North Texas Republican asks Asian-Americans to change their names

starang21 · #1 04-09-2009, 10:36 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksIBVDZGwtg

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009...exas-lawmaker/

Asian-Americans say they are outraged that a Texas lawmaker suggested in a hearing that Asian-American voters should adopt names that are "easier for Americans to deal with" at the polls.

Texas Rep. Betty Brown, a Republican, made the comments on Tuesday as Ramey Ko, an associate member of the Organization of Chinese Americans, testified before the Texas House Elections Committee on voter identification legislation.

Ko testified that people of Asian descent frequently have difficulties voting due to differences in their legal transliterated names and the English name shown on their driver's licenses.

Brown asked Ko: "Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese -- I understand it's a rather difficult language -- do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?"

Brown later said, "Can't you see that this is something that would make it a lot easier for you and the people who are poll workers if you could adopt a name just for identification purposes that's easier for Americans to deal with?"

The Texas Democratic Party called on Brown to apologize on Wednesday.

The exchange, which has appeared on YouTube, has angered many Asian-Americans.

"It really goes to show you that no matter how much progress is made when it comes to race, ignorance still exists in America," said Brad Baldia, executive vice president of the National Association of Asian American Professionals. "It's a slap in the face and it goes to show that there needs to be more education of our government in terms of diversity in America."

Baldia said the comments were particularly "insensitive" as Asian-Americans are becoming increasingly involved in the political process.

>snip<

PhiGam · #2 04-09-2009, 11:36 PM

Their names are like 3 letters long... maybe we should find some poll workers who are literate? The person referenced in this article's last name was "ko" for crying out loud.

DaemonSeid · #3 04-10-2009, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhiGam

Their names are like 3 letters long... maybe we should find some poll workers who are literate? The person referenced in this article's last name was "ko" for crying out loud.

And your point is what exactly?

Why should you or anyone be worried about what someone's name is and who are we that we have the right to tell someone to Americanize their name?

That article would be a good example of taxpayer money going to waste.

That idea is just as bad as Sheila Jackson Lee's idea to ethnicize the names of hurricanes.

epchick · #4 04-10-2009, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

And your point is what exactly?

Why should you or anyone be worried about what someone's name is and who are we that we have the right to tell someone to Americanize their name?

I don't think PhiGam meant that they should change their names. I think he meant that because their names are so short (i.e. Ko) what is the point in trying to make it more "Americanized" when someone should be able to say/read that name.

33girl · #5 04-10-2009, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by epchick

I don't think PhiGam meant that they should change their names. I think he meant that because their names are so short (i.e. Ko) what is the point in trying to make it more "Americanized" when someone should be able to say/read that name.

Man, she needs to come to the Burgh and try to deal with some of the Polish etc names around here. Aren't a lot of the Asian name translations pretty standard at this point?

moe.ron · #6 04-10-2009, 01:59 AM

Betty Brown Name Generator:
http://rumandmonkey.com/widgets/toys/namegen/12054/

My new name: Roy "Chicken and Dumplings" Brown

PM_Mama00 · #7 04-10-2009, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Man, she needs to come to the Burgh and try to deal with some of the Polish etc names around here. Aren't a lot of the Asian name translations pretty standard at this point?

Yes I definitely have more trouble with European names than Asian. That's ridiculous! The only Asian names I've ever had trouble with are the ones that start "Ng"... how do you pronounce that?

WhiteRose1912 · #8 04-10-2009, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moe.ron

Betty Brown Name Generator:
http://rumandmonkey.com/widgets/toys/namegen/12054/

My new name: Roy "Chicken and Dumplings" Brown

LaVerna "WalMart" Brown for me.

Are they always Brown?

PhiGam · #9 04-10-2009, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by epchick

I don't think PhiGam meant that they should change their names. I think he meant that because their names are so short (i.e. Ko) what is the point in trying to make it more "Americanized" when someone should be able to say/read that name.

Thank you, I'm glad you were able to comprehend what I was saying.

PhiGam · #10 04-10-2009, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

And your point is what exactly?

Why should you or anyone be worried about what someone's name is and who are we that we have the right to tell someone to Americanize their name?

That article would be a good example of taxpayer money going to waste.

f you actually READ (gasp) my post you would see that I said that the problem is that the poll workers are dumb, not the names. I don't know what was so hard for you to understand about that but its the second time you've unjustifiably freaked out over one of my posts today. At no point in my post did I agree with this idiot. I also fail to see how her saying this is costing the country any money... we don't pay her by the word or anything.

PhiGam · #11 04-10-2009, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

Yes I definitely have more trouble with European names than Asian. That's ridiculous! The only Asian names I've ever had trouble with are the ones that start "Ng"... how do you pronounce that?

I'm pretty sure it's "Ing" and Nguyen is "Wynn." Other than that asian names are pretty easy, I think Japanese names sound really cool. Mitsubishi, Nagasaki, Matsuzaka, etc.

LucyKKG · #12 04-10-2009, 05:22 AM

Yeah, I didn't realize that "Nguyen" was "Wynn" for years. I went to school with a lot of Asians (and my step-mom is Vietnamese), so I thought this was f-ing ridiculous. (Not implying that others not in my area would think that lady was sane.) Who asks an entire culture to change their names? That's like when 19th C immigrants felt they had to change their names to assimilate...except in this case, an official asked them to do it. So backwards!!!

ETA: Kudos to the guy speaking for being so eloquent and stating his case clearly without going "WTF are you serious?!" Cause yeah, that's what I would have done.

DaemonSeid · #13 04-10-2009, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhiGam

f you actually READ (gasp) my post you would see that I said that the problem is that the poll workers are dumb, not the names. I don't know what was so hard for you to understand about that but its the second time you've unjustifiably freaked out over one of my posts today. At no point in my post did I agree with this idiot. I also fail to see how her saying this is costing the country any money... we don't pay her by the word or anything.

THUS...MY QUESTION....

AND....YOUR...POINT....IS...WHAT...EXACTLY.

I wasn't addressing 'you' personally!!!!

2nd time today huh?

Keeping count? I think you will survive the experience. It's gonna be ok...need a hug?

KSig RC · #14 04-10-2009, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

THUS...MY QUESTION....

AND....YOUR...POINT....IS...WHAT...EXACTLY.

I wasn't addressing 'you' personally!!!!

2nd time today huh?

Keeping count? I think you will survive the experience. It's gonna be ok...need a hug?

Seriously, DS - his point is simple: this woman is an idiot, and the poll workers (if they even exist, which I openly question) are likely idiots too.

You clearly misread it - that's OK to admit, dude.

DaemonSeid · #15 04-10-2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Seriously, DS - his point is simple: this woman is an idiot, and the poll workers (if they even exist, which I openly question) are likely idiots too.

You clearly misread it - that's OK to admit, dude.

That is why I asked him for clarification

That's what I get for responding to shyte after midnite....

Bottom line the idea for such a bill is a total waste.

Poll workers are not paid enough to know how to pronounce someone's name.

Hell, most people can't even pronounce NOR spell my last name correctly, as long as they can match my ID up to my voting records should be sufficient.

I would be insulted as all hell if someone asked me to change my last name so THEY could understand it.