Giving kids a Chinese name in an English-speaking country
- Thread starter solarz
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icbeodragon
Junior Member
I'm sorry im not Chinese, but I feel this is an issue of enough import to weigh in on. Especially if you or someone close to you is considering doing this.
Of course this depends on what the name actually is, but imo this would sound like setting the child up for a tough childhood. The objective is to fit in, not to make yourself as different as possible, especially when it comes to children. If the Child wants to become closer to his/her Chinese heritage later in life, and feels a name change would bring him/her closer, then by all means allow him/her to do so, and feel free to immerse the child in Chinese culture at home, and if the community he/she lives in has potlucks bring along some traditional Chinese food
. Just don't forget to follow the societal norms of the country the family lives in as well.If it must be done by any means, then most definitely avoid names that are difficult to pronounce in English if the child is going to grow up in an English speaking country.
SteelBird
Colonel
This is an issue which I'm facing to too. To me, I gave my baby a Chinese name (given by her grandmother), and a Cambodian name. The Cambodian name is considered formal and is recorded in the birth certificate. The two names are completely different.
The same case happens to my friend. He gave his baby only one Chinese name to any language that translates from the Chinese pronunciation. However, he has problem when translate that name into Latin; the word 左's Chinese pronunciation is "zuo" and is confused to the non Chinese speaking people. I finally suggest him to use the word "Chuo" which might acceptable to most people.
The same case happens to my friend. He gave his baby only one Chinese name to any language that translates from the Chinese pronunciation. However, he has problem when translate that name into Latin; the word 左's Chinese pronunciation is "zuo" and is confused to the non Chinese speaking people. I finally suggest him to use the word "Chuo" which might acceptable to most people.
I'm sorry im not Chinese, but I feel this is an issue of enough import to weigh in on. Especially if you or someone close to you is considering doing this.
Of course this depends on what the name actually is, but imo this would sound like setting the child up for a tough childhood. The objective is to fit in, not to make yourself as different as possible, especially when it comes to children. If the Child wants to become closer to his/her Chinese heritage later in life, and feels a name change would bring him/her closer, then by all means allow him/her to do so, and feel free to immerse the child in Chinese culture at home, and if the community he/she lives in has potlucks bring along some traditional Chinese food
If it must be done by any means, then most definitely avoid names that are difficult to pronounce in English if the child is going to grow up in an English speaking country.
It's just anecdotal, but from my experience growing up in the US, names aren't really a problem either way.
The child, and I speak as a 2nd generation myself, is going to grow up immersed in the native culture no matter what, and feeling "different" is going to happen regardless of what their name is. They will know the "societal norms". There's simply no avoiding it.
As for "fitting in", they will look different, and it's going to change how others perceive them before they even say a word, name or no name. I only have a Chinese last name myself, and just having an English first name has done nothing for me to fit in. Instead, all that's really matter is how I handle my own heritage and the inevitable questions.
This is sort of a tangent, but more practically, if it comes down to being hired for a job, and I'm finding myself being passed over because of my Chinese name, then I would start to wonder if I really wanted to work at that location at all. I know not everyone can afford to be choosey, or even have the luxury of ignoring racism (at any level), but it would be difficult to overlook that kind of blatant discrimination.
The take away: From my experience, a native sounding name is often only a small and usually inconsequential part of assimilating.
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solarz
Brigadier
I'm sorry im not Chinese, but I feel this is an issue of enough import to weigh in on. Especially if you or someone close to you is considering doing this.
Of course this depends on what the name actually is, but imo this would sound like setting the child up for a tough childhood. The objective is to fit in, not to make yourself as different as possible, especially when it comes to children. If the Child wants to become closer to his/her Chinese heritage later in life, and feels a name change would bring him/her closer, then by all means allow him/her to do so, and feel free to immerse the child in Chinese culture at home, and if the community he/she lives in has potlucks bring along some traditional Chinese food
If it must be done by any means, then most definitely avoid names that are difficult to pronounce in English if the child is going to grow up in an English speaking country.
Sorry, but that's a pretty narrow-minded view. English speaking people routinely pronounce foreign names without problem: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Aung San Suu Kyi, Tenzin Gyatso, Jawaharlal Nehru. Why should a Chinese name be any different? I've never had an English name my whole life, and I'm doing just fine, thank you very much. I would never expect non-Chinese speakers to pronounce my name properly, and I don't mind that at all.
solarz
Brigadier
Yes, that's something I was contemplating as well. Should we be placing more emphasis on Pinyin, which is the official Chinese latinization of names, or should we use a spelling that sounds more similiar to the Chinese word when pronounced in English?
There are examples of this even in European names. For example, it's considered pretty ignorant to pronounce "Jesus" with a "J" sound when address a hispanic person with that name. Similarly, the name "Michael" is pronounced "Mi-ka-elle" in French. The name "Jean" is a guy's name in French, and is actually the French spelling of John. The former Prime Minister of Canada is "Jean Chrétien", I don't think many people would call him "Jeen".
One of the thing I noticed is that most Indian Americans I know don't have "English" names. (Though some shorten them, for example Vidhu for Vidhushini) When they have "English" names, they tend to be Christians and it's the only name they have. Russians too, Yevgeniya instead of the English equivalent Gina. I think have a "English" name and have a local (Chinese, Japanese etc.) name is purely a East/Southeast Asian phenomenon.
Lol when I first come across the name Juan I pronounced Ju-an in my head, wasn't until somewhat later that I realised it sounds like 'one' in english with a h emphasis.
English speakers have a headache with some Sri Lankan names - do-do-do-do-do-do-do they seems to go on forever.
Like for example - Hewapathiranage Nimal Devendra Ariyasinghe
I use my english name in everyday life, my chinese name for academics and official documents and ID.
For publications and less formal documents I write my english name, followed by my chinese name, then my chinese last name.
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I think most Chinese live in English speaking countries give their children Chinese names for 'official use', such as passport and school registration... But, when it comes to call them in everyday life, they usually use English names. This way may work fine in most of the time. But, it can be confusing sometimes. Specially when they grow up and have to face the society themselves, they will have to choose carefully to whom they should give which of their names to...
I had the same problem with my son's name. In the end, we just chose a Chinese character everybody can pronounce while still have enough meaning in Chinese. Coz, if you look at most English dictionaries, there're plenty of popular Chinese words to choose from. And most of them are quite meaningful really.
In fact, it becomes an issue for some of the 'westerners' live and married in Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing. I know few of them who give two names to their children. It's just the other way around.
I had the same problem with my son's name. In the end, we just chose a Chinese character everybody can pronounce while still have enough meaning in Chinese. Coz, if you look at most English dictionaries, there're plenty of popular Chinese words to choose from. And most of them are quite meaningful really.
In fact, it becomes an issue for some of the 'westerners' live and married in Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing. I know few of them who give two names to their children. It's just the other way around.