What a Difference a Name Makes
Chaniqua, Jaquita, Bionte, Shaquita, or Beyonce...what do they all have in common? Well, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research these young ladies are all less likely to achieve academically, they will also have more trouble finding jobs, getting loans, and getting ahead in life. Why? All because of their names. The Bureau did a study that spanned from 1994 to 2001, looking very closely at names popular within the African-American community that in general society make it very easy to identify, or assume ones ethnic identity. As a part of the research, they also compared siblings, those with indentifying names, and those without. It seems that many of the educators involved in these surveys have negative impressions of children with names such as these. This of course leads to less attention given to that student, which results in lower achievement. Of course, in the job market, we know that discrimination exists, however these names serve as an identifying factor on resumes that can prevent us from getting in the door. So who is to blame in this mess, should parents be blamed for naming their children as they saw fit, or should educators and corporate America be called out for the prejudiced approach they have taken? I think there is some blame on both sides, because as black people we know what we face daily from society, we also know what perceptions are out there, so why should we do anything to make life more difficult for our children. While we have to take responsibility for that side of it, educators or any other human being alive who carries these types of impressions is not fit for the position they occupy. They are doing a disservice to children everywhere.
posted by eastcoastbrutha at
1:46 PM
6 Comments:
I personally don't think we should change the way we name our childrem simply to accomodate society. Many of the more ethnic names that are chosen are tied to our heritage. The EEOC needs to investigate this and punish the people who are discriminating against us.
6:45 PM
This result of this study is disappointing, but not surprising. As stated in your blog '...we know that discrimination exists...". Purposely naming a child a non-identifying name simply for the purpose of making making life less difficult is no different than an extremely fair skinned black person 'passing' for white. Oh sure, if you are light skinned then just hide the fact that you are black. Heck, why not! It would make it easier to find a job, get loans, and just basicly get ahead in life! Well perhaps less fortunate dark skinned blacks should name their children non-identifying names as well as bleach their skin and have plastic sugery so they can achieve all that life has to offer with the minimal amount of difficulty. If the parent doesn't do this, provided they have the money to do... then... I ask..."So who is to blame in this mess, should parents be blamed for [letting the physical appearance of] their children [be] as they saw fit, or should educators and corporate America be called out for the prejudiced approach they have taken?" Is there some blame on both sides? As black people we know the difficulties of being black in today's society. Why should we do ANYTHING to make life difficult for our children? If a parent can afford but does not provide skin bleaching and plastic surgery for their child, they are to blame... as well as society. No?
8:05 PM
Well, imagine your name is Fred Smith... and the face/person they get isn't what/who they expected... me :-)
Kinda funny.
fs
ps. thanks for visiting my site and for feedbacking. thanks!
6:54 PM
Its just a shame that in 2005 a parents would need to consider naming their child something inorder to trick society into thinking their child is not black on paper so the child would get a fair shake in life.
7:03 PM
Interesting...however, it would seem more likely that children who have parents who would give them "ethnic names" may come from a cultural, educational, SES background that influences their children's future potential and choices. The names themselves may simply be a function of the underlying disadvantages of their family system. I would guess that these children would have the same problems as adults if they changed their name later in life. However, that'd be hard to study since children/adults who are cognizant enough of the impact of their name are likely fundamentally different from those who would never think about the relationship between themselves and their appelation.
AJ
2:23 PM
You know, I am mixed, and my name is Tim. Because of the fact that I am mixed, I catch hell from both sides of the fence. Black people call me pretty boy, white people call me half-breed. So basically bleaching your skin has nothing to do with how society will treat you. There will always be some discriminating factor against you, no matter what you do.
As for my name's sake, I am in the same situation as Frederick Smith. When people hear or see my name is Tim, they expect one thing. When they get another, their whole attitude changes. Which goes to reiterate what I said earlier, no matter what you do or say, there is no way to cushion the blows society has for you. If my name was Rasheen, I would catch hell. If my name was John, I would catch hell.
4:33 PM
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