Dear Merriam-Webster,

As the mother of a mixed child, I cringe when I see or hear usage of the word “mulatto.” The word “mulatto” originally described the result of donkeys and horses breeding; mules. However, people of color have historically been and continue to be animalized and “mulatto” has racist connotations because it is used specifically to animalize and dehumanize multiracial people, establishing whiteness (and proximity to whiteness) as the standard of humanity. The very influential conservationist and eugenicist, Madison Grant, once wrote: “The intelligence and ability of a colored person are in pretty direct proportion to the amount of white blood he has, and … most of the positions of leadership, influence, and prominence in the Negro race are held not by real Negroes but by Mulattoes, many of whom have very little Negro blood.”

I hear people claim they are “mulatto” because of your dictionary’s omission of its racist connotations. Please revise your definition of the word “mulatto” so that readers will understand the racism of its usage.

My suggestion of an appropriate definition: “a racial slur used towards people who are multiracial.”

I also just noticed that your dictionary stated that the n word is "usually offensive" The N word is ALWAYS offensive and black people should not be called a racial slur. It is not "a member of a socially disadvantaged class of persons" as your dictionary defines.