I just read through thread on African sounding names here that is simply apalling. The majority of the posts are mocking in tone of certain names in the black community. One poster even said that as a human resource manager he/she throws away applications with funny sounding names like Lakeisha or Tawanda. THIS IS ILLEGAL!
If you don’t understand something, say so. Don’t make fun of what you can’t comprehend because your brain lacks the capacity to grasp it.
The ignorance displayed in this thread is quite telling of the two Americas that exist; there is seemingly no effort made whatsoever on the part of white Americans to learn anything about the black experience (other than through sports and entertainment). WAKE UP!
I agree - some of the posts in that thread are pretty disgusting. “What’s with…” rather than “What is the derivation of this kind of name?”
Personally, I would like to know the derivation of those kinds of names though, in a spirit of nothing but idle curiosity.
I agree with most of what you said, except for this. Don’t label all “white” Americans by that brush stroke. That’s exactly what’s going on in that thread, what I was trying to point out in that thread.
I think that if someone doesn’t understand, and or has a limited contact with a person of a differing culture, then certain things are going to seem different, such as names. “White American” names have to seem different/bizarre to some cultures as well.
I read it this morning, before the post you referenced. I was embarrassed then. I’m just appalled now.
I am not black, and I have what many would call a “normal” name. In some cultures, I’m pretty sure it’s not normal. Heck, it may sound ridiculous to someone from Russia, Botswana, Japan or Mongolia (or any other number of countries). It’s still my name, and I wouldn’t like anyone making fun of it or stereotyping me because it “sounds funny”.
Parents choose names for their kids for many reasons. Every culture has names that will sound unusual to people from other cultures. This does not make them unemployable, automatically give anyone a “chip on their shoulder” (this just sounds like another term for racial discrimination to me) or anything of the sort.
Thanks for stepping up to say something, jehovah68. I’m rather embarrassed that I didn’t.
Meatros, perhaps you skipped over the word seemingly that I included in the sentence. I try not to label anybody, I would rather let them label themselves through their words and actions.
I apologize if I wasn’t clear in my OP.
:eek:
The throwing out the applications based on name alone is scary. My name is hyphenated, and maybe that’d trip some people’s “snob” meters and exclude me. I had hunted for a job for a few months this year, and I would sincerely hope that people looked at my qualifications, history, and writing style, rather than just my name.
Yeah, but I just don’t get that whole “black name thing” either. When I worked at a Sonic in college, there were three guys there that worked at the same time, and all three had the name of Chris. I mean, wtf? And there was also a woman named Gayle. What, were her parents weather forecasters or something?
Seriously, that thread is positively appalling, especially tarpal’s comments about throwing out applications from people with “black” names. Who cares what someone names their kid? I seriously considered the name Tanis (from the Dragonlance chronicles) as a boy’s name if I ever had a kid. Tanis is no better than Terrell (for those who live in the DFW metroplex, the emphasis is on the second syllable, not the first like the city).
I grew up in the south, so rarely does a name confuse or shock me, and it never dawned on me to consider mocking someone’s name, whether that name was Stephanie, Tawanda or Hiroki.
I live in the south, and many of the names parents give their poor kds are appalling - and we’re talking causacians here. (One good old boy I know had two sons - Hunter and Fisher).
Reminds me what the happy hooker said - she often gave her employees new professional names, but would never use the name Tiffany - said it “sounds too much like a hooker.”
Whups… Yup, it’s there… You know, more and more, I think I’m becoming illiterate. This isn’t the first time I’ve missed a “key” ingredient to someones post…
Sorry 'bout that.
Tanis? I always thought Raistlin was the better name from that series…Course the evilness would be sort of bad…
Incidently, in a book by Wilbur (the first name escapes me), he wrote about an egyption by the name of Tanus.
Yeah, I’d sort of like to erase my post in that thread, not because I’ve changed my mind…I still think that Antwan is a variant of Antoine, but just because it’s kind of embarrassing being in the same thread as some of those comments.
I highly approve of the OP, and I would especially like to single out this post, by Tarpal, as worthy of this month’s Clueless Giant Asshole Human Resources Manager award.
WTG! Step right up and get your award, a tastefully framed PhotoShop montage done by our Graphics Arts people, depicting You as the Pointy-Haired Boss, naked and portly, with an asshole just the size to fit the full-size corncob that’s being shoved up it.
Hey, before you go, how would you have rated an application with the name “Condoleezza” on it?
Please tell me the company you work for is not located in the Midwest anywhere…
I’ve never been quite so shocked at seemingly normal posters going bananas in that thread with the crazy racist comments! Tarpal, my GOD. MY GOD! What are you saying? You can tell by someone’s name that they’re LOW CLASS? Holy shit a moly.
And by the way…my real name is Jessica…and I didn’t particularly care for it being called ‘boring’ and ‘uncreative’ 
When I was born, lo way back 30 years ago, my mother caught a boatload of flak for giving me such a ‘bizarre’ name.
Oh, fuck off.
Aside from the backasswards contradition of that very post, no one really gives a shit if you don’t like what other people name their kids.
My parents can name me whatever they want, I can name my kids whatever I want, be it Moon Unit or Fred.
My family came to America in 1531. We are considered one of the “founding families” of our home state. We also have a Spanish last name. So according to that logic, if you really want to “ensure a continuation” you’d better start naming your kids Emilio and Juan.
No wait! That can’t be right!!! When my family got here there were already these great, big apartment/condo complexes that my ancestors called “pueblos” and they were already full of people. Whaddaya know? We should all have Aboriginal names. 'Cause those New World names like William and Peter just don’t belong! Must ensure a continuation and support the country in which we are documented citizens. Go Navajo!
Heck, I’m gonna go see if I can find me an Anasasi name…
Oh, how lovely, Tarpal, I see you’ve made a new contribution. Well, we’ve already given you the award for this month, sorry. But hey, I’ll post it so everyone can at least appreciate it.
Tarpal.
What’s the saddest thing, DDG, is that tarpal is punishing the potential employees for something their parents did. By his/her logic, two of the women that worked at that Sonic (Linda & Pat) would get their applications in the potential pile, even though they were two of the most hateful employees you could ever have, while the woman I worked with on the weekends (whose more traditional “black” name is escaping me at the moment) would get tossed, even though I have never in my life seen a better worker, black, white or purple. I’d hire her for any job she asked for, whether she was qualified for it or not, because she’s such a good person to work with.
“Antwan” sounds like it’s more typical for an african american, but it’ seems to be pretty common. I don’t see a problem.The names I don’t like (and OF COURSE name your kids whatever you want) are the really bizarre ones - cause I pity the kid.
My real name is Cuauhtemoc X. Finkelstein. My parents wanted something that reflected my Irish heritage, with a nod to the films of Satyajit Ray.
tarpal, if you really do that, you’re an asshole. Someone should fire you for your objectionable fashion sense or something. Then we could see how you like being unfairly discriminated against.
I’m here. How may I help you?
We need a bigger :rolleyes: