While cultural mixing has happened since the beginning of time, there was a large push to stop these unions' potential to produce mixed-race populations. These anti-miscegenation laws in the Americas continued from the 17th century through the 20th century, but still perpetuate today. Race was created in the 17th century as a way to control movement of individuals in a caste-system that positions Indigenous and Black people as the bottom caste (meaning they receive the worst jobs, little to no legal protection, etc.).