ICA doesn't assign race but only records it

Straits Times
8 Jan 2010

I REFER to last Saturday's Forum Online letter by Ms Clair Elaine Jerusha Devan, 'Can ICA be more accommodative on race?' On Dec 28, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced that parents are required to declare the race of their newborn child on the Birth Report Form with effect from Jan 2.

The introduction of this requirement offers parents of inter-racial marriages the flexibility and choice to decide and declare their child's race upon birth registration.

The ICA would like to clarify that it does not assign a person's race but only records the information as declared that is reasonably believed to be factual. Parents of mixed-race marriages will now have the option to decide if the child should follow the race of the father, mother or an acceptable mixed race in our record.

The information will be recorded provisionally until the child turns 15 years old and is required to register for an identity card.

Chia Hui Keng (Ms)
Head, Public & Internal Communications Branch
Corporate Communications Division
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority


Can ICA be more accommodative on race?

ST Online
2 Jan 2010

I REFER to Tuesday's report, 'Race of child: Parents get more flexibility'. This is certainly a welcome move, although long overdue.

For many like me who are of mixed origin, it seemed inaccurate and inappropriate that our identity documents reflected our race as that of our father.

I was born in England to an English father and a Chinese mother and my husband's father is a Malayalee (those from the state of Kerala in India) and his mother is Sinhalese and Chinese, so it seems odd that my son is regarded as Indian.

What about those who do not qualify to select their own race? Will the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) be willing to accommodate requests on race by those in mixed marriages?

Although Eurasian is not always an accurate terminology (as I am actually Anglo-Chinese) and my husband is 'Chindian', I wonder what would be the most accurate race name for my son - 'Chindianglo'? But Eurasian would be better than what his in his identity card, which is Indian.

Can ICA please give us the option to select our appropriate race?

Clair Elaine Jerusha Devan (Ms)