ABC News 20/20 Report: White and Black Names

[Taualumna]

Why is it perfectly acceptable for a person of east Asian descent to have a name like Jennifer (almost every Jen in my grad class in high school was Chinese) or Michael, while people of other ethnicities have to have a name that "reflects their culture" and that it's "wrong" not to do that?

[adpiucf]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Why is it perfectly acceptable for a person of east Asian descent to have a name like Jennifer (almost every Jen in my grad class in high school was Chinese) or Michael, while people of other ethnicities have to have a name that "reflects their culture" and that it's "wrong" not to do that?

Good point-- I have seen a lot of ethnic minorities with Westernized nicknames at school, but their legal names are very different! But there's a difference when Ahn Ng is going by Ann, and Julie Chan is really just Julie!

[shinerbock]

I'm really surprised some of you can figure out how to turn on a computer.

"people like you"--Are you kidding? I simply said businesses will likely hire people with safe names becase customers and partners are more comfortable with them. Simply because someone decides to name their child Letravious doesn't mean the rest of the world needs to rush to accept it as normal.

[TonyB06]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

I'm really surprised some of you can figure out how to turn on a computer.

"people like you"--Are you kidding? I simply said businesses will likely hire people with safe names becase customers and partners are more comfortable with them. Simply because someone decides to name their child Letravious doesn't mean the rest of the world needs to rush to accept it as normal.

shinerbock,
I see the point you're making, but consider this scenario. Say , you run shinverbock, inc. and you're making a hiring decision between Letravious Jones and Larry Jones. Both are reasonably strong candidates, however Letravious grades out slighty higher than Larry.

Conventional thinking, as you see it, suggests you would hire Larry. Do you do it, and if, so, do you have any recriminations about the fact that Letravious could go to a competitor and come back to haunt. Or do you hire Letravious?

curious as to your thinking.

[shinerbock]

It would obviously depend on the person. Despite my distaste for minority popular culture, I generally love to see people from unfortunate backgrounds do well for themselves. I think they're often the most motivated and they've worked the hardest to get there. If Latravious or whoever we decided the applicant was...was well spoken, clean cut, and fit the requirements better than other applicants, I imagine I'd hire him.

Note- I'm not saying all people with "blacker" last names are from rough backgrounds, but I imagine we can agree that some of them are.

Other Note- Part of the reason I feel this way is from family experience...My dad hires a lot of people on a regular basis, and he's run into problems before where there is a really well qualified minority applicant, good scores, etc...but they don't speak well or present themselves as professionally as the company expects. Thats where I think presentation does matter.

[OtterXO]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

It would obviously depend on the person. Despite my distaste for minority popular culture, I generally love to see people from unfortunate backgrounds do well for themselves. I think they're often the most motivated and they've worked the hardest to get there. If Latravious or whoever we decided the applicant was...was well spoken, clean cut, and fit the requirements better than other applicants, I imagine I'd hire him.

Note- I'm not saying all people with "blacker" last names are from rough backgrounds, but I imagine we can agree that some of them are.

Other Note- Part of the reason I feel this way is from family experience...My dad hires a lot of people on a regular basis, and he's run into problems before where there is a really well qualified minority applicant, good scores, etc...but they don't speak well or present themselves as professionally as the company expects. Thats where I think presentation does matter.

So all other things being equal you would assume that a Brad or Larry would present better than the well qualified minority?

[Exquisite5]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

I'm really surprised some of you can figure out how to turn on a computer.

"people like you"--Are you kidding? I simply said businesses will likely hire people with safe names becase customers and partners are more comfortable with them. Simply because someone decides to name their child Letravious doesn't mean the rest of the world needs to rush to accept it as normal.

Who said "people like you?"

I looked and couldn't find it- so I guessed you were referring to my post- but I didn't say that. I merely said that you were an example of a person who couldn't get over a made up name-- which by your own admission is true.

What is so stupid about that that you are surprised I can turn a computer on?

[shinerbock]

I never said I can't get over a name, I said that businesses look after their own interests. Please stop claiming I said things I didn't.

[shinerbock]

Tony, but it depends on the field I'd imagine. If I was hiring someone to go out and pick up big corporate clientel (maybe advertising, who knows), I may have to consider how those people would deal with an employee with a non-traditional name. If I perceived it may be a problem, I would probably be forced to think twice about hiring them. That being said, I think such a situation would only come between two equally matched employees. I would never hire an unqualified person over a qualified one for something so trivial as a name.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

I would never hire an unqualified person over a qualified one for something so trivial as a name.

Even if David Smith sounds better to your clients than Kendell Smith?

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by adpiucf

Good point-- I have seen a lot of ethnic minorities with Westernized nicknames at school, but their legal names are very different! But there's a difference when Ahn Ng is going by Ann, and Julie Chan is really just Julie!

True.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Why is it perfectly acceptable for a person of east Asian descent to have a name like Jennifer (almost every Jen in my grad class in high school was Chinese) or Michael, while people of other ethnicities have to have a name that "reflects their culture" and that it's "wrong" not to do that?

Come again?