ABC News 20/20 Report: White and Black Names

xo_kathy · #1 10-02-2006, 01:33 PM

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...

f8nacn · #2 10-02-2006, 07:45 PM

The list that they have suck! Where did they get that list of "black" names for girls and boys!!!! I've met caucasian people and other minorities with those names and what is so hard to pronounce about those names....

OMG people give me a break!!!!

macallan25 · #3 10-02-2006, 07:51 PM

I have never met a white guy with these names:

DeShawn
DeAndre
Marquis
Darnell
Terrell
Malik
Trevon
Tyrone
Willie
Dominique
Demetrius
Reginald
Jamal
Maurice
Jalen
Darius
Xavier
Terrance
Andre
Darryl

Or a White Girl with these:

Imani
Ebony
Shanice
Aaliyah
Precious
Nia
Deja
Diamond
Asia
Aliyah
Jada
Tierra
Tiara
Kiara
Jazmine
Jasmin
Jazmin
Jasmine
Alexus
Raven

DSTCHAOS · #4 10-02-2006, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macallan25

I have never met a white guy with these names:

Trevon
Willie
Reginald
Maurice
Jalen

Or a White Girl with these:

Asia
Jada
Tierra
Tiara
Kiara
Jazmine
Jasmin
Jazmin
Jasmine
Alexus
Raven

I recall whites with these names or names very similar. However, 95% of the time people in this society with these names are not going to be white.

Regardless of what people think of these names, the issue of discrimination is a serious one. Whether it's discrimination by race or by a proxy for race (i.e. social class and names), it's tragic because people are making assumptions of you and influencing your life chances.

xo_kathy · #5 10-02-2006, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macallan25

I have never met a white guy with these names:

Willie - plenty of Williams go by Willie
Dominique - very French name, there are white people in France ya know
Reginald - Elton John's real first name is Reginald - popular in the UK
Maurice - see Dominique
Xavier - Xavier Roberts, inventor of Cabbage Patch Kids
Terrance - betcha Terry Bradshaw's full name is Terrance
Andre - see Dominique
Darryl - a white boy in my grade growing up in Michigan had this name

Or a White Girl with these:

Jasmin - I've run into a good handful of young white girls - around 8 years old - named this
Jazmin - see above
Jasmine - see above
Alexus - I've run into WAY more than a handful of white girls named this!!!

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.

f8nacn · #6 10-02-2006, 08:26 PM

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...

DSTCHAOS · #7 10-02-2006, 08:31 PM

Quote:

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 · #8 10-02-2006, 08:34 PM

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 · #9 10-02-2006, 09:37 PM

Quote:

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.

xo_kathy · #10 10-03-2006, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macallan25

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.

But you said you'd never "met" someone with those names. If you were in other areas long enough, you would probably meet people with those names. That might make you start to think of them as just names, not "black people" names.

Quote:

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.

Because Billy Joe is better?! My husband is the Head of HR for his company and his name is Orlando. He makes more money and has a better job than any of the people in my family named Bob, Bill, or Tom. It's never held him back. Maybe it's a NYC thing that people are just used to different sounding names...

shinerbock · #11 10-03-2006, 11:31 AM

Billy Joe, yeah, thats a common white name...

epchick · #12 10-02-2006, 11:11 PM

Quote:

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 · #13 10-02-2006, 11:25 PM

Quote:

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 · #14 10-02-2006, 11:51 PM

Quote:

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 · #15 10-03-2006, 12:19 AM

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.