I have to agree with Denise,
some was not seen as African blacks although they have African blood..they are Semites
a.k.a Moors(Arabs)...Spanish Jews...Gitanos..Moriscos
I hate to use a caste system but they are seen as higher than a black but lower than a white.
many mulattos & mestizos pass for gitanos then and today ,
either to be treated better or out ignorance.