What Race are you?

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crg1372

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Gotcha....

OK....As an officer for quite a few years, I've always wondered why a persons race isn't listed on the Oklahoma Driver License???? It's listed on Licenses from other states. I've never had anyone give a good legit answer.

I know there are persons of the same name with different races and this could be used to identify the proper person on the license.

Before you say, "the license is right there, just look at the picture" that doesn't work when the person doesn't have it in their possession and just gave you the number.

I would assume its not on there so people couldnt claim racial profiling.
 

onearmedman

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The five race categories as defined by federal regulations are:

American Indian or Alaskan Native - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.

Black or African American - A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as “Haitian” or “Negro” can be used in addition to “Black or African American.”

Asian - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, India, or the Pacific Islands.

Hispanic or Latino (All races) - A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

White - A person having origins in Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.

According to the feds, anyone can be hispanic. If it were added to the DL, it might be more confusing, depending on what race is selected by the licensee when it's issued. Then the multi-racial folks might want a category added to accommodate them. My ancestors were Spanish Jews, but it appears that I can be hispanic as well. Why is it relevant on the DL?
 

Fyrtwuck

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No, No, No.........

OK....I guess I worded it the wrong way. I could care less about what everyones race is, I want to know WHY it doesn't say so on the Oklahoma Driver License.

If you look at your licenses, it will have the Date of Birth, Height, Weight, Sex, eye color and numbers. NO RACE is listed.
 

boomerzz

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Race can only be used as a divider. It's best if the government doesn't know or care what your race is. Just like me.

What you want is skin color at the time of license issue. Light, Medium, Dark.


No offense, I disagree with having either of these though... helpful for the police doesn't mean helpful for a citizen.


Funny true story, at work, there is a guy from Spain with a "white" complexion (this is fairly normal there)... as you know, in other countries they don't have "race", like we do here (because people make money off of it here), so we had to fill out a form for the government, and he had to check a box... well... he's not Latino! He's not hispanic! ... but he speaks Spanish and English... we laughed and he talked to our CTO... and he was told to check the white box.

This sounds really well thought out. I told him it doesn't matter, I was checking "other" x2 ... and my obligatory "This is America".
 

Cedar Creek

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I think that's a good question, and I'm not sure what a good answer would be. :lookaroun The issue of race in America is becoming more complex with every generation as the melting pot melts more and more. Examples in my circle of friends are people of mixed race who most would identify visually as being African-American, which they are on one side, but are also half Native American and have a Native American surname and cultural identity. I could see that being confusing to an officer.

Also - who gets to pick the race you are identified by? I was reading an old Oklahoma law book from about 1919 one time and it had legal definitions of race - one of which stated that a person with the slightest trace of African blood was by statute a Negro. Our president is half white and raised mostly with his white grandparents, but he is identified as black.

Cedar Creek
 

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