What race are you according to your Singapore ID Card?

[Ade]

Just curious.

My NRIC card, carries the word “Caucasian”. When I mentioned this to a South African friend of mine he was very surprised. For him the word Caucasian is politically incorrect and mildly derogatory. He considers himself to be “white”.

I checked on the form for PR and the race question is free text, no check boxes. So what would happen if you wrote “White”, “European” or even “Ang Mo”? Would they change it to “Caucasian”?

My wife, on the other hand is Thai-chinese, but is down as Chinese on her NRIC card. Reason being the ICA would not accept mixed race at the time and as her father originates from China, she is classed as Chinese.

And what happens if you are Black, Hispanic, from the Middle East or Jewish?

I am just curious what other people have written on their application forms for the race question and what they have on their cards. (I know some cards, like P1 Workpass, don't mention race).

[Mr Currypuff]

I always write 'human'.

It does amaze me that somewhere that continuously rams racial 'harmony' down your throat that there is so much racial segregation in day to day living.

[Kubes.SG]

I also use Human, when providing my race.  Never had it questioned.

[only human]

My card is an EP and doesn't have race on it, just nationality.  I suppose they're only interested in the race thing if you're a PR or national.

It's a funny old thing the race issue though, until recently I just thought Caucasian meant white person but someone told me that it actually comes from an area around Azerbaijan and Turkey between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea...........so it seems a bit weird that every white person is lumped as a Caucasian when most of them probably don't come from anywhere near that area.  Putting 'White' on the card, seems to make more sense if they really do feel that they need to know.

I don't know what they put if you're Black - African maybe, but it seems a bit daft, like the Caucasian thing if the person in question has never lived in Africa.

[Old Mike]

During Apartheid whites were designated Europeans. People from the USA, Canada and Japan were honarary Europeans. (:-))

[2 Only Human]

Presumably they put "negro" if the person is black. It may not be PC, but it is accurate.

[4 only human]

Presumably they put "negro" if the person is black. It may not be PC, but it is accurate.

Not any more accurate than "black": negro "member of a black-skinned race of Africa," 1555, from Sp. or Port. negro "black," from L. nigrum (nom. niger) "black" etc (etymonline.com).

At least "black" has the merit of being English.

[Dansk]

I thought they also put the race for Chinese, i.e. Han or other...

[olympian]

I normally put "100m sprint" or "Marathon".

[Mr Currypuff]

I suppose writing 'harmonious' could be a new twist on this irrelevant piece of information.

[Reverend Black]

Just curious.

My NRIC card, carries the word “Caucasian”. When I mentioned this to a South African friend of mine he was very surprised. For him the word Caucasian is politically incorrect and mildly derogatory. He considers himself to be “white”.

I checked on the form for PR and the race question is free text, no check boxes. So what would happen if you wrote “White”, “European” or even “Ang Mo”? Would they change it to “Caucasian”?

My wife, on the other hand is Thai-chinese, but is down as Chinese on her NRIC card. Reason being the ICA would not accept mixed race at the time and as her father originates from China, she is classed as Chinese.

And what happens if you are Black, Hispanic, from the Middle East or Jewish?

I am just curious what other people have written on their application forms for the race question and what they have on their cards. (I know some cards, like P1 Workpass, don't mention race).

The need for some form of census, even amongst temporary residents in todays world with few, if any, borders or controls has never been more important. Therefore mischievous politically correct questions like this are unworthy of reply.

Knowing the demographics helps a government provide the needs for all residents, which invariably require some considerable lead-time.

However, the bottom line here is that you are in another country which requires some details about you in return for a NRIC card which you desperately want. Its your choice.
 

[How about Sex?]

If you answer "Human" or "100 meters" to race, then do you answer "Yes Please", or "No Thank you" to the quetion about Sex?

[migrane]

If you answer "Human" or "100 meters" to race, then do you answer "Yes Please", or "No Thank you" to the quetion about Sex?

I put 'not tonight dear, I have a headache'   

[Ade]

My card is an EP and doesn't have race on it, just nationality.  I suppose they're only interested in the race thing if you're a PR or national.

It's a funny old thing the race issue though, until recently I just thought Caucasian meant white person but someone told me that it actually comes from an area around Azerbaijan and Turkey between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea...........so it seems a bit weird that every white person is lumped as a Caucasian when most of them probably don't come from anywhere near that area.  Putting 'White' on the card, seems to make more sense if they really do feel that they need to know.

Yes, the Caucasus mountains stretch between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in Central Asia.

At one point the term Caucasian was used to cover people from Europe, Central Asia, South Asia and North Africa.

[Ade]

The need for some form of census, even amongst temporary residents in todays world with few, if any, borders or controls has never been more important. Therefore mischievous politically correct questions like this are unworthy of reply.

 

Yet you replied.

Clearly I did not phrase my question clearly enough. I was not trying to be mischievous nor politically correct, neither was I expressing any discontent with being asked the race question or even questioning its validity. I was just curious about the method the ICA uses for racial categorization.

For example in the UK, I remember job applications often containing a demographics section. I don't remember ever seeing the word Caucasian. I remember "White" and "European" being used.

The US police force on the other hand use only 4 categories: White, Black, Asian and Hispanic.

In France, any type of racial profiling is illegal