with ▁pre jud ice , ▁as ▁deg ener ate , ▁low , ▁inferior , ▁devi ant ▁or ▁bar bar ic . ▁Ash cro ft ▁in ▁his ▁review ▁cons iders ▁the ▁literary ▁work ▁structure ▁as ▁consistent ▁with ▁mor als ▁and ▁values ▁of ▁colonial ▁era ▁where ▁the ▁colonial ▁powers ▁considered ▁people ▁from ▁different ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁as ▁une qual ▁by ▁birth ▁in ▁their ▁ab ilities , ▁character ▁and ▁potential , ▁where ▁laws ▁were ▁en act ed ▁that ▁made ▁sexual ▁relations ▁and ▁marriage ▁between ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁as ▁illegal . ▁ ▁New ▁Zealand ▁The ▁term ▁half - c aste ▁to ▁class ify ▁people ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁birth ▁and ▁ancest ry ▁became ▁popular ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁Term s ▁such ▁as ▁Ang lo - New ▁Ze al ander ▁suggested ▁by ▁John ▁Pol ack ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁U tu ▁P ih ik ete ▁and ▁Hu ip a iana ▁were ▁altern atively ▁but ▁less ▁used . ▁ ▁South ▁Africa ▁ ▁Soci ological ▁literature ▁on ▁South ▁Africa , ▁in ▁pre - B rit ish , ▁British ▁colonial ▁and ▁A part heid ▁era ▁refers ▁to ▁half - c aste ▁as ▁anyone ▁born