What Is The Meaning Of Half-Caste? (Well, Double Caste Is All I See)

Nigerians are fond of calling some people half-caste. And by that, they mean people of mixed race especially those with one parent Caucasian and the other black African. Generally, it was a term used to describe ‘the offspring of an aboriginal mother and other than aboriginal father’, whatever that means. While this is considered an offensive word in contemporary times, the average Nigerian doesn’t mean harm when he/she uses it. In fact, they say half-caste with a lot of admiration and respect.

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There are a lot of English words and terms that sometimes make you think their coinage was not well thought through. Originally, half-caste was a derogatory term used by colonizers to deride the children of their fellow compatriots who were ‘foolhardy’ enough to mate with an ‘aborigine’ woman and father her child.

They saw such children as being half ‘civilized’ and therefore below their ‘pure breed’ children. Only the beneficiary of such a union could tell their racist countrymen what bliss they miss in their blinded racism and Hitlerite mindset.

Before casting the first stone, we may need to remove the log with our own eyes. Only then can we be morally qualified to talk about the mote in another’s. Historically, intermarriages across ethnic groups were frowned upon.

Many a parent would counsel their children on which tribes, towns, or families they must never consider marrying from. Sometimes there were genuine historical reasons for such a stance. But in most cases, they are based on pure falsehood or prejudice passed on over time. Some are even based on jealousy where an indolent group accuses another more enterprising one of success based on unscrupulous factors even where such were unfounded.

This article was inspired by the sight of two children, obviously of mixed-race, that I saw somewhere in Benin City last weekend. They looked like twins and were playing and running around vigorously with impressive vivacity that only well-fed and healthy children can muster.

They had the strong build of an African wrestler but hair that looked Indian. Beautiful children running around radiating innocence and virtue, totally oblivious of the mess their leaders have made of their country.

How could someone see these beautiful souls and call them half-caste? It is either they are half-blind, bigoted, bereft of a sense of what half means or all of the above. All I saw was a double caste that combined all the fine elements of both races into a beautiful terrestrial work of art.

Check out this list:

Barack Obama, Sade Adu, Ramsey Nouah, Dwyane Johnson, Alicia keys, Nky Iweka, Tiger Woods, Nneka Egbuna, Shan George, Daady Freeze, Ibinabo Fiberesima, Leon Balogun are all mixed-race people. So was Bob (Robert Nesta) Marley. And Jerry Rawlings who changed Ghana forever. Nky Iweka is today, arguably the de facto Nigerian Ambassador to the UK on the basis of the cultural and culinary diplomacy she plays at her Pitanga place at 220 North End Road, London.

What those involved in such dubious characterization of these achievers as ‘half’ instead of ‘double’ or even ‘full’ miss is that they see a cup that is full to overflowing as half empty due to their short-sightedness!

Not everyone belongs in this group. There are those who even venerate and push the case for inclusiveness and diversity in all ramifications including mixed marriages rather than pushing for inbreeding with its inherent genetic deficiencies and dangers!

A case in point is that of a town in Akoko-Edo, in the northern part of Edo State, where children borne of women from outside are more favored to inherent the throne. Besides this worthy example of motivated ‘crossbreeding’ which improves the herd, as it were, children of parents from different towns, ethnic backgrounds, and races actually benefit from such situations.

They are welcome in both places as children of the soil and they inadvertently exude an urbane cosmopolitan visage when educated. Take the case of Wole Soyinka who claims he is Ijegba – Ijebu mother, Egba father. General Ike Nwachuwku of mixed Ibo-Hausa parentage and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of Benin mother and Yoruba father.

As our children get exposed to other cultures and the world becomes smaller due to globalisation, the cases of ‘double caste’, international or local, is likely to become more commonplace.

It is a reality we have to face and embrace. Those who still consider ‘single caste’ as ideal have their point but they may be wrong. Imagine a world where everyone intermarries, and every Nigerian Muslim family has some Christian offspring and vice versa. And imagine that every Arab family has some European siblings.

How would it be if every Boer (Afrikaner) in South Africa has a Zulu or Xhosa in-law? There would be world peace or, at least, chances for it would be much higher.

Do not tell me I am dreaming. I practice what I preach. My children’s parents are of mixed backgrounds and I am the only Ishan it has been fun all the way.

Lagos. 30th August 2022 – Austin Isikhuemen 

Download the first chapter of The Storytelling Series: Beginners’ Guide for Small Businesses & Content Creators by Obehi Ewanfoh.