In the Philippines, mestizo is a word incorrectly used to describe an individual of half Filipino and half white European or american descent, and nothing other. A mestizo is someone who has the physical features Filipinos of no foreign ancestry can attain. In the Philippines, having the following are the prevalent attributes to being called a mestizo: a light skin tone, and an arched or pointed nose. Many Filipinos forget or do not associate Filipinos mixed with non-European or African blood to be labelled mestizos. An example of this are the large filipino-chinese (mestizo de sangley) community in the Philippines, or someone of african and filipino descent. The official definition of a mestizo is “a person of mixed racial or ethnic ancestry”. The word mestizo is also used in other Spanish colonized countries.
The rappler article attached below, talks about a Spanish scientist who conducted a research, to genetically map the demographic history of the Philippines. His findings and description of the term “mestizo” are very interesting. Take a look!
http://www.rappler.com/nation/
Bolches yarboclos