I still think it is possible to have a hyphenated last name and have an our/we attitude with regards to the marriage. If a person puts their own goals before the goals of the marriage, then they are just selfish and possibly immature. Because a woman chooses to hyphenate her last name, does that automatically mean that she is selfish and immature? Of course not. Then the flip side of this is that there are selfish and immature husbands out there as well. Since men don't usually change their surnames when they marry, it is safe to assume that hyphenating a last name has little or nothing to do with being selfish or making your marriage secondary to self. And I also know many American born Latino women who hyphenate their last names. I work in a call center and I asked some of the bilingual representatives about it before I posted my first response. I like my last name as it is very unusual and there is a family reputation behind it. So therefore, I'm keeping it.
As far as my children are concerned, they will always have their father's last name. I have many southern friends that say traditionally, a woman's children should always have the same last name that she has, so if she is unmarried, the children will not have their father's last name. I don't necessarily agree with this, but to each his own.
[This message has been edited by MIDWESTDIVA (edited October 29, 2000).]