CHINESE AMERICAN NAMES
In class we read about somebody who had a name that was hard to pronounce. This left her distant from others. She was discriminated against because her name was hard to pronounce.
Though I was also a person of color, I really did not find myself relating to Firoozeh. This led me to think about my name. Why do I have an American name? Then I realized most Chinese Americans have more “American” names and it's usually their legal name. Like I do have a Chinese name, but that's not my legal name or the name on the attendance list at school.
(This is a moment where I would go upstairs and ask my mom why I have an American name, but she’s not here right now so the internet and my own thinking will have to do for now)
There are so many Chinese Americans that I know that have certain names that I associate the name with a Chinese person. For example, the name Andrew is so common among Chinese Americans. When I hear the name Andrew, the image of Asian American boy pops up in my head. I think this is due to Andrew sounding kind of Chinese. Like you can sort of sound it out in Chinese. an zhu? Or an chu? So it makes sense why Chinese American parents would give their child this name. There’s also a stereotype for Asian guys called ”Kevin Nguyen” (The Asian F boy who has a perm, wears a chain and that red plaid shirt, and is a bigtime hypebeast) Every time my sister and I see an Asian dude with a nice car or wearing designer clothing we say “Wow, whatta kevin nguyen” This also stems from Kevin being a really common Asian American first name.
I think Chinese parents are more willing to name their children more American names because they are more accustomed to English than many other countries are. Especially if they're from a big city like Shanghai or Beijing. My mom and dad both remember struggling to learn English from the day they entered school to their college years. They had to take mandatory classes everyday to make sure their English was perfect. China graduates almost 20 million English Speakers each year so it's no surprise that they are more accustomed to it and are therefore more likely to name their children stereotypical English names.
Hi Jeffery, I find your post relatable since my first legal name is in English and my middle name is Vietnamese. Honestly, I never really questioned why until we read The F Word in class. Oh! I'm friends with a Kevin Nguyen but surprisingly, he didn't fit the Kevin Nguyen stereotype that we all know - he's literally quite the opposite, so I found that part funny too.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. I never really had a problem with my name being judged because of how hard it is to pronounce. However, I do agree that even American names can face prejudice based off of the race of the person who has that name. I find it funny how you included the name “Kyle Nguyen” because it is the perfect example of that. I like your memes today!
ReplyDeleteSo many Asian parents give their children basic American names that have become repetitive throughout the years. There are so many Asian people with the same names--some that are legally given and others chosen. I agree with you on how it could be because parents are becoming more accustomed to the language and culture.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you pointed out the lack of nuance in Asian American names. However, I think Asian parents tend to give their children "American" names because they fear the stereotyping and prejudice that could arise from an Asian name. For instance, people often believe that individuals with "foreign" names aren't born in America.
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