As above- my mum still uses it, I still use it but my American girlfriend seems to find it appalling. But isn't that the official term?
Sorry if it's now considered a bit of a risque term and I'm just out the loop and I've offended anyone, but I'm convinced it's still the proper word.
Half-caste surely?
Bloody racist
[Tannoy]
TJ to the forum, please. Repeat, TJ to the forum, please
[/Tannoy]
I think it's mixed race to be honest. Or as I prefer, person.
If only Druidh was here...
Interestingly, my mum used it tonight and I remember thinking that it's a word that I certainly wouldn't have used. Think the PC term is "mixed race", but it's never something I've needed to talk about anyway.
Black / white / yellow / pink / blue etc doesn't make any difference in my book, especially after spending a large proportion of my life in multi-ethnic Leeds and Rochdale.
Watched Panorama last night and was very surprised that the degree of racism shown was still going on, although I suspect the Iraq / Afghanistan wars are now responsible for a lot of it. Couple of the thugs in the programme needed taking out and given a damn good thrashing. 
Coyote - MemberI think it's mixed race to be honest. Or as I prefer, person.
Is it now racist to observe the colour of a persons skin? Do you tip-toe around the Scottish, English, Geordies and Manc's, hoping that they don't realise that you've noticed?
I'm thinking perhaps you might be a Half-Wit for asking.
I found it very interesting when a guy I know explained how he was pure half-caste. Quite common for people of Indian descent. You get a mixed marriage whose offspring are then a step up the caste system one way, but not the other kind of thing. As mixed-caste relationships are rare they then hook up with other members of their caste (i.e. other half-castes). He was from two generations of half-castes, so wasn't a half-caste at all but pure half-caste. It made sense after enough beer.
Odd fellas Indians [in a non-racist way, obviously].
Aye, I'm from West Yorkshire so every race under the sun is well represented. For some reason I don't spend any time with many "mixed race" people.
Actually, I don't think it's racist at all, any more than it is to call someone black. Having prejudices and treating people different on account of their skin-colour IS racist.
Is it now racist to observe the colour of a persons skin?
'half cast' isn't colour is it?
by observe, do you mean, 'oh look there's a brown chap, pantone N35-06?'
I think it's a competition to see who can be less racist than the next, simply not hating, judging or discriminating against someone beacuse of their race, doesn't seem to be enough.
Glen-more seems to understand, as well as Luke
I'd say avoidance of the term is best.
its an old fashioned term and shouldn't be used anymore
About as acceptable as quadroon, I'd guess?
At the last diversity training I had the guidance was not to use half-caste as some folk are offended by it, and the term mixed race was starting to be frowned upon. The appropriate term at that point in time was mixed or dual heritage.
The only reason I use it is to describe my friend Paul. He's "my half caste friend Paul". I say that,and people know who I mean instantly, rather than "Paul with the long hair". He likes it, calls himself it and so I thought it was OK. Not to discriminate, or be nasty. It's just what he is.
thegreatape - MemberThe appropriate term at that point in time was mixed or dual heritage.
Give me strength
Mixed or dual heritage - seems to describe me. And the rest of my family. All of our friends. Everyone on this site. Etc, etc, etc.
Did you tell them to stop talking crap???
I thought caste and race were different things, especially for anyone from India. The accountant at the place I used to work was a brahmin and certainly thought that way.
Good insight into how it still works in India in "White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga, well worth a read.
Like Glen More says being aware of someone's skin colour or background, isn't a bad thing, the bad thing is making a value judgement based on it.
Half-caste (or often mis-spelt half-cast) is a term used to describe people of mixed race or ethnicity.[1] Caste comes from the Latin castus, meaning pure, and the derivative Portuguese and Spanish casta, meaning race. The term originates from the Indian caste system, where a person of 'lesser' or half-caste would be deemed to be of a 'lower class'. While the origins of the term are derogatory, its usage has evolved to give it the more objective meaning described above.Half caste is a term used in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking parts of the world. An example is a child of black African and white European parentage. The term mulatto (from Spanish "Mulato") has also been used for this particular mixture. Both terms are considered impolite and potentially offensive in the U.S., as the words have been used pejoratively in the past to ostracize and isolate the offspring of such unions. For example, "children of the plantation" (the children of African-American slaves and their European-American masters in the U.S. Southern states) were not accepted as heirs, and in most cases, the relationship was never acknowledged, and "half-caste" conveyed the deliberate exclusion. The term 'half caste' was once commonly used in the U.K. and remains in occasional use today.
I didn't IdleJon. Diversity training isn't the place to make a name for oneself.
Porch monkey 4 life.
So - half-caste is now "not acceptable", neither is mixed race. How long before "mixed heritage" joins them and we have to invent some other stupid term to describe the same thing?
if you read the Grumm link and realise that it is essentially a derogatory term then it is probably best avoided.
In much ths same way Scot for Scottish is Ok but Paki for Pakistanian is not as its route is from one of abuse.
Would you call somone Black a Wog?
I dont really see how this concept is too hard to grasp.
I have yet to be in a situation where i have had to describe anyone as half caste Paul, Darkie Dave Or Paki Patel but then again I am not Jim davidson or stuck in the 70's.
If they were my friend I could probably differentiate them from other people by something other than their mixed heritage. I doubt my friends describe me as that Scottish bloke who has lived in England since 7 and actually differentiate me from other Johns by saying the longhaired gob sh!te one.
we were told at scouts not to use it as some of the kids (or more likely their parents) would find it offensive, mixed race being the preferred term and our group in north london had a very mixed background
to be honest never had the need to use either phrase
racism is something your average white brit has never been on the receiving end of
[i]racism is something your average white brit has never been on the receiving end of[i/]
Right on Honky!
WTF is up with those italics??
they dont work for racists ?
turn them off properly: [/i]
Im with paulo.
Any given description of anyone, whether it be gays, the old, the disabled will go through phases of polite descriptive acceptance, into common use, then derogation and as it churns on the way out of fashion it becomes impolite.
Soon enough disabled will be unusable as will black or gay and we'll be expected to use another descriptive instead.
irritating though it is, and a minefield at social gatherings, but it's the tribal nature of people...
I was talking to a guy in work last week who described his son as half caste (his wife is Jamaican)I was a bit taken aback but he was referring to his son and he obviously thought it acceptable.
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