Chinese people should change their names

[anitram]

According to a state rep in Texas anyway...

On Tuesday, State Rep. Betty Brown (R) caused a firestorm during House testimony on voter identification legislation when she said that Asian-Americans should change their names because they’re too hard to pronounce:

“Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese — I understand it’s a rather difficult language — do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?” Brown said.

Brown later told [Organization of Chinese Americans representative Ramey] Ko: “Can’t you see that this is something that would make it a lot easier for you and the people who are poll workers if you could adopt a name just for identification purposes that’s easier for Americans to deal with?”

OPINION Blog | The Dallas Morning News

 

[BVS]

Holy crap these people's ignorance and arrogance kill me...

 

[corianderstem]

I think it would behoove Betty Brown to be less of an offensive idiot.

 

[BVS]

I think it would behoove Betty Brown to be less of an offensive idiot.

Or at least resign and promise never ever to speak again.

 

[Sicy]

I work in an immigration law office and we have a lot of Chinese clients. Their names are usually like Xiang Xiao Wang or something like that and then in parenthesis (Harry). lol. Almost every single one of our clients have an 'English' name that they use in the States rather than their Asian name. It's just funny because its always like Bob, or Bill, or some really plain American name that just doesnt 'go' with them.

 

[Zoomerang96]

this isn't as uncommon as some of you think, as sicy has already pointed out.

i taught a japanese man english, and he had his name "changed" so to speak so that the local germans could have an easier time pronouncing his name. he says the same thing happens when non-japanese people go back... they get japanese names.

 

[Pearl]

So, this woman wants it to be like in the old days? When immigrants' names were changed to sound more "American"?

And what's wrong with learning a different language? Most of the world could speak more than one language anyway.

 

[BVS]

this isn't as uncommon as some of you think, as sicy has already pointed out.

i taught a japanese man english, and he had his name "changed" so to speak so that the local germans could have an easier time pronouncing his name. he says the same thing happens when non-japanese people go back... they get japanese names.

Of course it's not uncommon but to approach a Chinese American rep and actually say don't you think it would be better if you called yourself Howard it would be easier on me?

 

[deep]

this isn't as uncommon as some of you think, as sicy has already pointed out.

i taught a japanese man english, and he had his name "changed" so to speak so that the local germans could have an easier time pronouncing his name. he says the same thing happens when non-japanese people go back... they get japanese names.

One of my brothers speaks Japanese he got a degree (certificate) in that language at University. He lived in Japan for a few years worked there and taught English part time. When I went to visit him all his Japanese friends called him Bato-san, not his given American name.

 

[corianderstem]

Yeah, I agree. It's one thing to change your name or give yourself a nickname for whatever reason - that's your choice.

But for someone - a politician - to come out and say "You should change your name because it's hard to pronounce?"

Not so much.

 

[Sicy]

Yeah I know that our clients just do it because they want to and/or its easier for them at work or whatever.

 

[BluRmGrl]

Is it too late to have that woman neutered????

 

[BoMac]

I said this story before, but it warrants mentioning here. A lot of these Chinese immigrants that have English names don`t actually choose it themselves. Rather they have an English teacher do it for them. And many are so proud and happy to have an English name, they use it for life when the situation calls for it.

When I taught in China, if I had kindergarteners or first graders, it was up to me to give them English names. This was for two reasons: one, it would be a good way to get in the habit of speaking English (My name is Robert). Secondly, it would be easier for the teacher to get to know and manage the class with English names.

I would usually go by personality and give them names of friends or family that had similar traits. One class I decided to name the short, talkative one, Bono. He was so proud of that name, even though he had no idea who Bono is. He`s probably 12 now and still sporting that name.

But yeah, I agree with Cori. That politician was way out of line.

 

[Zoomerang96]

Of course it's not uncommon but to approach a Chinese American rep and actually say don't you think it would be better if you called yourself Howard it would be easier on me?

ha... i know. that's outrageous. no argument there.

 

[Galeongirl]

Yeah, I agree. It's one thing to change your name or give yourself a nickname for whatever reason - that's your choice.

But for someone - a politician - to come out and say "You should change your name because it's hard to pronounce?"

Not so much.

Agreed. Though I'm totally unused to Asian people changing their names. I'd never actually heard of it before I opened this thread!
Here we just call people by their names, no matter how hard it is to pronounce.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Xenophobic nonsense, I like Chinese immigrants a lot more than nativist pricks, in Australia they generally drive around with the southern cross on their cars, utter wankers.

 

[yolland]

Since most Chinese languages are tonal and Western ears can't 'hear' tonality unless we've studied it, I'd imagine Chinese immigrants to the West would indeed have to put up with rather severe mispronunciations of their names on a constant basis. Not all of my Chinese students choose to use an 'English name,' and while I always try my best the first day of class to listen very carefully to how they pronounce their names so that I can at least get the vowels and consonants roughly right, I kinda take for granted that I'm still butchering a lot of those names, if nothing else because the tones aren't right. It's really a personal choice between settling for an inevitably-somewhat-Anglicized pronunciation of your name, or choosing a different name altogether.

 

[MooMoo!]

Arnt most chinese names in the western world already Romanised? Speaks volumes that they'd ask them to do this, why dont they educate themselves instead of being lazy?

 

[BoMac]

Arnt most chinese names in the western world already Romanised? Speaks volumes that they'd ask them to do this, why dont they educate themselves instead of being lazy?

Romanised? Well, they use what's called pinyin which takes the sound of Chinese characters and then use an approximation of what it sounds like using the English alphabet. This was implemented by the Chinese government many years ago, but use of Chinese characters still rule.

Fun fact: In Chinese Yao Ming's name is actually the reverse, but the media chose to write it this way for whatever reason.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I think it would behoove Betty Brown to be less of an offensive idiot.

I think it would behoove people to use the word behoove more often.

What an awesome word.

 

[MooMoo!]

Romanised? Well, they use what's called pinyin which takes the sound of Chinese characters and then use an approximation of what it sounds like using the English alphabet. This was implemented by the Chinese government many years ago, but use of Chinese characters still rule.

Fun fact: In Chinese Yao Ming's name is actually the reverse, but the media chose to write it this way for whatever reason.

Well thats what I meant, couldnt think of a better description than "romanised".

 

[pgv]

Xenophobic nonsense, I like Chinese immigrants a lot more than nativist pricks, in Australia they generally drive around with the southern cross on their cars, utter wankers.

...

 

[yolland]

Speaks volumes that they'd ask them to do this, why dont they educate themselves instead of being lazy?

There's not really a "they" involved here, just one boneheaded local rep in the Texas state legislature who made these comments during the floor debate over a voter ID bill. The immediate problem under discussion was that, on account of some of the same factors we've discussed here--inconsistencies in transliteration, the practice of using 'English names' and so on--the legal documents, including IDs, of many newer Chinese-American citizens are not consistent in what they give as the person's name. Which can sometimes create problems with voter IDing, registration and so on. But needless to say, this rep's "solution" was cringe-inducingly insensitive to the real-life complexities of cultural and linguistic assimilation.

 

[aptdot]

This is appalling. People shouldn't be forced to change their names, it's their identity! And Chinese names are not impossible to pronounce, their spelling is just intimidating, imo (and I am not Chinese, btw).

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

I had a friend in high school who'd just moved here with her family from China. At the time, she was still called by her Chinese name, Ye. We fell out of touch for several years, and then I found out she was working with my brother... under the name Yvonne. It annoys me, I can't get it into my head to call her that, to me she'll always be Ye, and I'm sure at home with her family she's still Ye...

Maybe I just think that Yvonne is a stupid name

 

[Irvine511]

if English is good enough for Jesus, then it's good enough for a Chinese immigrant.

simple as that.

 

[aptdot]

if English is good enough for Jesus, then it's good enough for a Chinese immigrant.

simple as that.

...wow

 

[deep]

what does aptdot translate to in English?

 

[kingofsorrow]

if English is good enough for Jesus, then it's good enough for a Chinese immigrant.

simple as that.

you mean the jesus that existed when there was no english right? you know that "son-of-god" guy right?

 

[kingofsorrow]

Since most Chinese languages are tonal and Western ears can't 'hear' tonality unless we've studied it, I'd imagine Chinese immigrants to the West would indeed have to put up with rather severe mispronunciations of their names on a constant basis. Not all of my Chinese students choose to use an 'English name,' and while I always try my best the first day of class to listen very carefully to how they pronounce their names so that I can at least get the vowels and consonants roughly right, I kinda take for granted that I'm still butchering a lot of those names, if nothing else because the tones aren't right. It's really a personal choice between settling for an inevitably-somewhat-Anglicized pronunciation of your name, or choosing a different name altogether.

this is pretty much why no one knows my "real" name. it's 5 simple letters, but if spoken incorrectly, it sounds flat and lifeless. not liking the way people who are unfamiliar with the language the name originated from pronounced it, i ended up choosing something that was simple for people to say. i don't hold it against folks for not being to say my name, but it's been so long since i've heard it that it would be nice to hear it more than just every blue moon.