Casta system

The Casta system was a racial hierarchy used in colonial Spain and its territories like Mexico, during the 17th and 18th centuries. It categorized people based on their ancestry—Spanish, Indigenous, African, or mixed heritage. This system created social classes that determined people's rights, opportunities, and social status, with those of pure Spanish descent at the top and indigenous and African descendants often at the bottom. The Casta system reinforced social inequality by associating people's value and privileges with their racial background.