Casta systems were social hierarchies imposed by Spanish colonizers in Latin America that classified individuals based on their racial ancestry. These systems determined one's social status, privileges, and restrictions within society.
Related terms
Peninsulares: People born in Spain but residing in the colonies; held highest social status.
Criollos: People of Spanish ancestry born in the colonies; held the second-highest social status.
Mestizos: Individuals of mixed European and Indigenous American ancestry; occupied a lower social status in the caste system.