Just because I have time to waste, I collected quotes from people who are mixed race (or whatever you want to call it) or have close relatives that are. Maybe I missed some, but I tried to catch every reference.
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.
I've never heard the term half-caste. I probably wouldn't use it to describe someone - it just sounds more offensive than mixed-race, which is the term I use to describe myself. (I am Eurasian)
My missus is half cast, I don't see the big deal in this saying. I'm a Ginger or as I like to say aubern!
I suppose my kids are mixed race, but I never think of it in those terms, and they're not "half" anything, they're completely themselves. I just don't see race as a useful measure of anything - it has no predictive value.
My son is going to be half-caste. I dont see the issue/problem?!
I think different terms offend different people - a number of my mates are of carribean descent and I've occasionally chatted to them about their and their folks views on this. Some are offended by "coloured", "mixed race", "Half caste" and others by being called "black" (rationale being that he wasn't black skinned but actually a nice tan colour).
I'm mixed-race, I don't like half-caste - It doesn't "feel" nice. Whilst my brother probably doesn't care at all, but then he's 10 years younger and didn't grow up in less tolerant society.
My eldest two are from my first marriage, and I once described then as half-caste(ish) - to someone who while they knew my kids hadn't met my ex-wife - that confused them.
Seems to me that the general view is that "half caste" is viewed as somewhat offensive, and "mixed race" is considered acceptable by people who actually ARE heterogeneously heritaged.
