ABC News 20/20 Report: White and Black Names

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by f8nacn

To judge a person by their name is definitely discrimination and I knew someone had the same exact qualifications and educational experience as me, I don't know what I do if I wasn't chosen because of my name.

I can't believe people (especially recruiters or whomever) can't just ASK the person how to pronounce their name opposed to not giving them a call back. I know I see plenty of resumes come across my desk and if it is a name (first or last) that I'm not sure how to pronounce - I ASK the PERSON!

okay...my thoughts and opinion only...

The whole pronunciation thing is just one reason why they discriminate. It's often just used as an excuse to single out people for other reasons.

[AKA_Monet]

Macallan-

You know 20/20 is not the most "scientific" in studies with either ethnic group names...

And yes, upon first glance, you see names one in your ethnic purview would never name their child.

And I have to admit, there are names, I would barely consider from any of the lists.

As far as folks being discriminated against, ABC needs to take a look at itself and see who they have hired as writers and researchers. What is this, competition for CBS? When did purporting segregationist thoughts and activities become cool or popular?

Well, all I gotta say it is the "calm before the storm"...

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by xo_kathy

See my notes above. These are just quickly off the top of my head. If you ever head out of the south you would see all of these and then some as "white kid" names.

Thanks, i've been to France and the rest of Europe quite a few times....i'm well aware there are white people there. I have also been to just about every part of this country and those names will never come across to me as "white people" names......I don't care where I am. You can roll your eyes all you want.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by xo_kathy

True story from when my now husband was looking for an apt.

xo_kathy calls rental company: Hi, my boyfriend saw the ad for the 1BR.
Rental company: OK, we'll have someone call him back. Name and number please.
xo_kathy: Orlando <super Latino last name>, 555-1234
Rental company: Ok, thanks.

3 days later after no call:
xo_kathy calls rental company: Hi, I saw the ad for the 1BR.
Rental company: OK, we'll have someone call you back. Name and number please.
xo_kathy: Kathy <super WASPy last name>, 555-1234
Rental company: Ok, thanks.

30 minutes later - Ring Ring!
xo_kathy: Hello?
Apt. super: Hi! I'm calling you back about the 1BR.

And I'm pretty educated on this stuff, but I guess didn't think it happened so much until I experienced it myself. So I guess it's good that it's in the news again. Maybe some people will learn something new...

Its sad that this stuff still happens.

Your story reminds me of a commercial of a man that kept calling about an apartmnet, and he would sound like a different ethnicity over the phone. At one time he was hispanic, then african-american, then jewish, arab, etc...until finally he sounded "white" on the phone and he actually got an answer.

At first glance, i don't look like your typical Mexican. I'm a lot lighter skinned than the rest of my family...and I get treated differently. I don't even have a mexican last name. But once someone finds out i'm truly Mexican, their perception and their attitude changes.

But I don't understand the name thing...its just a name!! Dang man.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by epchick

At first glance, i don't look like your typical Mexican. I'm a lot lighter skinned than the rest of my family...and I get treated differently. I don't even have a mexican last name. But once someone finds out i'm truly Mexican, their perception and their attitude changes.

But I don't understand the name thing...its just a name!! Dang man.

You can understand the lightskinned Mexican without a Mexican last name thing but you can't understand the name thing? Same isht, different toilet.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

You can understand the lightskinned Mexican without a Mexican last name thing but you can't understand the name thing? Same isht, different toilet.

No...I understand the name thing. I just meant I don't understand how people can base things off of a name. To me, a name is just a name. It doesn't define who you are. And to think that someone could have a job withheld from them because their name was hard to pronounce or their name sounded "too black" or "too hispanic" is crazy.

Did I make more sense now

[shinerbock]

Consider it from a business standpoint...Which sounds better, "hey this is our new Director of ______, David Smith" or "hey, this is Sen'Derrick..." Just do your kids a favor and give them a reasonable name...or don't, but they may pay for your decision.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

Consider it from a business standpoint...Which sounds better, "hey this is our new Director of ______, David Smith" or "hey, this is Sen'Derrick..." Just do your kids a favor and give them a reasonable name...or don't, but they may pay for your decision.

I could honestly care less about the person's name....its the work ethic and what they put into the job. David Smith could be a crappy worker, and Sen'Derrick could be a phenomenal asset to anyone's team. You don't know based on their name.

[_Opi_]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

Consider it from a business standpoint...Which sounds better, "hey this is our new Director of ______, David Smith" or "hey, this is Sen'Derrick..." Just do your kids a favor and give them a reasonable name...or don't, but they may pay for your decision.

I think I have a reasonable name. Very easy to pronounce. Only 4 lettered name. And some folks still trip over themselves trying to pronounce it. I sure as hell do not want to be named "amanda" or "elizabeth" when every other person has that name, you know. No offense to women with those names --just pointing out that common around these parts.

[shinerbock]

I think there is something to be said for having a non-standard name, but naming your son Jamison or Payton is different from naming him Sen'Derrick or Latron. I'm not judging a person by their name, what I was saying is that businesses have to have their interests in mind when hiring...which will often lead to them hiring a person with a more traditional and professional name. Makes sense to me.

[Taualumna]

I legally went from Cindy to Cynthia a few years ago because I thought that Cindy was too cutesy and I wouldn't be taken as seriously had I kept my original name.

My parents claimed that they called me Cindy because it was easier for my non-English speaking relatives to pronounce.

[Munchkin03]

There's a little-known book called Freakonomics that came out last year with an entire chapter devoted to this topic! Apparently, women more likely to saddle kids with certain names tend to be young, unmarried, non-college degree holders, poor, and they usually have a name like that themselves! Imagine that!

I probably wouldn't name my child any of those names, but I probably wouldn't name my kid any of those redneck stripper names that some Southerners hold so dear either.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by epchick

No...I understand the name thing. I just meant I don't understand how people can base things off of a name. To me, a name is just a name. It doesn't define who you are. And to think that someone could have a job withheld from them because their name was hard to pronounce or their name sounded "too black" or "too hispanic" is crazy.

Did I make more sense now

Well, your skin color is just a skin color. Your last name is just a last name.

If people can judge you based on those factors and change their tune when they realize that you are Mexican, you can understand why a "name isn't just a name."

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

I think there is something to be said for having a non-standard name, but naming your son Jamison or Payton is different from naming him Sen'Derrick or Latron. I'm not judging a person by their name, what I was saying is that businesses have to have their interests in mind when hiring...which will often lead to them hiring a person with a more traditional and professional name. Makes sense to me.

Based on white America's standards of tradition and professional. That's why this topic is salient. The decision makers in this country tend to be whites and particularly white males. There are smaller instances where racial and ethnic minorities are in hiring positions. Some of these people choose to discriminate by name, but this happens much less often and for very different types of jobs.

I'm not for naming children after cars or bottles of liquor. However many names that are known as "black" in North America have roots in Russian and other cultures. Not all of them are from the African continent or made-up. My names are Swahili and they also have translations in East Indian and other African languages. I love my names and names like mine. I'm not in a career field where discrimination by name is common (with the increase in women and various races and ethnicities in my field over the past 10-20 yrs, there are fewer older white males making all of the decisions).

However, I have had people wonder why my parents gave their children Swahili names (it was the 70's for goodness sake). Blacks have a harder time pronouncing my name than whites do but I have had whites who have tried to assign me nicknames. Some blacks have tried to assign me a nickname but I find that blacks generally understand how offensive it is to me to shorten my name into an "Americanized" version of it. Blacks' nicknames for me tend to still be very "ethnic" but just a shorter version of my name. Either way, I don't do assigned nicknames. Learn to pronounce my name or don't call on me at all.

[AlphaFrog]

For the record, people do this to themselves, too. It's not just parents.

I worked with two CNAs from Africa. Their African names were unpronouncable to most Americans, so they changed their names. One changed her name to "TutuGirl". The other changed his name to "Blamo". Not joking.