From: kawakami@ocf.berkeley.edu (John Kawakami)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american
Subject: Re: "Asians changing names to help job prospects"
Date: 8 Nov 92 11:26:54 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility

In article <1992Oct31.101252.12584@panix.com> sieh@panix.com (Lui Sieh) writes:
>In article <44895@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> kawakami@ocf.berkeley.edu 
>Coming from you, I am completely dumbfounded and astounded by this.  I under-
>stand you to be person who is rather uncompromising (to me) in terms of 
>"maintaining" one's ethnicity, supposed or otherwise.  Yet, I am reading here
>that to alter one's "asian-like" name is a betrayal to one's ethnicity and
>cultural heritage...*except* when it comes to 1) combat discrimination and
>racism and 2) economic "survival".

Changing one's name does not combat discrimination!  It supports racism; it
means that you acknowledge that you are "less equal" than "normal" people.
The crusader against racism will wear his opression like a badge and excel
in spite of adversity.  She or he will change to fit the system AND force
the system to change to fit her or him.  But racism isn't the only issue
people face: some people have kids to feed.  When it comes down to survival,
I think it is too much to expect everyone to remain "true to the game."  The
best you can do is present reasons to keep their name.  And don't abandon
them because they are not Politically Correct.  They are players in the
larger fight against injustice and racism, after all.

>An obvious question to ask is, "Why the double standard?".  Another question
>would be, "How can someone who views changing names to be a sellout state with
>clear conscience that it's okay to be a sellout for protective reasons?" 
>"Where does one draw the line?"  You see names as part of self and ethnicity.
>To compromise any of it is an indignity on oneself.  Reasonable.  Do you not
>feel that this is more important than say, changing one's identity to have
>better job prospects?  If not, then where do you draw the line for compromises
>such as this?
>
>>So here you go/  If you know it will help you keep a clean pair of pants on
>>you hard working ass, go and modify your name.  If it gives you trouble,
>>change it back and don't agonize over your decision.
>
>Trying to explain to someone that changing names is a sellout to oneself and
>a defeat for "Asia America" and also saying that well, maybe it is okay for
>some cases is simply ludicrous.  You can not have it both ways.

Our names communicate for us.  Many people see a name like Liu or Kawakami
or Chinn or Malong and prejudge the people behind the names.  A name will
mean different things to different people when the name is the only thing
we know about someone.

Who is John Kowalski-Burghoff?  Is he a traitor to his family, a wannabe
white sellout?  Is he a liar to the job interviewer who expected a White?
Is he a potential soulmate to the Korean born kid adopted by whites, who
figures that John is adopted too?  Is he a Pole?  Is he a "modern" name-
hyphenator?

Who is John Kawakami?  Is he a good Japanese son, who will carry on the
family name?  Is he a self-hating Chinese or Jew who idolizes Japan and
finally changes his name to reflect his reverence?  Is he distant relative
of a family of merchants in the southern part of Japan?  Is he related at
all to the Kawagami samurai clan?  Is he someone the poster of this article
doesn't even know; a person five years his senior who happens to have the
same name?

>
>>As for myself, I'm going to try out my new name for a week or so. From now on
>>please call me: John Kowalski-Burghoff.  I'm ready to mainstream!
>
>Well, Mr. Burghoff, changing names is hardly "mainstreaming".  I'd say you're
>rather insecure about yourself.
>
>//Lui Sieh

Think about this.  In another day, you would have been given the name
Looey Shay upon entry into this country.
-- 
John Kawakami                  kawakami@ocf.berkeley.edu
                               ucbvax!ocf.berkeley.edu!kawakami