And that’s all your opinion, gobear. Opinions are never wrong in my book. It just when you think everybody else should share your opinion is when my alarms start goin’ off.
Why is a username like tarpal allowable? What’s next? tarbaby? coon?
Huh? I was the person who posted the original link to a fascinating and informative article about African-American names.
Wary of copyright rules, I simply linked to the site but now I see that I should have quoted and explained some of what the article discussed.
African-American names are not African names. They reflect the unique African-American experience, which includes slavery and years of living in a subordinate position in society.
While I agree with your assessment of the people who are objecting to African-American names, I find it seriously offensive that you would presume to tell African-Americans how to name their children, or insist that they use African names which reflect only one aspect of their heritage. “Do the research”? How do you know that these people haven’t thorougly researched their family history in America and picked names that come from their rich slave or post-slavery heritage? “Shows no imagination”? I can’t think of anything that shows more imagination than giving your kid a name that you have cleverly created yourself by blending various aspects of your family and ethnic history.
For the people who are judging class or education levels based on African-American names:
“Easy to spell and pronounce” and “distinctive without seeming odd” are culturally subjective. Besides, a simple name isn’t always best. I was named after a grandmother with a somewhat unusual, somewhat difficult to pronounce and spell, but ethnically significant name. However, my mother subscribed to the gobear theory, and decided to make that my middle name, giving me a whitebread, obvious, dull as dirt first name. Over the years, both she and I have come to sincerely regret her decision. I now use my middle name in many situations where I’m not already known by my first name (including the Internet). And I can’t tell you the number of times that my mother has told me that she wishes she had gone with her different but meaningful second choice.
That’s my point gobear - the automatic assertion that names over 2 syllables for people of African descent are ghetto.
I’m pretty sure Road Rash was joking, but there are those who honestly believe that. Tarpal, for instance. Tarpal would get a nasty surprise if he hired me based on my “distinguished” name.
Juanita, just because you’re black and I’m not, you assume that you know more about Africa than I–what does that make you? Did you ask if I’ve lived with Africans (I have). Did you ask if I had ever explored sub-Saharan African history? (I have) Did you ask if I’ve ever read up on any African languages? (I have) Did you ask any of those questions? No, you didn’t.
In any event, I view “Shaniqua” as I would naming a kid “Data”–both show, IMO, a paucity of imagination.
Remember, your child has to live the name you give it, so choose wisely. My middle name has given untold amounts of grief, which is why I never tell anyone what it is.
Spoiler, your post was wonderful. I’m glad I read it and plan on talking to my husband about it.
You’re being far too kind, FP.
I think instead what we’re seeing is the very OBVIOUS use of “code words”. One brief look at tarpal’s posting history reveals a definite pattern.
Frankly, I wish the old Indian names would make a comeback. There’s an awful lot of character in a name like Crazy Horse.
Hold on there, Juanita I’m including you in the “don’t give your kid a name he or she will regret”–I just didn’t address it to you personally.
Black people are people, which means that just like white people, Asians, Latinos and every other group, including gay people, they annoy me. Black people are not special or different and definitely not above criticism. Get over yourself.
I’n no racist; I’m a misanthrope.
I like Korean names. Every Korean child has a name chosen by a complicated system of generational markers plus a personal name that both mean something when put together. Say that your family’s generational marker for your cohort is “hwa” (flower). Then your first name might be “Mi” (beauty) to form Mi-Hwa (beautiful flower) and your sister might be Chung-Hwa (blue flower) and your brother might be Sung-Hwa (strong flower) and so on.
First, I don’t assume I know more about the vast continent of Africa than you do. Where on earth did you get that? I wouldn’t know an authentic African tribal name if it bit me on the ass. No where have I ever stated that, just because I have more melanin than you, my knowledge of ‘the motherland’ is superior to yours or any other white person for that fact of the matter.
Second, your point of naming your kid Shaniqua as being lazy wasn’t addressed to all parents, it was addressed specifically to black parents. I fail to see how making up a name shows a deficit in the imagination department. That’s oxymoronic!
Your comment that black parents should “do the research” and give their kids “real African names” is offensive beyond belief. Should I assume you meant that if black parents are going to give their children (what you consider to be) African-sounding names they should do the research? I ask because your statement implies black parents should only name their children authentic African tribal names.
Either way, thanks for sharing your opinion re black people. I’ll be sure this weekend to work on getting over myself.
Thank you. By the way, I love your childrens’ names. I’m a big fan of traditional Old Testament names. If I ever have a son, I plan to name him Isaiah.
No, I didn’t. If black parents want to give their kids African-sounding names, like Shaniqua, instead of checking out actual names from African cultures, I think that’s lazy. A black parent parent who names her child NShange is doing the same thingas an Irish parent who names her kid Siobhan or a Korean parent who names her kid Mi-Hwa–naming the child in a way that reflects history and culture in a way that Shaniqua or Elie-Mae do not. It’e like white parents who name their kids Britney or Jason.
But you go ahead and be offended.
And right here you illustrate the very point of cultural differences. Those names sound wonderful in Korean. In English you get Moon Unit and River and suddenly some asshair is tossing your resume because he think he’s better than you.
Again, though, you like Korean names. Hell, some people obviously like Korean automakers, from what they name their children. I really hate it when I gotta quote Bobby Brown, but its ‘their prerogative’. No one, including you, should judge them by their parents’ choice of name.
On this point we are agreed. But my point is that parents who want to use their kids to express their “creativity” are making life harder for the kid than it has to be. You try going through life as a child with a name nobody can pronounce. I changed mine in 8th grade for that reason.
The point is, you’re making a big assumption and generalization when you imply that those who name their kids Shaniqua et al are trying to fabricate African names. That name (and similar sounding names) have a certain popularity that has a lot to do with individuals expressing what they like and little to do with imitating Africa.
Think about it like this: white people routinely use the name “Jennifer” probably because they like the way it sounds; not because they are not trying to sound European.
The ‘iq’ part of Shaniqua makes me think of French. To my ears, Shaniqua sounds like it’s trying more to be French than African. I do know the two aren’t mutually exclusive as countries such as Algeria and Cameroon were once French colonies.
Either way, making up a name is neither lazy nor unimaginative. All names had to be made up at some point.
Count me as another silly-second-name-that-I-never-use. Although my second name is a classic name it is too long for my taste, so I cut it down to R. I would never think of changing it though, it is my the female version of my dad’s name.
Although I think that people should never be judged based on anything but what they have accomplished, I still think that some parents are a being a little irresponsible when they give their children names that will later translate into ridicule and sour moments for them. Kids can sometimes be very cruel, and in school I saw children being ridiculed because of their names.
But going as far as not even interviewing someone because of his/her name, race, or looks, that is HIGHLY stupid, bigoted, and a bunch of other bad stuff. I am looking for a new job now, I have been looking for over a year and while I have quite a lot of experience in my field I would not like to believe that I am being judged based on other things than my character, education and experience. That thought is scary, to say the least.
Woo, score - I got the hyphenated surname to project snobbishness with and the poor family for the “ignorant environment”! I wonder if they cancel out…
I considered the fact that kids are cruel when naming my daughter. If I believed as you do, gobear, I would’ve also had to consider the fact that adults are worse.
I have a traditionally Irish first name. My oldest brother’s is traditionally French. The brother under him is traditionally Polish. My youngest brother is named after a type of precious metal.
We’re all black.
This is just another version of judging a book by its cover. Your opinions are not wrong, gobear, but you are when you think everyone else’s is.
I apologize for making you angry, Juanita Tech. I’m sorry.