ABC News 20/20 Report: White and Black Names

macallan25 · #1 10-02-2006, 10:38 AM

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2470131&page=1

Report shows people with "white" names are more likely to get call backs for job interviews.

DSTCHAOS · #2 10-02-2006, 10:42 AM

Yeah this job discrimination based on name thing was uncovered over a decade ago.

It's become a story again over the last 5 or so years, especially adding the names of East Indians and Hispanics because of the New Immigration.

AlphaFrog · #3 10-02-2006, 10:42 AM

I've also read a study about those with names that are hard to pronounce are very unlikely to get callbacks, because the recruiter doesn't want to sound like an asshat pronouncing the person's name wrong.

ETA: This is why my husband has a family name of Vicente that we'd like to use for a son, but if we do, he'll be Vicente John (John being my father's name), so he can use "V. John Lastname" on his resume.

Taualumna · #4 10-02-2006, 10:45 AM

Isn't this old news?

KSig RC · #5 10-02-2006, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Yeah this job discrimination based on name thing was uncovered over a decade ago.

It's become a story again over the last 5 or so years, especially adding the names of East Indians and Hispanics because of the New Immigration.

Yeah this is way behind the curve - there's reputable academic research that proved this decades ago, and has been replicated successfully since.

The "asshat corollary" doesn't really fly as causation - some of the names used were as simple as Dexter Jackson in the initial studies. The original studies selected out these problems very effectively.

MysticCat · #6 10-02-2006, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

ETA: This is why my husband has a family name of Vicente that we'd like to use for a son, but if we do, he'll be Vicente John (John being my father's name), so he can use "V. John Lastname" on his resume.

Just know that as far as school and governmental records are concerned, he will always be "Vicente J. Lastname." My brother and sister both have dealt with that all of their lives (well, my sister did until she married and dropped her first name), and my son is dealing with it now.

AlphaFrog · #7 10-02-2006, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSig RC

The "asshat corollary" doesn't really fly as causation - some of the names used were as simple as Dexter Jackson in the initial studies. The original studies selected out these problems very effectively.

I was talking about a separate study. I can't find the link to it now, but it wasn't specifically about race-it was about names that were difficult to pronounce. You can be white, and have a name that people don't know how to pronounce, such as a guy I went to highschool with, who's parents name him Celly. I saw it, and assumed it was "Sel-ly", but it was really "Kelly" - but since his last name started with a C, his parents decided to be cute and spell "Kelly" with a "C".

macallan25 · #8 10-02-2006, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I was talking about a separate study. I can't find the link to it now, but it wasn't specifically about race-it was about names that were difficult to pronounce. You can be white, and have a name that people don't know how to pronounce, such as a guy I went to highschool with, who's parents name him Celly. I saw it, and assumed it was "Sel-ly", but it was really "Kelly" - but since his last name started with a C, his parents decided to be cute and spell "Kelly" with a "C".

Kelly with a C.....pretty idiotic.

Taualumna · #9 10-02-2006, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I was talking about a separate study. I can't find the link to it now, but it wasn't specifically about race-it was about names that were difficult to pronounce. You can be white, and have a name that people don't know how to pronounce, such as a guy I went to highschool with, who's parents name him Celly. I saw it, and assumed it was "Sel-ly", but it was really "Kelly" - but since his last name started with a C, his parents decided to be cute and spell "Kelly" with a "C".

I wouldn't want to be a guy named Kelly these days...nor would I want to be a guy named Ashley.

Why is it that so many formerly guys-only names are slowly becoming women's names?

xo_kathy · #10 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 · #11 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 · #12 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 · #13 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 · #14 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 · #15 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...