How to sign “Race” in ASL
The BSL sign for “Race” isn't in our dictionary yet — it will be fingerspelled in BSL mode, never replaced with this ASL sign.
Step by step
- Make both hands into fists with the thumbs extended upward.
- Hold the hands in front of your chest, one hand slightly ahead of the other.
- Slide the hands forward and back alternately, trading which hand leads.
- Repeat the alternating motion a few times, like runners trading the lead.
- Keep your thumbs pointing up and your palms facing each other.
- Use an energetic face; this sign means a contest, not a person's heritage.
Practice tip
The hands race each other back and forth — for heritage or ethnicity, spell R-A-C-E instead.
Fingerspell “Race”
Letter by letter — a handy backup if you forget the sign above. This is not the sign itself.
Text-based guide researched from established ASL references (Lifeprint, university and public-health materials) and rewritten in original words. Signer-created photos and videos are a planned future upgrade.