Texas lawmaker : Asian should change names

[RollingWave]

Texas state legislator [Republican Rep. Betty Brown] suggesting that Asian-Americans might want to change their names to something a little easier to pronounce.

wow. I don't think her intentions are that bad, but this comment really came out the wrong way.

[Arjun]

I respect an Asian(East-Asian) who sticks to his/her name even after coming to America/some other non east-Asian country.

don't ever change ur real name for the sake of others. by doing so you lose your identity. if they value your friendship; then let them learn your names as you learned to pronounce theirs


and this comment coming from a Texan republican (ok..i hate to generalize but i generally tend to see most comments like this coming from republicans) is simply absurd. these people have no idea what multiculturalism and/or what names mean to others. what would "their" reaction be if they were "suggested" to change their names to..err example.... "Akasuki"

[Richard]

I respect an Asian(East-Asian) who sticks to his/her name even after coming to America/some other non east-Asian country.

don't ever change ur real name for the sake of others. by doing so you lose your identity. if they value your friendship; then let them learn your names as you learned to pronounce theirs


and this comment coming from a Texan republican (ok..i hate to generalize but i generally tend to see most comments like this coming from republicans) is simply absurd. these people have no idea what multiculturalism and/or what names mean to others. what would "their" reaction be if they were "suggested" to change their names to..err example.... "Akasuki"

I feel the same way, I also have a lot of respect for East Asians (non-Japanese, as the Japanese don't seem to subscribe to this custom) who stick with their real names. And the names aren't that hard to pronounce anyway unless you have a speech impediment.

That was absolutely hilarious when she asked about Chinese elections though...she got owned pretty good.

[CtrlAltDe1337]

Thats kinda silly, though it was done before with a lot of Eastern Europeans who had hard to pronounce names (for Americans at least).

[Arjun]

Thats kinda silly, though it was done before with a lot of Eastern Europeans who had hard to pronounce names (for Americans at least).

yeah..sad thing. A lot of the early immigrants were "coerced" (albeit mostly in indirect ways) into thinking that's being "American" is to lose his/her native identity....it was ironic given the fact that the so called "American" identity of that was that of the early migrants themselves!



this "melting pot" analogy some people give is so outdated. a better choice is "bowl of(different) fruit"


ill take a bowl of fruit rather than some gooey unknown mixture anyday

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

facepalm for texas?

[2-D Ron]

Texas have a bad enough name as it is for it's Cultural tolerances not to have this jelly brain open their mouth.

[MadBurgerMaker]

facepalm for texas?

No. She's just some old chick from some insignificant town somewhere in the East Texas sticks. What she says doesn't really matter. Edit: Still: lol. I'd vote for her to see what she blurts out next.

[nce_wht_guy]

[Kiljan Arslan]

No. She's just some old chick from some insignificant town somewhere in the East Texas sticks. What she says doesn't really matter. Edit: Still: lol. I'd vote for her to see what she blurts out next.

I wouldn't sounds too much like Michelle Bachman that who now is in the house of representatives and thinks we should reestablish the HUAC.

[Eien]

... why should i change my name to suit her epic fail of a pronounciation?

[nce_wht_guy]

Because jay-sus wants you to.

[Exarch]

how is it hard to pronounce chinese names like lee, chin etc etc

or is she just a dumb arse

[AqD]

how is it hard to pronounce chinese names like lee, chin etc etc

or is she just a dumb arse

must be the latter!

[Scar Face]

Whats wrong with this? Its valid. There are a lot of last names and first names that are hard to pronounce. These names are not meant to be pronounced in English, its easier for the Government and society to say, as in the case of the video, Kathy over some unintelligible Manchurian gibberish. My family changed their last name to make it easier only a few decades ago. You come to the country, you make compromises. It's really annoying when, the few minorities in my school, I have to worry about weather I accented their name perfectly. I've stopped even referring to them by their name, I just snap until they take notice. Is it Alli or is it Allah? Anus or Anas? I'll never know. Go by Adam for god sakes.

[Hunter Makoy]

yeah..sad thing. A lot of the early immigrants were "coerced" (albeit mostly in indirect ways) into thinking that's being "American" is to lose his/her native identity....it was ironic given the fact that the so called "American" identity of that was that of the early migrants themselves!



this "melting pot" analogy some people give is so outdated. a better choice is "bowl of(different) fruit"


ill take a bowl of fruit rather than some gooey unknown mixture anyday

I see, all for the version which leads to the most chances of cultural tension aye?

Texas have a bad enough name as it is for it's Cultural tolerances not to have this jelly brain open their mouth.

Yes, I'm sure thats why "whites" are the minority here, their hatred of other cultures right?

how is it hard to pronounce chinese names like lee, chin etc etc

or is she just a dumb arse

Because most actual Asian names are a whole lot harder to pronounce then Lee or Chin. Many Asians adopt an American name anyway. You don't have to "give up" your name and lose your "identity" like this is some kinda gay RPG and Tokyo is gonna fall if you do.

[Arjun]

Whats wrong with this? Its valid. There are a lot of last names and first names that are hard to pronounce. These names are not meant to be pronounced in English, its easier for the Government and society to say, as in the case of the video, Kathy over some unintelligible Manchurian gibberish. My family changed their last name to make it easier only a few decades ago. You come to the country, you make compromises. It's really annoying when, the few minorities in my school, I have to worry about weather I accented their name perfectly. I've stopped even referring to them by their name, I just snap until they take notice. Is it Alli or is it Allah? Anus or Anas? I'll never know. Go by Adam for god sakes.

so what? if u cant pronounce someone else's name then dont. most people dont mind as long as they see that u do not intentionally mispronounce to make fun of their names. lol as for me; i dont give two hoots as to how people pronounce my name.lol but i certainly will stick to my name than to change it in order to suit others


its kinda funny that the inability of some people to pronounce certain names of others is considered a fault of those with such names!

If you fail math next time, start ranting about what an idiot newton was or what gibberish all those mathematical notations are. have you heard of a thing called "learning?"

you are free to not learn. after all, its your choice but to insist that terminology and pronunciation that does not suit your tongue be changed to something that's easy for you is akin to saying that lets do away with differential equations and stick with simple adding and subtractions

I see, all for the version which leads to the most chances of cultural tension aye?

oh you mean that we should all be cookie-cutter kids out of the same mold just so there would not be any "cultural tension"
this is not the American of 2 centuries ago when most migrants were illiterate farmers and the like, most who migrate now contribute much more to the country than an average American ever does.

you live in the America of yore...not the current one.
btw..cultural tension for whom? can you extrapolate on that

[Hunter Makoy]

you are free to not learn. after all, its your choice but to insist that terminology and pronunciation that does not suit your tongue be changed to something that's easy for you is akin to saying that lets do away with differential equations and stick with simple adding and subtractions

The government is forced to print everything in Spanish, guess they shouldn't do that. :

oh you mean that we should all be cookie-cutter kids out of the same mold just so there would not be any "cultural tension"

No, more like come to America to be an American, just as anyone moving to any other country.

this is not the American of 2 centuries ago when most migrants were illiterate farmers and the like, most who migrate now contribute much more to the country than an average American ever does.

you live in the America of yore...not the current one.
btw..cultural tension for whom? can you extrapolate on that

The "America of yore" often was even more of a salad bowl then a melting pot then it is now. Especial places like Chicago and other big cities in the north east. I live in the America where I don't want there to be a need for culture specific neighborhoods, or anything else of the like. Just look at the issues the UK and France has had with integration problems of some Muslims.

[Arjun]

The government is forced to print everything in Spanish, guess they shouldn't do that. :

really? i believe that it comes under the purview of the city-councils/counties/states rather than the federal government. and if its being forced to print anything in Spanish or whatever; its but an indication of the changing demography of the country.surely we cannot expect a country to have the % of populations static and unchanging over decades?

when i take the public transport i see notices in English, spanish and Vietnamese. does that bother me? Hell no.

No, more like come to America to be an American, just as anyone moving to any other country.

this brings us to the question of "What is American"? I could understand if a Frenchman protests against Algerian immigrants(to some extent)..but a nation of immigrants barely a few centuries old protesting that its ethnic makeup is being changed borders on the ridiculous

The "America of yore" often was even more of a salad bowl then a melting pot then it is now. Especial places like Chicago and other big cities in the north east.

hundreds of thousands of European immigrants did change their names and were "assimilated" into the 'mainstream"

I live in the America where I don't want there to be a need for culture specific neighborhoods, or anything else of the like. Just look at the issues the UK and France has had with integration problems of some Muslims.

you are sadly out of touch with reality. i have YET to see any huge culture-specific neighborhoods (except for some Spanish enclaves) where i live. lol dude most Asians don't live "together". they live exactly like others in Suburbia. They play baseball, and they are popularizing criket(YEY!) and do everything a normal suburban American would do.yet they retain their language and culture. your french example does not apply here.


also you have to realize that the American Economy owes a lot to immigrants, especially in the silicon valley where more than 50% of the professionals are immigrants and more than half of the new startups in the last 10 years were by immigrants too.These people dont care about trying to "fit in"...they are comfortable being who they are...without the "self consciousness" that was prevalent in the older waves immigrants.What you are seeing now is a redefining of what means to be "American"

Most Asian (discounting South Asian) names are mono or duo syllabic.They're already latinized, like Ching, Ling, Wang, etc. If you can't pronounce them, then you're legally retarded.

yeah...the most it took me to pronounce some of the hardest tp pronounce Chinese/east Asian names were a couple of tries....its not hard at all..but for people not willing to make the effort; yes it is hard. if learning things were so easy; everyone of us would be professors

Been there. You guys make the best tea in the world.
.

i drink tea all the time....rather than drink cofee
yeah; we were a role model for Singapore in the early 50s(lee Quan yu) wanted to make Singapore like Ceylon. but then the (mostly)illiterate majority came to power and ruined the country for-ever.Thanks to them, instead of being a sucess story we are a failed state.lol

which part of the island did you visit? ive been to HK too(i guess you are from there?)

[Eien]

i drink tea all the time....rather than drink cofee
yeah; we were a role model for Singapore in the early 50s(lee Quan yu) wanted to make Singapore like Ceylon. but then the (mostly)illiterate majority came to power and ruined the country for-ever.Thanks to them, instead of being a sucess story we are a failed state.lol

which part of the island did you visit? ive been to HK too(i guess you are from there?)

It's Lee Kuan Yu XD, Sri Lanka/Ceylon has one of the best tea's I've ever drank, props

Heck, for a simple surname as mine, Tay (Tay as in Teh, or Tay of Taylors) i get various pronounciation that borders on ridiculousness.