Court Opinion

ID: 9679155
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 06:42:49.911958+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:10.836515
License: Public Domain

YÁÑEZ, Justice,
concurring.
I write separately to note that the names of the Appellees may create some confusion. In light of the fact that this opinion is a legal document, I believe it is important to refer to the parties by their proper names. Appellee, Jose Antonio Ortiz Fernandez is referred to as “Fernandez”; his paternal last name is actually Ortiz. In Mexico, persons routinely use *660their maternal last name following the paternal last name. In the U.S., it is customary to use a paternal last name as a person’s last name. In Mexico, Appellee Jose Antonio Ortiz Fernandez would be referred to as “Sr. Ortiz Fernandez”. In the U.S., he would be referred to as “Mr. Ortiz, Sr.” The same applies to Appellee Jose Antonio Ortiz Celada: he is properly referred to as “Mr. Ortiz, Jr.” as he is Mr. Ortiz, Sr.’s son. Similarly, Appellee Becky Ortiz is “Mrs. Ortiz” as she is Mr. Ortiz Jr.’s spouse. Consequently, we should refer to the Appellees as either “Ortiz-Fernandez” or “Ortiz, Sr.”; “Ortiz-Celada” or “Ortiz, Jr.”, but not as “Fernandez” and “Celada”. Since the beginning of immigration to this country, the U.S. authorities would arbitrarily “change” the last names of immigrants because the maternal last name was the last name in the series of names from their native country. Consequently, immediate family members ended up with legal names that were inaccurate. I concur with the result and analysis in this case but I object to the use of the maternal last names of appellees as they are incorrectly used as if they are their paternal last names.