swissinfo - Figures on crime to give accurate picture
swissinfo: … notably on crime committed by foreigners because the statistics there are not so transparent, are they?
O.G.: At present, statistics on foreigners are a bit of a potpourri, without any distinction between those who have a residence permit of one kind or another and illegal immigrants. The only indication is the country of origin.
This is a very sensitive problem. When we ask for witnesses [to a crime], we have to issue a description of a suspect. Normally, we use the terminology used by Interpol and try to be politically correct.
But it’s true that things like “individuals of a black race” are written [in the media], whereas we write “individual of African type” if the person comes from that region. How would you describe an individual from Sri Lanka or southwest Asia? Should we write “a person of dark complexion” or “North African”? This is not harmonised within the Swiss police forces.
I find the Swiss discussion of race - and who is what - interesting. This part of the article reminded me of a dear friend of Indian origin who referred to herself as “black.” It took me a second to think about what she was saying. In my American mind, she wasn’t “black.” She was Indian.
More than once I’ve had the following conversation, usually with kind-hearted folks who just don’t know:
Q: “And what part of Africa are you from?”
A: “I’m not from Africa.”
Blank stare. Confusion.
Sort of like my birthday dinner.
I wonder which box the Swiss police would check in my case? But I can’t fault the Swiss on anything. Americans aren’t that better. When the hub and I filed for our marriage certificate, we had to check the race boxes on the form. For me, this wasn’t a big deal because I was used to doing it.
The hub stopped dead in his tracks.
“What is this?” he asked.
“Just check ‘white.’ It’s no big deal.”
“No.”
That would have been fine if the clerk had not told us that the certificate wouldn’t be valid unless he put *something.* So, he put “Swiss.”
Now, the last time I checked, I don’t think “Swiss” was a race…but the clerk didn’t seem to care. Or know.
Update: The hub says my post is “factually wrong.” Here is his correction:
That would have been fine if the clerk had not told us that the certificate wouldn’t be valid unless he put *something.*
So he suggested his paternal genetic line.
“Alsatian”.
Blank stare. He gave a blank stare back.
At that point, I got nervous and nudged him.
So he put “Swiss”.
Now, the last time I checked, I don’t think “Swiss” was a race…but the clerk didn’t seem to care. Or know.
