mestizocracia

Mestizocracia is a social and political system historically prevalent in Latin America, where individuals of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry (mestizos) held privileged status over those with purely Indigenous or African roots. It emphasized racial and cultural hierarchies based on lineage, often favoring mestizos as the "middle" group, in contrast to the marginalized Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations. This system influenced social structure, access to opportunities, and identity, shaping national cultures and relationships with colonial histories. In essence, mestizocracia reflects a societal arrangement that assigns social value and power largely based on mixed-race heritage.