“Hi My name is [insert here],” and what that insert is can determine whether or not one gets a job or is passed on for the next candidate. Your name might have an effect on whether your employer accepts you or not according to a study performed by The University of Chicago and the University of British Columbia. Their research shows that Asian Americans that use ‘Americanized’ names such as Thomas or Charles are fifty percent more likely to obtain jobs than their counterparts that keep their birth names.
In addition, Asian Americans that keep their birth name may have to deal with social discomforts through friends and colleagues mispronouncing their name. After all, “It’s hard to blame those kids if they have to go through school with names like Dung, Phuc, or Bich.” (The International Examiner). Overall, whether or not one should change his or her name is a matter of personal preference.
Although changing one’s birth name may bring about socioeconomic benefits, it comes at the cost of cultural identity.
By: Jiemin Zhou
Source: http://www.iexaminer.org/news/features/whats-name-discrimination/
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