Mulattoes, blacks and whites

The Central Electoral Board (JCE) seeks to classify Dominicans as mulattoes, blacks and whites, eliminating the traditional "Indian" category. A bill to reform Electoral Law 275-97 was prepared by specialists from the Organization of American States and the JCE and will be presented for approval to the general assembly of the judges of the JCE prior to sending it to Congress. The bill establishes that the information on file should contain the person's ethnicity, the municipality serial number, the individual's ID number, blood type, first name and last name of the father and mother, photograph and fingerprints.

The bill is aimed at issuing cedulas from the age of 12 onwards, down from the current age of 16. Different categories of IDs will be issued to active staff of the Armed Forces and Police, resident foreigners (permanent and provisional). The document will serve both as an ID and voting card. At the age of 18, holders will be issued an ID that enables them to vote. The IDs will be in different colors and the words "No Vota" will be printed on the IDs issued to people who are not eligible to vote. The ID will be obligatory for everyone over the age of 12.

www.listin.com.do/la-republica/2011/11/11/210557/RD-sera-de-negros-blancos-y-mulatos

Why now?

What's with mulato? Are these people related to mules, are they hybrids? Why not call those people mestizo, or so other name? But, mulato sounds like a plantation classification. It's reminds me of the old time categories they used to use when the first settlers came to Quisqueya: Ibericos o penisulares, colonos o criollos, indios, mulatos, zambos, cholos, lobos, salta p'atras, negros, etc.

I see that political correctness is one of the byproducts of globalization. Not that I mind the change in jargon, rather that I notice a willingness to reflect foreign values. In Quisqueya for the longest most people were just plain Khaki or mixed race for the large part. Now, they want to reflect adopted terms that haven't used in over 60 or 70 years. Wow, advancement even includes being properly tallied on the national ID. I see one possible benifit to this reclassification of racial categories: When foreign troops or an oversees police force comes looking for a suspect or a fugitive, they have more precise description of the person. However, if the person is a light skinned mulato will they specified light skinned mulato with freckles, of if the person is a dark skinned mulato with straight hair will they say he is a mulato with aboriginie features or dravidian looking? This is all so strange.

Now requiring a 12 year old to have a national ID, that's highly suspicious? Why so young?
Who will have to buy that for that minor? Seems like a unwarranted financial burden for the poor.
Something is happening here there can be no denying....
But, it's to late. Baby. Oh, it's too late....

This is all part of the conspiracy. Notice who helped prepare the law: "specialists from the Organization of American States."

What makes them so special?

Are they just getting us ready for unification? Changing the mentality of the Dominican people as a way to help better accept our future adopted Haitian brothers?

The color indio category was the only way we could separate or help distinguish ourselves from our neighbors without racially competing against our own Domincan people. We were all one race among many. Now they want to separate us into three different categories.

A mulato is a biracial person. Dominicans are not for the most part biracial.

What happens to the Dominican who is not black enough to qualify for black nor white enough be considered white? This is going to be messy. This clearly shows that we have people creating laws the do not understand our culture.

I expect a backlash similar to what happened in Brazil when some politically correct idiots catering to American interests tried to eliminate the Pardo classification with which the majority mixed race of that country identify itself with and adopt the idiotic Black/White approach of the one drop rule. One question to ask in both cases would be: What the heck will happen with the Asian* people we have here? Even though they aren't as numerous as the Haitians here, they are nevertheless a presence to take into account.


*In the DR it's the Chinese, while in Brazil it's the Japs.

Lautaro, I think the best approach should be no to specify any ethnicity at all, in a society like our where so different races and background come together. A bio-metrical pic would be enough, for example in my case I have German Nationality and no where in my ID or Passport you find a reference to race the only color display in there is the color Brown of my Eyes.

And further more I think that the modification and revision to the constitution would be in contradiction with some of the many "Freedom of ..." written down there.

Exactly. Our approach should be similar to the one of the French Republic, in which the aim is to make everyone of different background a national, under one language and one culture. That is the true meaning of a melting pot, and not the salad bowl reality characterizing the big bro up north.

No more Indio?

What is the alternative for the bulk of those multi-racial (not bi-racial) people?

MULATO?

Next they will "break it down" even further:

Terms pertaining to one drop, based on “blood quantum,” said to measure blood quantity, include Mulatto (1/2 Negro), Quadroon (1/4 Negro), Octoroon (1/8 Negro) and so on.
---
You may recall that One Drop was legislation passed in over a dozen Southern U.S. states during United States Apartheid, or Jim Crow, defining who was “black/Black” with the same tactics that Adolph Hitler used in defining who was a Jew in Germany: a drop of black/Jewish “blood” made you one.
http://cerebellum1.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/louisiana-myths-quadroons-octoroons/.

NOw the chickens have come home to roost. The old-fashioned Jim Crow standards have been adopted back home. NOw the influx of Europeans from the former Iron Curtain countries (Russians, East Germans, Yugo-slavians, etc.), the Spaniards, the Italians, along with the Cubans and Venezuelans, plus the Criollo Blancos (crema y nata) can rest assured that their place; It's time to fix the INDIO misnomer...What a farce? What a travesty of legislation? Meanwhile the border is wide open for the influx of the neighbors who are primarily of one race, black or negro. Globalization has really arrived along with the re-establishment of precise racial categories.
More negros, more blancos, no indios, just a whole lot of mulatos. PC heaven.
Viva la Globalizacion! Abajo los Indios?

If you can't read Spanish use google translate....
Here's the article:

REFORMA A LEY ELECTORAL ELIMINARÍA EL COLOR INDIO
RD será de negros, blancos y mulatos
PROYECTO. DARÁN CÉDULA DE IDENTIDAD A MENORES DESDE LOS 12 AÑOS



Iniciativa. El proyecto de reforma busca tecnificar, transparentar y modernizar el sistema electoral.
Viviano de León


vivianodeleon@listindiario.com
Santo Domingo

Mulatos, negros y blancos serán los colores para distinguir a los dominicanos, y así será establecido en las Cédulas de Identidad y Electoral. Ya no habrá indios.

Así lo establece el Proyecto de Reforma a la Ley Electoral de la República Dominicana, el cual señala que en el archivo maestro de los cedulados dominicanos el color será establecido por la etnia a la que pertenezca el inscrito, y como los colores que se establecen por etnia son el mulato, negro y blanco, entonces el Indio desaparecería.

La Real Academia Española de la Lengua define el término Etnia como “una comunidad humana definida por afinidades raciales”.

El proyecto de reforma a la Ley Electoral 275-97 fue elaborado por técnicos de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA) y de Junta Central Electoral, y en los próximos días será conocido por el Pleno de ese tribunal para luego someterlo al Congreso Nacional.

Establece que en las informaciones contenidas en el archivo maestro de cedulados deben figurar la etnia del inscrito, el número de serie para cada municipio, el número único de identidad, tipificación de sangre, el nombre y apellido del padre y la madre, la fotografía y huellas dactilares, entre otros.


Cédulas a menores
Entre las novedades de la pieza figura bajar de 16 a 12 años la edad para otorgar la cédula de Identidad a los menores, por lo que una vez cumplida esa edad cada jovencito deberá ser dotado de manera obligatoria de ese documento.

La cédula de identidad también será portada por el personal en servicio activo de las Fuerzas Armadas y cuerpos de policías y extranjeros residentes, en condición provisional o permanente. Mientras que el documento que tendrá la doble función de identidad y electoral, será otorgado a las personas que tengan de 18 años en adelante y que hayan adquirido el derecho al voto.

Una vez aprobado el proyecto, reglamentará la forma en que se emitirán las cédulas a los menores. “La Cedula de Identidad será de un color distinto a la Cédula de Identidad y Electoral y en la misma se consignará con caracteres relevantes la leyenda NO VOTA. Su adquisición es obligatoria por toda persona que haya cumplido doce años de edad”, expresa el proyecto, del cual LISTÍN DIARIO obtuvo una copia.


(+)
LA REFORMA A LA LEY ELECTORAL 275-97
Para la elaboración de la propuesta fue realizada por una misión técnica de la OEA que vino al país, junto a los representantes de los partidos políticos y técnicos de la JCE. La iniciativa fue el resultado de un acuerdo firmado con el secretario general de la OEA, José Miguel Insulza, para trasparentar, tecnificar y modernizar más el sistema electoral dominicano.

La misión de la OEA estuvo coordinada por Cristóbal Fernández, Gilberto Estrada, y el ex magistrado de la JCE, Luis Nelson Pantaleón González, y por la JCE Juan Moreno, Suplente del presidente; el director de Elecciones, Joel Lantigua, y el Consultor Jurídico, Alexis Dicló.


http://www.listin.com.do/la-republica/2011/11/11/210557/RD-sera-de-negros-blancos-y-mulatos

The Dominican legislators have allowed themselves to be influenced by the US American one drop rule concept. I can't believe that in spite of our racial diversity Dominicans have gotten duped to accept ideas foreign to our society.

US Americans in particular appear not to be "really" exposed to the true diversity of the world.
They simply lump "races" together in one box categories. For example, if i went out and told anybody that I know darker skinned "black" people or melanesians (not mixed with white), could have naturally blonde hair and lighter colored eyes, they wouldn't believe me. Would they even know of Melanesia?

Dominican politicians are about to do the same thing. Politics have screwed up our country and will continue to so until we get the right people in power.