Is It All In The Name

From a youth, I have heard that your name will carry you places. Needless to say, I did not know that this covered a lot of ground.

I had the pleasure of reading an article by Lydia Minatoya titled Transformation. It was a short synopsis of how she got her American name even though she had Japanese in her blood. She told how she was treated as a little girl and how it changed when she began to grow and mature.

There are so many cultures that choose to adapt to the American way by having an American name. There are various reasons why people of different cultures choose to do this. Some do it because they want their child or even themselves to be recognized as an American. Some do it so that they will not be stereotyped. Some people do this because so many people pronounce their birth name incorrectly. The list goes on and on. The question is,'Is it all in the name?"

I have been mistaken for being a different race because of my name. Even when I put my ethnicity on a form, they will sometimes call me and ask did I check the wrong box! I think to myself, "Shouldn't I at least know my race?". But what about other cultures? For example, Chinese people that you meet named Amy. It does not seem typical but an American name seems to make life easier for a lot of people. Even me and I am born and bred American.

Some jobs even fill positions based upon quotas of different races/cultures that they need. They will not tell you but they sometimes look at your name to determine what nationality you are. I do not agree with this but I guess it is true....it is all in the name!