Texas state representative Betty Brown made some controversial comments, putting her public position in jeopardy. Her comment was that Asian American voters should adopt simpler, easier-to-pronounce more "American" last names. Her spokesperson insisted that her comment was not racially motivated, but an attempt to reduce voter identification problems.
In her own words, she asked, "Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese - I understand it's a rather difficult language - do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?"
You know me by now that I'm not going to just be quiet about this. Many Asian Americans demanded an apology from Betty, including me. My first reaction was anger, but then it quickly subsided to disappointment thinking that there could possibly be some of my American friends secretly wishing I would change my last name in order to make them pronounce it easier. They must be over-board with their demands!
So, how do you feel if it's difficult to pronounce your last name, so the government asks you to change it to make it easier for others to read and not get it wrong? I'm very sorry, but if you cannot employ better educated people at the voting polls to differentiate ABCs, then I got nothing to say. Apparently, some of them even picked on "hyphens" in people's names.
I've seen some difficult to pronounce American, European, African, whatever cultural last names. I dont see the need to ask anyone to change to make it easier for the government personnels to process our federal or state government documents easier. If education or better screening of employees are needed, that's what should be done.
If you ask me to "adopt" a different last name to make it easier for Americans to avoid confusion, what I am hearing is asking me to Change My Last Name Because You Can't Pronounce or tell a difference.
Please dont go telling me that I need to change my FAMILY name in order to make it easier for you. Changing my FAMILY name means I'm no longer a part of my family roots and family origins. With that come generational history. That's what you are telling me to leave behind. Just to suit you?
If you didn't know, Asians, especially Asians are BIG on family. Many of us Asians (especially in Asia) still live with our parents despite being working adults! That's not to say we can't afford a place of our own or not having our own independence. We believe in taking care of our family (especially our parents and grandparents) for generations. Living together is a part of the process. It is not uncommon to see 3 or 4 generations of a family living in the same home. Some are multi-millionaires. That's how we are. Where my husband grew up, he lived in a house filled with grandparents and uncles, aunts and cousins too. 20-30 people live in that home and there was a house helper that just caters to their meals in the home.
So, don't even go there. I'm proud of my FAMILY name and don't ask me to change it. In fact, I feel offended. Yes, Chinese is a difficult language to master, but if immigrant Asian Americans can speak at least 2 languages, you can learn to read our Asian last names in English.
PS: My Family Name is YEO. To correctly pronounce it, it's a silent "E". You actually just say "Yo"... almost like a greeting. It is not "yau" or "yeeeeooooow". And many times, for whatever reason the brain tricks the hand, people could say YEO repeating it back to me, but they write WEO. I don't know why but it happens.
So, this is how you say my name correctly .... Lo-reeeee-na Yo. Not Lo-re-na Yau. Yes, you have butchered it in the past but now you know. I still love you just the same as long as you don't ask me to change my family name to make it easier for you.
These are photos of my recent trip to visit my ancestral home in Toishan, Southern China. It had always been my dream to visit and last year, I saw it for the first time.
I'm a proud Asian - born and raised in Malaysia. My grandpa left China for Malaysia during the 2nd World War and all he thought was he was going to make some money for a few short years in Malaysia. Then, communism took over China and he only returned HOME after over 40 years. Now, his granddaughter ie me, left Malaysia to seek my own future here in America. We just keep moving!
My Grandpa's Village where he was born and raised in Toishan, Southern China
A rooftop view of my grandpa's village
My grandpa was born and raised along with 9 other brothers in this one-bedroom home.
My family at the front door of our ancestral home. We finally made it there!
My promise to you is that the messages I share will be day-to-day related, often times related to real estate. If these topics are important to you also, I'd love for you to subscribe to my blog.
Click on the icon if you are an Active Rain member.
Subscribe via Email if you are not an Active Rain member here.
*************************************************************
Contact:
Loreena Yeo
Realtor®/ Broker of 3:16 team REALTY
(214) 783-2210
loreena@loreenayeo.com
Copyright © 2009 by Loreena Yeo (3:16 team REALTY). How Would You Feel If Someone Ask You To Adopt A Different Last Name For The Ease of Others?
