Ladino people

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For other uses, see Ladino.

The Spanish term ladino is used to describe various socio-ethnic categories in Latin America, and principally in Central America.

The term generally refers to a social middle class that is not quite part of the ruling class but is in a definite position of power in relation to the impoverished Amerindian population. In terms of ethnic implications, the term is used fairly loosely across different contexts. It sometimes may be heard to refer to the mestizo (mixed Spanish/Amerindian) middle class; at other times refers to the population of Amerindian peoples who have attained some level of social mobility above the largely impoverished indigenous masses, especially in regard to material wealth and imitating the Western/American lifestyle as much as possible; and at times it encompasses both of the former definitions, meaning "any native-born primary-Spanish-speaker". The second of these definitions is often used in indigenist rhetoric as a derogatory term for indigenous peoples who are seen as having betrayed their community to be part of the middle class, people who may go as far as to literally deny their Amerindian heritage. Rigoberta Menchú's famous memoir uses the term in such a way, which illustrates the use of the term in Guatemala in both a derogatory way (Amerindian to mestizo/ladino) and in the general mestizo/ladino community to define one's ethnic heritage.

The word has a (now-)secondary meaning in Spanish as "astute, clever, sneaky", reflecting on colonial racist views (see half-breed for a similar racist example in English).