People of mixed Spanish and Indian stock are called "mestizos" in the Spanish speaking countriesof Latin Amrica. However, Portuguese speaking Brazil has both "mestiços"  and  "mamelucos" with the latter word appearing to be more common. The term was used by Portuguese settlers in Brazil as early as the 16th century to refer to the newly formed Brazilians with Portuguese fathers and Indian mothers.

In Puerto Rico, I understand, the word "jibaro" (originally a poor Spanish farmer) is often used instead of mestizo  to refer to people of mixed Spanish and Taino Indian stock there.

The original historical Mamelukes were Muslim slave soldiers originally in service of the Seljuk Turks who ruled Egypt from 1270 - 1517 A.D. after a revolt against their Seljuk Turkish masters. They were often drawn from captive nationalities of the Turks such as Greeks, Armenians, Circassians and Mongols.  

I don’t know what made the Portuguese pick this word for people of mixed European-Indian heritage in Brazil even though the Spanish and Portuguese both were no strangers to the Muslim Moors, Arabs and Turks and fought them both at home in Andalusia and Tangier and even as far away as the Persian Gulf and the Philippines.

The word comes from the Arabic *mamluk meaning a "slave."  :)

See a Wiki article for the connection between the Arab term and Brazilian territorial expansion.

Flam

However, Portuguese speaking Brazil has both "mestiços"  and  "mamelucos" with the latter word appearing to be more common

No, mestiço is more common and I have the feeling that not many people actually know what a mameluco is.  A mestiço is any halfblood, whereas a mameluco is a cross between Portuguese and "Indian", as has been said.  In spite of that, I hear mestiço being used much more in reference to the offspring of European and Japanese descendants, at least in my region.

Brazilian dude

mamas loucas ?  ;D

Vaches folles?

Brazilian dude

Peru, which has a significant number of blacks, indians, japanese, spanish as well as a tradition of intermarrying, has a bevy of words to described people of mixed background. Most of these terms are also in use elsewhere in Latin America and, sometimes, beyond:

Mestizo - mixed European / Indian
Mullato - mixed African / European
Zambo - ???

There are certainly others.

Can anyone extend the list, or give other Latin American terms?

Zambo - mixed black and Amerindian origin (I didn’t know this one, I had to check).

Brazilian dude

I always thought ‘jibaro’ was more of a cultural distinction than a genetic one, but maybe because taino is more prevalent. In parts of the u.s. , ‘mulatto’ was used, but also ‘octoroon’ in class-conscious Nola and elsewhere. Zambo is  an interesting word tho, and I agree that the tradition of intermarrying can enrich a language, as well as a people.

-melissa  

In Puerto Rico, jibaro is used as "hillbilly" is in the US.  We have words such as mulato, mestizo and triguen~o to describe the intermingling of the three races.

Mameluco refers to a baby’s bib.

Ditch