In Italian, mulatto refers to a person of mixed heritage, typically with one white parent and one Black parent. The term originates from Spanish and Portuguese, and in Italian, it has been used historically in a descriptive manner to indicate someone with this specific combination of racial backgrounds.
For example:
È mulatto, figlio di un uomo bianco e una donna nera. – He is mulatto, the son of a white man and a Black woman.
Il ragazzo mulatto ha origini africane e europee. – The mulatto boy has African and European origins.
In Italian, mulatto does not carry offensive connotations in everyday usage. It is primarily a descriptive term, though it is always important to be mindful of individual sensitivities regarding terms that describe racial identity.