hypodescent means the practice of classifying a child of mixed race ancestry into the less socially dominant of the parents' races. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 84 out of 100.
Why “hypodescent” is a great word
HYPODESCENT — [Noun] The social practice of assigning a child of mixed racial or ethnic parentage to the less socially dominant or subordinate group. From the Greek prefix hypo- ("under, beneath") + the English word descent ("lineage, ancestry"). Unlike hyperdescent, which elevates toward the privileged group, or self-identification, which denotes personal choice, hypodescent is an externally imposed arithmetic of exclusion. It is the cold, bureaucratic tick of a census box, the one-drop rule etched into law, and the colonial ledger of sangre limpia—a taxonomic gravity, ever pulling lineage toward a baseline of presumed inferiority.
Etymology
From hypo- + descent.
noun
- The practice of classifying a child of mixed race ancestry into the less socially dominant of the parents' races.