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Can a 'Black-sounding' name hurt your career?

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by tigermission1, Sep 18, 2005.

  1. wnes

    wnes Contributing Member

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    U.S. is perhaps the most tolerant nation in the world when it comes to the freedom of having your own names. Japan, on the other hand, is downright racist. It asks foreigners to change their names to Japanese names when they are naturalized to become Japanese citizens. If it happens that your native last name is also found among Japanese, it forces you to forgo your native name and adopt a different last name that has no resemblane to your original name.
     
  2. AroundTheWorld

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    [​IMG]


    Que?

    [​IMG]

    I'm already mixed...if you can set me up with

    [​IMG]

    or

    [​IMG]

    I'd be working on it already...

    Oh, and with regards to the names, I just don't see the point of misspelling a name just to try and be "original". Also, many of those "fantasy" names aren't even African at all. "Orpheus" is actually a figure from the Greek mythology...
     
  3. tigermission1

    tigermission1 Member

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    Wow, didn't know that! Interesting
     
  4. u851662

    u851662 Member

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    I didnt know this either... Interesting nont the less, but that is not racist...
     
  5. wnes

    wnes Contributing Member

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    Japanese hate everything non-Japanese, with perhaps one "exception." If you are a Caucasian looking man in Japan, Japanese don't give a damn about you unless you speak English (with American accent). This "admiration" stems from their crushing defeat in WWII, more specifically, the horrifying experience of A-bombs dropped in two of their cities - as such, "fear" could be a more appropriate word. The kids of Japanese diplomats who were born and initially raised in foreign cultures get beaten routinely in Japanese schools when they come back to their "father land", because they can't speak perfect Japanese.
     
  6. u851662

    u851662 Member

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    No doubt, I dont doubt that one bit. I am sure you are right on this as I have heard this before. But the practice of changing ones name to a Japanese name is not "Racist" if you know what I mean. Carry on solider, didnt mean to hi-jack this thread....
     
  7. tigermission1

    tigermission1 Member

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    So basically you are saying they feel culturaly 'superior' to everyone except for White Americans?

    I knew from friends and other people who have been to Japan that it's a mono-culture and they look down on every other nation in east Asia, but it's interesting to read about the extent of this Japanese 'hubris'.

    So with that being said, why do you exactly like their cars again? :p
     
  8. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    So . . . if it doesn't pass you test
    then it should not be?

    It is not for you to GET the point ..
    it is not for your approval ..
    it simply IS . . . ..

    what is a FANTASY name? Why should they HAVE to be African?

    One's name should not justify treating one unfairly
    whether you understand it or not

    Rocket River
     
  9. AroundTheWorld

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    I agree with that.
     
  10. mateo

    mateo Member

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    I just wish everyone would **** everyone else so we could get this race stupidity out of the way.
     
  11. tigermission1

    tigermission1 Member

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    Well now segregated neighborhoods would make this more difficult of a task, wouldn't it? ;)
     
  12. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    you know. . the fact that some folx actually beleive this is
    one of the SADDEST commentaries on our society

    Rocket River
     
  13. Chance

    Chance Member

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    Rocket River -

    I'm not saying it's right I am just saying it is.

    When I was in high school at Spring in the late eighties and early nineties I had a bunch of black friends. David, Courtney, Corey, Eddie, Terrell, Terrence, Cotrell. David is an EMT in Chicago. Courtney is a lawyer working for Shell. Corey is a fireman in Dallas has two Master's degrees and is pushing for an academic Doctorate. Eddie is a warehouse manager for an oil company. Terrell is not with us anymore. Terrence went to prison for 4 years right out of high school and I kinda lost touch with him after that. I have no idea where Cotrell is but thanks to this thread I'm hunting him down today.

    Are the different outcomes because of their names? Not solely, no. But we all did grow up in the same neighborhood. All of us (except David) are from divorced homes. I think there is a correlation.
     
  14. krosfyah

    krosfyah Member

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    Yes, very sad.

    In an ideal society, everybody is proud of their own heritage.
    In an ideal society, everybody celebrates other cultures.
     
  15. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    My Uncle Terrence is doing well . . and my Former Roommate Terrel is as well
    So go figure
    perhaps they did not run into the same ignorance as your friends
    it is unfortunate that they may have been affected by something they
    had little to no affect on . . ..

    as you say . .their are many factors. . . I think the group
    you had would make a interesting case study . . .

    Rocket River
    no . . not like a fly under the magnifying glass
     
  16. Sishir Chang

    Sishir Chang Member

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    I think in many respects they feel culturally superior to white Americans too. I've heard of the name changing thing but I think that primarily applies to other Asians, particularly Koreans, who've moved to Japan and I'm not sure how much that is enforced these days. I don't think an English guy with the name Ian would be forced to change their name to Itoh if they emmigrated to Japan.
     
  17. Chance

    Chance Member

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    But the deluge of what we are calling black sounding names is not heritage based. Historically black people have used traditional names. The black power movement of the 60's accentuated the importance of pride; pride in black heritage, pride in blackness, pride in not being or sounding white. People started picking names for their children that were distinctively non-white. Since then black communities have gone out of their way to choose names that are less and less white sounding until now, a generation and a half later, there is a concrete difference in name selection of entire segment of society. Ultrablack names are now indicative of people from an uneducated background. If people had any sense and they saw two equal resumes come across their desk with one named Danny and the other DeMarcus they should respect the fact that DeMarcus probably had a tougher hill to climb to be equal with Danny. Does this happen? Not as often as it should.
     
  18. Sishir Chang

    Sishir Chang Member

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    That's exactly the point. Its a negative racially based stereotype.
     
  19. olliez

    olliez Member

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    This is so true.

    I used to have a Chinese name & it took me ages to get any call-backs from HRs; after I changed my name to a "whiteish" name, all of sudden I was going to one interview after another.

    It does seem a lot of people have a perception of native names, say it's like a hurdle to get "in", but once you start working, there is no difference if you Singh, Chen or Amelio.

    :(
     
  20. SwoLy-D

    SwoLy-D Member

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    Now I see why some Asians, mostly Vietnamese guys, change their first names from "Duong" or "Yeun" to "Todd" and "Chad" and "Brad". I'm like: "C'mon, man... why don't you keep your name???"

    :D Now I see why.

    I once saw this black girl MAKING UP names during science class in high school.
    I said: "Hey, what are you doing?"
    She says: "Making up names I will pick for my kids"
    "... why not use something like YOUR name or a famous name or the name of someone successful...?"
    "... because I don't want my kids to be like them..."

    Being Mexican, I love hearing that:
    Anthony Quinn (A Walk in the Clouds, etc.) used to be Antonio Reyna.
    Richie Vallens was Ricardo Valensuela
    Raquel Welch used to be Raquel Tejeda
    J-Lo was Jennifer Lopez ;)


    Well, she got it now.

    This D&D stuff is actually cool. I didn't think I'd have as much fun here as in the hangout...
     
    #40 SwoLy-D, Sep 19, 2005
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2005

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