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Racial remarks on Chinese names spark outrage
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-22 15:42 LOS ANGELES -- Texas State Representative Betty Brown's recent statement that voters of Asian descent should adopt names easier to deal with for Americans has prompted the Los Angeles County Democratic Party to request a formal apology. Some Chinese here also called the statement "ridiculous" and "stupid" and efforts should be made to stop such anti-immigrant sentiments.
During a Texas State House Elections Committee hearing on voter identification held on April 7, 2009, Brown, a Republican, said: "Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese ... Do you think that it would behoove ... you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here." Brown's statement was directed at Ramey Ko, a representative of the Organization of Chinese Americans. It was criticized as racially insensitive by Texas Democrats, and they are demanding an apology. The Los Angeles County Democratic Party said in a resolution that Brown's statement was both racially insensitive and intolerant and reflected a total disregard and lack of understanding of the fundamental tenet of equal rights and treatment under the law for all Americans. "As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' Texas State Representative Brown's discriminatory statement against Asian Americans was offensive, disrespectful, and unacceptable." "She undermined our fundamental principles of equality and non-discrimination. We demand her to issue a full apology to the American people and we ask that the Texas State House censure State Representative Brown for her reckless remarks," Eric C. Bauman, chairman of the Los Angeles Democratic Party, said. Lily Chen, founding board member of the "Committee of 100" and former mayor of Monterey Park, described Brown's statement as the new anti-immigrant undercurrent and said Chinese and other immigrant communities should fight back to stop such sentiments. Chen recalled when she was mayor of Monterey Park in 1983, there was an "English Only" movement. But she fought back with the "English Plus" movement. Now it is the 21st century, but Brown's statement draws people back to the 19th century, Chen said. She said even conservative Americans have changed their minds and many have realized the importance of learning Chinese and other foreign languages to make America more competitive in the world. Many universities and even high schools are offering Chinese language courses. To demand that Chinese change their names is not only ridiculous, but stupid, Chen said. "Should we ask Los Angeles County supervisor Mike Antonovich to change his name to Mike Brown?" she asked, adding that the new undercurrent of anti-immigration sentiments in Texas should be stopped so it would not spread to other places. Chen called on the Chinese community and other ethnic communities to work together to fight back. The suggestion that Chinese Americans or any other American citizen should be forced to erase their family names and ethnic heritage and adopt Anglo-Saxon names is generally not acceptable among immigrants. "It is ridiculous. The US is a melting pot and that is not going to change. It's not that difficult to learn how to say names with which we are not familiar. "I think we all need to try harder to maintain an open mind and accept the possibility of learning new things throughout life. Forcing minorities to change things about themselves to make it easier for the closed minds of others to handle is totally inappropriate," netizen Alison Whyte said in answer to a question posted by a website on whether immigrants should change their names. Some immigrants prefer to change their names to make it easier for Americans, but many still stick to their own names. Many Chinese prefer to retain their own names for legal purposes, but use American names for the sake of convenience. For example, Zhang Xueping may have an American name James Zhang, but on his driver's license and credit cards it is still Xueping Zhang. Since Zhang is difficult to pronounce, some prefer to change it to Chang, but most Chinese are reluctant to change their last names. Not only Chinese, immigrants from other countries are also usually reluctant to change their names. It is very difficult to pronounce the last name of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, but he prefers not to change it. "They can't say my first name or my last name," said Mnatsakanyan, 35, an accounting student in Los Angeles. "It's really difficult for them. But I love for them to try and say it, since it's my name, it's my father's name." |
