Spanish to English Social Sciences History Puerto Rico

Do I translate this as "book/registry of mulattos"?

I'm translating a scholarly article about racial perceptions in nineteenth-century Puerto Rico. A case is described of a distinguished gentleman whose lowly origins make it surprising that he achieved respectability as an adult.

En realidad, sus orígenes estaban mucho más cerca del de tantos niños y niñas nacidos en la época, cuya filiación paterna se omitía del mote bautismal. Su partida –asentada en el **libro de pardos**- lo nombra como hijo natural de Juana Colón y no hace ninguna alusión explícita a algún reconocimiento paterno. El hecho de que dicha acta se hubiese registrado en el libro de pardos parece sugerir que su madre era públicamente considerada como tal.

I can tell what this "libro de pardos" must be. In fact, I found confirmation at http://www.preb.com/documentos/aguada/libpagda.htm, where such a "lista de bautismos" is described as being one for "los que hoy llamamos trigueñitos, mulatos, mestizos." Juana Colón was apparently not white, nor was she of a class that would entitle her to be mentioned as "doña," and the child was apparently not acknowledged at that time by his aristocratic white father. Therefore, the child was listed under his mother's surname, as a "pardo."

But what is the correct term for this "libro de pardos"?

Thank you in advance for any references or help you can give me.