Pardo

Pardo is a word used in the Spanish colonies in the Americas to refer to the tri-racial descendants of Europeans, Amerindians, and Africans. They are defined as neither exclusively mestizo (Amerindian-European descent) nor mulatto (African-European descent). It is highly associated with the history of slavery and colonialism. From the 18th century, the term has been used more widely to identify a brown skin colour. But in general use, the physical characteristics may include brown skin ranging from dark brown to almost white. Similarly, the person's hair could be curly, straight or other texture, and any colour.

In Brazil, the word "pardo" has had a general meaning, since the beginning of the colonization. In the famous letter by Pero Vaz de Caminha, for example, in which Brazil was first described by the Portuguese, the Native Americans were called "pardo": "Pardo, naked, without clothing".

The word was used to cover African/European mixes, Amerindian/European mixes, and Amerindian/European/African mixes and Native Americans themselves.

Pardo (surname)

Pardo is a family deriving its surname from Prado in Castile or from Prado del Rey in the province of Cadiz. The place-name Prado is derived from the Spanish word prado, which means meadow. As with the name Castro/Crasto, letters have become transposed. The Spanish word pardo means brownish grey.

Members of the Pardo family have mostly distinguished themselves in the Levant.

The Pardo family which apparently originated in Prado del Rey flourished during the 16th–18th centuries in the Ottoman Empire, Italy, the Netherlands, England, and America. Many members of the family were scattered throughout North America, where they became known as Brown or Browne.

Notable people with the surname

Pardo (disambiguation)

Pardo is a word used in the Spanish colonies in the Americas to refer to the tri-racial descendants of Europeans, Amerindians, and Africans.

Pardo may also refer to:

People

Other