What is the difference between mestizo/castizo/harnizo?

[EdAlencar]

I don't fully understand the differences, so I think this is the right place to ask.

I read somewhere that a castizo is someone who is 75% European + 25% Native American, and a Mestizo is any mixed person. If anyone mixed is a mestizo, then a castizo/harnizo is also a mestizo, but according to another forum, a mestizo is 50/50%. Is it based just on DNA or it has something to do with phenotype?

Here is my FTDNA result:

http://i.imgur.com/rWwEjos.png

What am I?

[alnortedelsur]

It has to do with percentage of Genetics and in most cases with phenotype, because although sometimes phenotype doesn't completely correspond with Genotype, in most cases it does, because both things are directly proportional related.

Harnizos and castizos are basically Euro-mestizos, since they are a variety of "mestizos" that have a higher degree of European admixture (in most cases Iberian) compared to regular balanced mestizos (who are called just "mestizos"). Lets put it this way:

indo-mestizos: Mestizos with less than 40% of European contribution and more than 60% of Amerindian contribution.
balanced mestizos (or just mestizos): =>40% but =<60% of European contribution, and the rest Amerindian.

Then the Euro-mestizos can be divided in two sub-categories:
Harnizos: >60% but <75% of European contribution, and the rest Amerindian
Castizos: =>75% but =<85% of European contribution, and the rest Amerindian

If somebody is more than 85% European and the rest Amerindian, they are considered in most cases white, because when the European contribution is that high, his/her Amerindian admixture under 15% is hardly visible, and the person could pass unnoticed in Europe. However, everything depends on the person. There can be somebody with more than 85% of European genes, and 15% or less of Amerindian genes, and yet having some noticeable Amerindian traits (is not very frequent but it can happen), and in such case, this person can be considered castizo, even though his/her Amerindian admixture is equal or less than 15%. Because a castizo, from a phenotypical standpoint, is somebody with very predominantly European traits, but with some visible Amerindian influence.

[Dictator]

What are you? Triracial?

[Dani Cutie]

you are castizo.

[Gauthier]

I wouldn't consider you a mestizo, you are more of a triracial. The black and indio percentages are almost the same.

[Awebo]

Castizo and Harnizo are subcategories of the Mestizo spectrum.