Talk:Half-caste

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Someone has suggested that 'half caste' and 'half-caste' articles be merged. I don't know of any examples where the absence or presence of the hyphen makes a difference to the way the term was/is used, or changes its context, so I think that they should be merged. Any thoughts? Brucehassan 14:50, 12 November 2005 (UTC)

I've merged them Barbara Shack 14:27, 29 December 2005 (UTC)
Barbara Shack 12:16, 31 December 2005 (UTC)I’m not sure about the copyright status of John Agard’s poem. I found it on the history of Half cast. I can't get to it anymore.

I removed:

"Half-Caste by John Agard is a perfect explanation for all racist people and how they prey on those who are different from ourselves. It is a poem that is strong enough to make anyone realise that they are no different from us, and that they deserve to be treated the same as everyone else. It is basically saying think with all of your mind instead of 'Half'"

As it is POV (note the "different from ourselves" and "no different from us"). The sentiment might be laudable but wikipedia is not a soapbox for personal opinions on racial tolerance. I also think it's worthy of note, though the article does make clear the uncertainty surrounding the term, that half-caste has always in my experience just been a neutral term for someone of mixed ethnicity. I've never heard it used perjoratively, though it might well be by some. Panlane--82.38.227.22 15:18, 14 January 2006 (UTC)

racist?

I am half cast, and my family use the term without racist meanings Conglacio 12:12, 30 January 2006 (UTC)

Exactly the same here. I've always used the term when talking about my race. Skinmeister 09:07, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, In Australia it isn't offensive... at least I don't think so.--Steven X 02:12, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

Like a lot of things, some people take offence and some don't. Personally, I can think of a lot worse words--ZayZayEM 15:01, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

Yeah it isn't offensive at all, infact, i've seen the term on many forms. Everyone in London uses the term, especially black people. --93.97.181.187 (talk) 20:44, 18 November 2008 (UTC)

Yeah black people may use the term but it doesn’t make it not racist. It’s like white people thinking they can say the ‘n’ word because we black people say it. We say it meaning ‘mate’ or ‘g’ but as you should all know white people used the ‘n’ word to offend the black race in the past. ‘Half-caste’ doesn’t sound racist - I’ll give you that - but just because it doesn’t sound bad doesn’t mean some people won’t take it the wrong way as, just like the ‘n’ word, it is getting rid of someone’s identity by just calling them a name based on there appearance. We have names for a reason and I think they should be used as not only do they make one person stand out from the next but names don’t make people feel bad about themselves. Romanymoon 11:34, 11 January 2021 (UTC)

Offensive?

How's it offensive, I mean there's going to be someone, somewhere who finds the word hello offensive and since we've had several mixed people on here saying that they accept it as a term maybe we should remove the writing about it being 'offensive'.

BOV1993 20:17, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Have you tried looking up the term half-caste in google. Don't make me source this because this is either incredibly disingenuous or just wrong. look up the word half caste in google. If you need anymote information as it pertains to someone. 49.186.53.166 (talk) 04:12, 26 April 2023 (UTC)

We should base ourselves on what is verifiable. It clearly was offensive in the past, but that was a differentt world where rascism itself was acceptable in a way it isnt today, SqueakBox 20:22, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

It isn't offensive at all, infact, i've seen the term on many forms. Everyone in London uses the term, especially black people. Are you implying in the past, people didn't use the simple word, "black" in a negative manner. You can use half cast to describe people, or put them down. I've seen many people use the word white in offensive scenarios, does that mean "white" in it self is offensive, or the person who decided to use it in a offensive manner? Half cast is in fact a very descriptive term to describe the race of half black half white offsprings. Even on online chats, halfcasts describe themselves using that term "I'm halfcast, and you?". We can't deny races man, thats the same as saying all dogs are the same, when infact different dogs have different qualities. For how long is all this pretend we are all one crap going to carry on. Thank God for the mirror, we are all different, and we shall embrace differences rather than brush it under the carpet. --93.97.181.187 (talk) 20:48, 18 November 2008 (UTC)

I think the real issue is what it implies, the caste system is a social hierarchy - some castes are higher than others, by using the term "half-caste" it suggests that you believe in or at least don't challenge the idea that there is a hierarchy between races, which is something that I consider to be a racist idea. I'm not saying that people who use the term are racist but it seems to me to be a term loaded with racist ideology. I find the term "mixed race" much more acceptable, as although it may not necessarily be a completely accurate description in all cases, it is at least a description as opposed to an analogy (as there is no caste system in the UK). Ian (talk) 23:05, 17 November 2009 (UTC)

The New Zealand Police in 2011 issued an apology for calling somebody half-caste: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10705268 They said it was an "incorrect ethnic term". The matter might cause some discussion about it now. Thedoctor98 (talk) 20:22, 9 February 2011 (UTC)

An Auckland-based Samoan lawyer said it is "derogatory and discriminatory" and a Maori broadcaster said the term is usually used out of "ignorance" and has no place in New Zealand society: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/68145/police-apologise-for-describing-woman-as-'half-caste'

Thedoctor98 (talk) 02:25, 12 February 2011 (UTC)

Article or editorial?

This article seems to be more a statement against "politcal correctness" than an informative description of the term "half caste." What is the origin of this term? Where is this term more commonly used? What is the source of author's information, other than his or her personal opinion (which is really irrelevant)? The information about Indian castes is actually incorrect. In the Indian subcontinent before British colonization, the term "caste" referred to an occupational category; later these categories changed into the rigid, class-based associations currently associated with the term. The author could do MUCH more on contextualizing this. Kemet 13:27, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

Is it just me

As a child I would use the term regularly, and I would often describe my cousin as halfcaste. Its been about 7 or 8 years since I was first told that the term could be offensive, (to my surprise), because the word caste has more than one meaning, as in half made. After that time I have noticed that the term has fallen out of use dramatically.

No it isn't

I grew up in a mixed race area (White City/Shepherd's Bush) where as a child in the late 60s/early 70s it was very usual to use the term 'half-caste' - among all the ethnic groups. However, sometime ago (circa 1992) a Jamaican collegue was shocked that I could still be using such a term & I haven't used it since. I think that the main article needs to reflect that in the UK today this term can very much cause offence & that the more neutral term 'mixed race' is the preferred description.

Modern Context

Approx 15+ years ago, this term was the norm in the United Kingdom to refer to a person of mixed parentage (usually specifically black and white), however, it is no longer considered to be appropriate and hasn't been so for around 10 years. I spoke with the British government's chief adviser on racial equality in 1998, relating to my job at the time, and was informed that the term was considered outdated and potentially offensive. 'Mixed Race' is now entirely ubiquitous and has replaced Half-Caste, which is now seen as being offensive. In some other countries, however, it is still acceptable.

And is this to do with the dual meaning of the word Caste? Ajuk 17:17, 9 July 2007 (UTC)

It isn't offensive at all, infact, i've seen the term on many forms. Everyone in London uses the term, especially black people. Are you implying in the past, people didn't use the simple word, "black" in a negative manner. You can use half cast to describe people, or put them down. I've seen many people use the word white in offensive scenarios, does that mean "white" in it self is offensive, or the person who decided to use it in a offensive manner? Half cast is in fact a very descriptive term to describe the race of half black half white offsprings. Even on online chats, halfcasts describe themselves using that term "I'm halfcast, and you?". We can't deny races man, thats the same as saying all dogs are the same, when infact different dogs have different qualities. For how long is all this pretend we are all one crap going to carry on. Thank God for the mirror, we are all different, and we shall embrace differences rather than brush it under the carpet. --93.97.181.187 (talk) 20:48, 18 November 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.97.181.187 (talk)

The Truth

I cannot understand just why so many people find so many things offensive. Many references just speak the truth. Half Caste is just simply a reference to someone who has a black person and a white person as parents.People should not look for offence round every corner. There are far too many people with chips on their shoulders. This sort of thing is just whipped up by the media like the BBC. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Johnrhowson (talk • contribs) 11:37, 8 June 2010 (UTC)

If the term reflects the truth then you must think that black and white people are of different castes, that's an idea that's just racist whatever way you look at it and that's why people who don't like the term find it offensive. Ian (talk) 16:02, 26 July 2010 (UTC)

"Potentially" offensive is accurate. Some people do take offense at the term, as they either have reason to believe or sometimes assume that the person who uses the term means to cause offense or to insult. However, others believe the term to be accurate and therefore the best way to express their thoughts or views of those who have two parents who have different coloured skin to each other. There are on both sides, some of those who would sometimes be described as Half Caste and some of those who would not be described in that way. To think that your own view of the term as being either offensive or not offensive is the only acceptable view to have, is arrogant. The term is controversial, but controversial does not mean bad, just bad according to some. I personally use the term without any racism or superiority implied as I think it a better term than mixed race, which i think is more often an inaccurate description and cringeworthy, but that's just me. I am not saying what my background is, because that shouldn't matter, as my background is not a label to be applied to my opinion. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.10.102.252 (talk) 16:28, 7 October 2010 (UTC)

someone's little joke?

The article provides a list of various "other terms" supposedly used historically and/or regionally. What catches my eye is

Other terms in use in colonial era for half-castes included … plumcot

Seeing as plumcot redirects to Pluot (a somewhat catch-all article for apricot/plum crossbreeds, including the plumcot), I have to suspect that either someone's being "amusing," or that the entire list is questionable. As the claimed source is hidden behind the Google Play paywall, at very least the examples should be presented in the cited author's words.
Weeb Dingle (talk) 23:16, 25 July 2019 (UTC)

Incorrect use of the talk page

Would people please note the header at the top of the page and stop discussing issues unrelated to the substance of the article. This is a talk page on Wikipedia, not a social media chat space. Laterthanyouthink (talk) 11:41, 11 January 2021 (UTC)