Torna atrás Facts for Kids

A painting from the 1700s showing a Spanish father, an Albina mother, and their Torna atrás child. This was painted by Miguel Cabrera in Mexico.

Torna atrás (pronounced: tor-nah-TRAS) is a Spanish term that was used a long time ago, in the 1700s. It appeared in special paintings called Casta paintings. These paintings showed people of mixed backgrounds in Spanish colonies.

A Casta painting from Mexico (around 1760) by Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz. It shows a Spanish father, an Albina mother, and their Torna atrás child.

De Albina y Español, Torna atrás. This painting is thought to be by Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz (1701-1770).

The term Torna atrás described a person who had mixed European and Native American (Amerindian) family roots. But, they looked a lot like only one of their "original races." For example, they might look completely European or completely Native American, even though their parents were mixed. It was also used for someone whose parents were half white and half "albino" (a term used then for a very light-skinned person of African background).

Life in Colonial Spanish America
- How People Were Classified
Torna atrás in the Philippines
Famous Torna atrás People
See also

Life in Colonial Spanish America

In the Spanish colonies, the term torna atrás meant something like "throwback" or "going back." It could also describe when a child had features that weren't obvious in their parents. For instance, if a white person and a light-skinned person of African background (called albino at the time) had a child, and that child was born with darker skin than the African-descended parent.

The term torna atrás wasn't an official legal category in colonial papers. However, it was often shown in families in the casta paintings of 18th-century Mexico. These paintings tried to show all the different mixes of people.

How People Were Classified

Casta paintings often had lists explaining the different mixes of people. Here are some examples from famous painters of that time. They show how people thought about different family backgrounds.

Miguel Cabrera, 1763	Andrés de Islas, 1774	Luis de Mena, around 1750
From Spanish and Native American: Mestiza From Spanish and Mestiza: Castiza From Spanish and Castiza: Spanish From Spanish and Black: Mulata From Spanish and Mulata: Morisca From Spanish and Morisca: Albina From Spanish and Albina: Torna atrás From Spanish and Torna atrás: Tente en el aire From Black and Native American: China cambuja From Chino cambujo and Native American: Loba From Lobo and Native American: Albarazado From Albarazado and Mestiza: Barcino From Native American and Barcina: Zambuigua From Castizo and Mestiza: Chamizo From Mestizo and Native American: Coyote Indios gentiles (Native Americans not converted to Christianity)	From Spanish and Native American: Mestizo From Spanish and Mestiza: Castizo From Castizo and Spanish: Spanish From Spanish and Black: Mulata From Spanish and Mulata: Morisco From Spanish and Morisca: Albino From Spanish and Albina: Torna atrás From Native American and Black: Lobo From Native American and Mestiza: Coyote From Lobo and Black: Chino From Chino and Native American: Cambujo From Cambujo and Native American: Tente en el aire From Tente en el aire and Mulata: Albarazado From Albarazado and Native American: Barcino From Barcino and Cambuja: Calpamulato Indios Mecos bárbaros (Wild Meco Native Americans)	Spanish + Native American: Mestizo Mestizo + Spanish: Castizo Castiza + Spanish: Spanish Spanish + Black: Mulato Mulato + Spanish: Morisca Morisca + Spanish: Albino Torna-atrás Mestiza + Native American: Lobo Lobo + Native American: Native American

Torna atrás in the Philippines

The term tornatrás was also used in the Philippines. This was during the time when Spain ruled the Philippines, from the 1500s to the 1800s. It described people who were a mix of different groups. These groups included Austronesian people (called indio), Chinese (called Sangley), and Spanish (called filipinos or insulares if born in the Philippines, or peninsulares if born in Spain). Sometimes, it just meant a mix of Chinese and Spanish family roots.

Famous Torna atrás People

Even though tornatrás first described people with European, mixed-race, and "albino" backgrounds, in the Philippines it often meant something else. It was commonly used for children born from a Spanish father and a mother who was a mix of native and Chinese (a mestiza de Sangley), or a mother who was fully Chinese. They could also be born from a parent who was mixed native and Spanish, and another parent who was mixed native and Chinese.

Most people of the tornatrás group in the Philippines spoke Spanish as their main language. Many of them also became Catholic. Some famous people in colonial history who were considered tornatrás include José Rizal, Andrés Bonifacio, and Manuel Quezon. These individuals played important roles in Philippine history.

There are no official numbers for how many people around the world have tornatrás ancestry today. Because of how history and colonial times worked, it is thought that most of them are found in South America (like Peru, which has many people of Chinese and Japanese background) and the Philippines.

Torna atrás facts for kids

Contents

Life in Colonial Spanish America

How People Were Classified

Torna atrás in the Philippines

Famous Torna atrás People

See also